In the city of Islamabad in Pakistan, Centaurus is a three-skyscraper complex, linked by a four-storey mall housing 250 shops. Here is a case study of its IP security video.
Centaurus is a mixed use real estate development project designed by British architectural firm WS Atkins. The three 41-storey buildings house offices, a five-star hotel, and apartments, with the Centaurus mall running between and connecting the towers. The interior design of the residential building and the shopping mall was courtesy of ODEION-Turkey. The complex was built at an estimated cost of US$350m.
As a major hub, the Centaurus mall seeks a safe and secure shopping environment. The mall’s management tasked Islamabad IP surveillance installer, Digital Links, with providing a video security system. The Centaurus security team was facing issues like garbage being thrown in stairways and emergency entry/exits. More seriously, security staff were regularly receiving reports of thieves, shoplifters and pickpockets hiding in stairways to avoid detection. They would be detected once video was reviewed the following day – but by then, it was too late. The new system had to monitor in real time the key entry and exit points, the interior of the mall, and its emergency access points, as well as providing ongoing alarm monitoring. Hikvision cameras were deployed to cover these crucial zones, as well as providing standard overall security views of malls and walkways.
Digital Links project manager, Khuram Chohan, says: “The solution we devised included 400 Hikvision DS-2CD2032-I 3MP Infrared IP Bullet Cameras and 80 DS-2CD2432F-IW 3MP IR Cube Network Cameras, which send video images back to eight 64-channel DS-9664NI-ST high-end NVRs. The whole system is managed using Hikvision’s iVMS-5200 Professional Video Management Software.”
Hikvision’s iVMS-5200 Pro is a centralised video management software that allows users to manage their business security subsystems in one platform. This can control surveillance, access control, license plate recognition, business intelligence, and a control room video wall.
Chohan says: “The cameras plus the NVRs and the software provide a real-time live view for the Centaurus mall’s security staff. This enables them to monitor the mall effectively and efficiently. Powerful recording and remote playback mean video evidence is easily located and exported. The iVMS-5200 software provides a smart alarm handling mechanism which helps operators quickly locate and identify alarm incidents – and react quickly and decisively to prevent security incidents occurring.
“The system allows the entire mall to be monitored from the control room, where operators can proactively identify security risks. They are also able to ensure that emergency gates providing important access to the mall and skyscrapers are unobstructed and clear for emergency vehicles.”
The system’s alarm functions, including motion detection, intrusion, video tampering and designated zone line crossing, have resulted in the apprehension of shoplifters and attempted thieves, and have solved the problem of unauthorised waste disposal in emergency exit staircases. The 480 IP cameras send high resolution images to the control room for live monitoring and recording, to investigate any incidents or suspicious activities. Operators are alerted to incidents via the iVMS-5200 Pro software’s built-in video analytics, so resources can be directed to any troublespots. The 64-channel DS-9664NI-ST network video recorders offer up to 6 megapixel resolution recording, and output at up to 1920 x 1080P resolution in HDMI and VGA formats. They provide up to eight SATA interfaces, dual gigabit network interfaces, and HDD quota and group management.
