Integrated IP-CCTV Projects for Two Belgian Airports

Two Belgian airports have recently deployed integrated IP Video technology from IndigoVision, as part of infrastructure and new passenger terminal projects. Charleroi Brussels South and Liège Airports are located in the Wallonia region of the country and are operated by SOWAER (Société Wallonne des Aeroports). The complete security solutions at each airport, which integrate CCTV surveillance with access control, emergency evacuation and perimeter protection, were provided by Fabricom, IndigoVision's long-standing Partner in the region.

IndigoVision's IP Video technology is ideally suited to the demanding security environment of airports, as it is truly distributed. This allows multiple agencies and departments to access live and recorded video relevant to their operations. In the case of Charleroi and Liège airports, security, baggage handling, maintenance and law enforcement agencies all have access to appropriate video.

In both cases new passenger terminals were built alongside existing facilities that used traditional analog CCTV equipment. These systems were interfaced to the new IP Video solution, allowing both terminals to be monitored from a single control room. As distributed IP Video systems are very flexible and scalable, these old analog systems can be easily updated when they reach end of life.

The IndigoVision software development kit enabled a tight integration of IndigoVision's hardware and ‘Control Center' security management software into ICAROS, Fabricom's security and building management system. Alongside access control, intruder detection and other building related systems, an ICAROS workstation gives the operator seamless access to all the unique IndigoVision features for alarm and video management. This tight integration offers the airport security teams significant benefits and vastly improved incident response. For example, when an access control alarm is generated, the nearest camera to the entry point can be panned to a preset position and the feed automatically displayed on a control room monitor.

In excess of 250 new cameras have been installed across both airports and they are recorded on over 30 IndigoVision standalone Network Video Recorders (NVRs). Full frame-rate video is continuously recorded from the new cameras and the legacy systems to provide the authorities with a 14+ day archive. As it is a distributed system the NVRs can be independently located in each terminal building to reduce the overall network bandwidth requirement.

IndigoVision and Fabricom have had a long and successful relationship with airport projects in Belgium. In 2001 Brussels International Airport was a pioneer of IP Video when it installed what was then the largest networked video CCTV system in Europe, supplied by the two companies. Nearly a decade on, the 1000+ camera system is still providing the airport with a leading-edge digital surveillance solution.