Innovations on the Doorstep

According to the figures of the last half-yearly report, the business of Mobotix AG is growing splendidly. Against a consistently difficult economic background, in the first six months of the 2009/10 year under review Mobotix was able to achieve an increase in turnover of about 9%, to € 23.9 million. These good figures were crucially aided by the successful product launch of the Q24 camera line, Mx2wire technology and a continued growth in export trade. At Light & Building in Frankfurt, Germany, Mobotix AG presented for the first time an innovative IP-video door station, the T24. At the exhibition, Heiko Baumgartner had the opportunity to talk to the Mobotix founder and CEO Dr. Ralf Hinkel about these new products and international trade.

GIT-SECURITY.com: In what way are you satisfied with the product launch of your Q24 camera with its hemispherical lens?

R. Hinkel: Since its introduction last year, the Q24 has become a bestseller. Mounted in the ceiling, it provides an uninterrupted 360°panoramic view of the whole room and that's truly unique. Since then, we have produced 2,500 Q24s in Germany each month and the camera is being used by our customers for the widest range of tasks. Securing entrance areas is one of these, where the camera, in combination with a detailed sensor, the hemispherical lens and internal DVR, shows off its strengths and allows a complete room to be recorded using just one Q24 camera. The Q24 is also used at service stations, where it can replace several analogue cameras, as well as in large, prestigious projects such as the underground in Shanghai, where Q24 cameras monitor the underground stations using high-resolution images. With the Q24 Night, we are currently expanding our range with a special night variant for environments where poor light conditions predominate.

In the international market, taking the classic sales route through installers, you are less obvious than your competitors, but nevertheless you are successful on the international stage. How do you do that, and how do you view your position in international trade?

R. Hinkel: Our export trade is an important engine for our growth. In spite of the difficult economic market, we have an export share of 75% and are number four in the world in IP cameras; our market position in mega-pixel cameras is even better. What is important is that we also use our channels through wholesalers and IT companies, in addition to the classic sales channel through video installers, and we have been very successful through this.

You have now expanded the new product range with hemispherical optics and are presenting a new IP-video door station at the Light & Building exhibition. What are the advantages of this system?

R. Hinkel: The new T24 IP-video door station covers the whole entrance area without interruption - from wall to wall, from the ceiling to the floor. Standard door cameras often only record visitors when they are directly in front of the lens. Essentially, the fish-eye lens represents the scene in front of it as a complete, uninterrupted 360° image. Using integrated image correction software, the image is corrected even in the live view, and delivered to the remote video station. It is then easy to digitally tilt, pan and zoom the subject area. The T24 is based on the VoIP/SIP and H.264 international video-telephony standards. When the doorbell is rung, a connection is made through the network to a VoIP videophone, a standard PC or tablet PC. Video and voice access to the door station is now possible from anywhere in the world. The door can also be opened remotely. The Mobotix key module, which can be used individually, also serves as professional access control through the entry of a PIN code or by using a RFID transponder. Via MxBus, the module communicates directly with the security door opener and be programmed with a time control. The security door opener in the interior area makes it impossible to open the door by forcefully disconnecting and short-circuiting the connection cable.

You promise a system that is simple to install. Often there is just a two-core bell wire available at the door, and systems are often already installed. How can your system be installed, and is it possible to upgrade existing installations?

R. Hinkel: In the case of our T24 system, quick and easy installation means that one network cable is used for the network connection and electricity supply for the IP-video door station, or alternatively a two-core bell wire can be used with the Mx2wire expansion set. The T24 product line is a modular system that can be adapted to customers' individual requirements. With minimal expenditure, an existing doorbell or simple door communication system can be converted to a multi-functional access control system with a high-resolution Mobotix camera. Furthermore, the hemispheric camera module also fits the Siedle Vario system. In this, individual Siedle modules are integrated using a specially developed Mobotix IO connection board.

Will we see more new products from Mobotix in the future that go beyond video monitoring?

R. Hinkel: We are working at full stretch on an alarm control unit for private use, which links elements of video monitoring, a door station, and also burglar and fire alarms.

Dr. Hinkel, thank you for talking to us.