Videor Technical: Commerzbank counts on Zelaris_IP

Videor Technical: Commerzbank counts on Zelaris_IP. The bold architecture of the Commerzbank Tower is the source of fascination for many visitors to Frankfurt – behind the mirrored façade a complex software solution takes care of the security required in the Commerzbank network of branches. Videor Technical’s partner, the Frankfurt based Heer is a nonproprietary system provider in the security sector and realised the project by using eneo Zelaris_IP. The system application comprises alarm processing to the central control room, multivendor recording of alarm images as well as scheduled functional tests and sabotage monitoring though reference picture comparison.

The software package needed for this consists of eneo Zelaris_IP Video Management Software, PVis Management System and PVis Extended Risk Management. The following requirements had to be satisfied:

• Failure and sabotage monitoring of the CCTV cameras installed in the 800 Commerzbank branches, 
• PC processing and storage of current pictures in the event of a raid. 

Automatic Site Plan Display

External camera connection in the over 800 branches Germany-wide is performed directly over the network or over the image storage system used in the relevant branch. Failure and sabotage monitoring is carried out by scheduled picture comparison in the tower central control room and is achieved by retrieving one picture from every external camera cyclically or on a defined time schedule.

This picture is compared with a previously stored reference picture and is evaluated by utilising configurable parameters. Over 120 CCTV cameras are operated throughout the tower in addition to 70 cameras and 15 PTZ systems in the adjacent foreign currency office where 300 to 500 million € in foreign currency are traded daily. The cash desks are recorded on 19 Dallmeier recorders with a recording rate of 50 fps.

Simultaneous Picture Processing

Gerhard Reinhardt, responsible for central security and branch organisation: “We use site-plan based Zelaris software for camera image comparison as no recordings are made. A total of 800 branches each with at least three cameras are being connected to the system during the course of project, so that over 2,400 cameras shall be processed at completion.”

The alarm systems already installed in the branches can be connected to the central control room over OPC servers. Automatic site plan display with marked, triggered cameras as well as simultaneous picture processing in the control centre has the purpose of evaluating alarm systems and supplying proof. All displayed pictures as well as the verification pictures for sabotage monitoring are also stored in the control centre.

Freely Scalable Management Software

Operation and display problems may occur, when different systems are used simultaneously. Simple video systems lack features and often cannot meet the demands placed by professional video surveillance. Zelaris_IP could be used for management, control and recording of different systems on one screen. The software solution is structured in the same way as a video matrix and offers up to 64 inputs and 25 outputs.

Each input can be assigned to an IP-based video source and configured for resolution, quality and frame rate, and some interfaces have already been configured for different models and manufacturers. Functionalities such a pan/tilt control along with digital inputs and outputs are also supported for various products. Each input is equipped with its own motion detector which can undertake a series of subsequent actions such as recording or picture display.

From 8/25 to 4096/1500 Inputs and Outputs

Each channel has a highly available and crashresistant image memory for recording video signals, which allows specific records to be stored externally on freely configurable hard disks or data servers. The 25 outputs are organised as freely positionable video windows, to which video signals are freely assigned by the user or events. Manual picture display is performed by selecting a video source in a tree structure or an optionally available graphic screen.

Automatic picture display is triggered by different events such as contact inputs, motion detection or even by an external system by using the optionally available OPC-interface. Events are stored in an internal alarm list or on external database servers. Each alarm is linked to a stored video sequence which is replayed directly when the alarm message is selected.

eneo Zelaris_IP can be enlarged to be a client/ server-based solution for use in large surveillance systems. The use of up to 64 video servers allows networks of up to 4,096 video sources and 1,500 outputs to be configured, in which the network load is distributed to the servers. The server version also provides a web interface, which allows access from web browsers on different platforms. Browsers can run on practically all commercially available computer systems such as Windows, Linux, Unix or Macintosh. Control by site plan is also possible.

Newest Version Offers New Functions

It is also possible to search for movements in older recordings. The areas to be detected are simply highlighted in the video window and movements can then be searched for forward or backward in a displayed window or by using the context menu. The Crossfire function is also new: it is an automatic PTZ controller to record events from up to eight consecutive preset positions. This gives the capability to move to and record sensitive areas one after the other during an alarm.

Furthermore, an OPC Data Access Client is available as an option for the server versions to allow integration of external input and output contacts as well as any other systems such as fire, building automation and intrusion detection systems. An eneo system keyboard will soon be offered that is designed especially for Zelaris_IP.

Plus a web client will shortly be available for access to live and recorded pictures via any standard browser.

Multivendor Video Management

OPC (OLE for Process Control) is a standardised software interface originating from the process and automation technology segment that allows data exchange between applications produced by different vendors. OPC is used wherever such applications are combined to form an interactive, flexible network. With OPC, it is only necessary to install a single OPC-compliant server once for all devices.

And when an OPC server is available for a device, it can be installed in any size of surveillance system. “We have created a dedicated network for this purpose at Commerzbank, and the first 18 branch offices are now connected. Whilst we use PVis for transmission, Zelaris is used for video management and camera identification based on site plans. This allows regular automatic picture comparison, a procedure that would otherwise need several months to check all the cameras. The system is the ideal solution for us, as it can be expanded by stages and by using multivendor components – in this regard it more or less grows with us,” is how Reinhardt expressed his satisfaction with the situation.

Contact:

Markus Kissel
Videor Technical E. Hartig GmbH
Roedermark, Germany
Tel.: +49 6074 888 260
Fax: +49 6074 888 182
m.kissel@videortechnical.com
www.videortechnical.com