IP solutions in TSB.
In this issue with you:
Maxim KACHALIN, Sales Channel Manager, Axis Communications
Anton PAVLYCHEV, pre-sales support specialist at SONY
Vyacheslav DRUK, head of CCTV IP Bosch «Security Systems»
Andrey PINAEV, Head of Department, ZAO «Access Control Systems»
Mikhail BERDICHEVSKY, Head of Representative Office, SCHRACK SECONET AG
Evgeny KIN, head of the representative office of Nedap N.V. Security Management in Russia
Question for discussion
Today, when most experts no longer use “revolutionary” phraseology, when the advertising tinsel has been thoroughly knocked off the materials devoted to the problem of IP solutions, the question is interesting: are we moving towards the complete and unconditional dominance of network solutions in all segments of the TSB market or will they still be “one of”?
Maxim KACHALIN:
In my opinion, IP solutions will change in line with the development trends of network technologies, data storage and video recording technology. The convergence of these areas will determine the path of further development and penetration of digital solutions into the world, for example, video surveillance. Over the next 7-10 years, depending on the industry, IP solutions will coexist with others present on the market of technical security equipment. Although we should not forget how quickly “digital” completely replaced proven solutions in sound recording (CD instead of gramophone records) and in the production of monitors (LCD instead of CRT monitors).
Vyacheslav DRUK:
Classic video surveillance includes analog cameras, matrix switches, video monitors (CRT and TFT) and video recorders (DVR). Bosch video recorders have always had a network interface for connection to a local network. A video surveillance system consisting of a large number of DVRs is always combined into a single system using the TCP/IP network protocol for ease of use. Then, operator workstations are created that have access to any camera on any DVR in the local network.
However, from the point of view of reliability, building a system on a DVR does not always satisfy the customer's requirements, although, it must be admitted, such systems are the most popular.
For example, when a recorder fails, a large number of cameras are lost; servicing or expanding the archive capacity is also problematic. A distributed system consisting of independent components is required. And in this case, an IP solution is required.
With this approach, a classic DVR is broken down into its component parts: compression and stream transmission are performed by IP cameras or coders, and network video recorders (NVR) are responsible for storage. This makes it possible to increase the reliability of the system. If in the example with a DVR we can avoid connecting to a local network and use the DVR as a Stand-Along, then for IP cameras and coders, using the network to transmit the video stream is mandatory. As a rule, a network recorder is a computer with a network interface and installed hard drives. The more cameras in the system, the greater the number of NVRs and the cost of their maintenance.
But this problem can be solved today. For example, Bosch has adopted the technology of direct recording to disk arrays (iSCSI protocol), which came from the IT market. The use of this technology allows you to transmit a stream from an IP camera or encoder over the network directly to the array, bypassing computers or servers. Thus, for systems with an unlimited number of disk arrays (TB) and cameras, only one control server is required. If any of the arrays fails, the server will immediately redistribute the streams to another array.
Thus, with the advent of the ability to record video on a hard drive (instead of a cassette), the information became digital, i.e. it can be transmitted over a network. In my opinion, network solutions in video surveillance have been dominant for a long time, since IP can include DVR, NVR and iSCSI. The question is how we use the network infrastructure available to us.
Andrey PINAEV:
The network infrastructure of a distributed TSB should be based on the use of a global or object IP network. Data transmission from object to object via dedicated serial lines is dying out in almost all market segments. At the same time, serial interfaces will remain relevant for terminal equipment for quite a long time, at least due to the possibility of using cheap trunk lines of much greater length than is possible in IP networks.
Mikhail BERDICHEVSKY:
In my opinion, in the next 2-3 years, open network solutions will definitely push out “private-company” analogs from the market in the video surveillance and alert systems markets, if only because they will become cheaper than closed solutions due to the use of standard, widely produced interface units. Again, they are more profitable for consumers, since a product with a standard interface is easier to replace with a new one, for example, to install a higher-resolution camera instead of an old one, etc.
As for the market of access control or fire safety systems, here the closed nature of the system can even be a plus. For example, for fire safety systems, the standards require complete independence of its operation from the functioning of other systems, therefore separate gateways for transmitting data to the general information system of the facility in such systems are more than enough, and a fully IP system will be significantly more expensive.
Evgeny KIN:
It is now becoming the norm to consider the equipment of the security services as an integral part of the business process of enterprise management, the common denominator of which is the presence and use of a corporate network as a single information space. Therefore, I believe that the share of IP solutions in the product lines of manufacturers, primarily ACS and CCTV, will constantly grow and eventually become dominant. On the other hand, in more conservative segments of the security services market, where there are quite strict standards and requirements from regulatory authorities for the execution of equipment, for example, for fire alarm systems, network solutions may indeed remain «one of».
Question for discussion
What do you think is the share of IP solutions in the TSB market segment your company operates in today? Growth dynamics over the past three years and forecast for the near future?
Maxim KACHALIN:
In Russia, in contrast to global trends, the share of network surveillance is 3-5% of the total market, but annual growth over the past three years has been 80-120%. I believe that the growth rate will continue.
Anton PAVLYCHEV:
In my opinion, at present the share of IP solutions in the TSB market does not exceed 10% compared to traditional solutions. This is due to the fact that in small and medium projects the cost of analog solutions is more attractive than solutions based on IP technologies. Over the past three years, the share of IP solutions has grown and will continue to grow due to the fact that the costs of classic solutions and projects based on IP technologies are gradually equalizing.
Vyacheslav DRUK:
I can clearly judge the development of the IP solutions market based on our experience. The company supplies the entire range of equipment for video surveillance systems: from analog cameras with matrix switches to IP solutions using iSCSI. Despite the growth in sales in the IP segment, analog systems are still in high demand, especially in applications for operational monitoring of the situation at the facility.
Andrey PINAEV:
It is difficult to say exactly. In most cases, there is a smooth evolution, when the node hubs receive their own network interface instead of a serial bus to the computer. At the same time, communications between software elements are always carried out using some protocol over UDP or TCP transport. I would venture to assume that the final IP/non-IP ratio will be 80/20, where 20% will be various end devices that will not have an Ethernet interface due to cost or operational requirements.
Mikhail BERDICHEVSKY:
In the area of fire safety, this share tends to zero.
In the area of ward alarm systems, the first IP systems have just appeared, and this year their share in new projects will not exceed 30%, but in the future such systems should completely replace old solutions.
Evgeny KIN:
Of course, the ACS market over the past three years could not boast of growth rates of IP solutions similar to the CCTV segment (according to experts, up to 50% per year). I think that the rapid growth in popularity of IP ACS, as well as the emergence of companies — leaders in this area, awaits us in the very near future.
Question for discussion
The ratio of supply and demand of IP solutions. How much are they in demand and at what facilities?
Maxim KACHALIN:
I would say that demand outpaces supply. Another thing is that most customers refuse to use IP due to insufficient awareness of the advantages, the apparent complexity of operation and the lack of qualified personnel. Network cameras were in the greatest demand in the construction sector, in transport, in the operation of office and warehouse premises, in banks and retail.
Anton PAVLYCHEV:
Currently, demand is noticeably lagging behind supply. IP solutions for TSB are mainly in demand at large facilities, where the cost of an analog solution and an IP-based solution are approximately equal. After all, to create a classic analog system, a large number of additional devices are required, while modern IP solutions allow transmitting data from surveillance cameras over fairly large distances in real time using wireless technologies. In addition, thanks to the rapid development of technologies, network equipment, servers and personal computers are now very affordable.
Vyacheslav DRUK:
In the past 2008, all video surveillance projects of our company with 60 or more cameras were designed only on modern IP equipment. These are PTZ or fixed IP cameras, and in the case of using analog cameras (thermal imagers, explosion-proof cameras, «peepholes», etc.), video signal encoders are used. iSCSI disk arrays are used for storage systems. For example, a system of 400 cameras required 215 TB of disk space, which is 25 iSCSI arrays and only one medium-power server. The operator receives monitoring and access to the archive through software installed on the operator's workstations (computers) or with the help of decoders. With the advent of iSCSI technology, a customer who needs a distributed video surveillance system gives preference to it, and not to a system on recorders.
Andrey PINAEV:
Demand for IP solutions is growing due to the increase in the number of facilities with developed SCS, where it is possible to include IP modules directly into the local network without laying additional trunk lines. In general, consumers of TSB in the middle and high price segments confidently give preference to IP solutions.
Evgeny KIN:
In my opinion, the supply from the majority of ACS equipment manufacturers does not currently meet the growing demand for IP solutions. I believe that this is primarily due to the volume of necessary investments in the development and production of new equipment. Inertia and conservatism in relation to any new products among ACS consumers, of course, exists, but in this situation, it seems to me, does not play a major role in the existing supply/demand ratio for IP ACS.
Of course, the greatest effect from the implementation of IP ACS is seen in the examples of multi-branch, geographically distributed structures. But IP solutions are attractive in that their cost-effectiveness can be felt even by the owner of an ACS consisting of a couple of entrance doors. And without any losses to the overall level of security.
Question for discussion
Technical innovations that IP solutions in your segment have undergone since their introduction to the market.
Maxim KACHALIN:
First of all, this is image quality and functionality, such as built-in motion detection, high-performance event management tools, and the latest image processing and transmission technologies (H.264). Camera sizes have decreased, and the product range has expanded.
Anton PAVLYCHEV:
Modern solutions have made great strides. The first systems were quite expensive, bulky and inefficient. This was due to the fact that the cameras and peripherals themselves were expensive. Currently, equipment prices have dropped significantly, which has made it possible to build distributed networks that can include various system components. Also, the use of IP technologies has made it possible to securely access the video surveillance system from anywhere in the network, and not just from the central node, as in analog systems. Relatively recently, technologies have appeared that allow you to unload both the computers that record and analyze, and the network. For example, Sony has implemented DEPA technology. Cameras in modern networks have built-in intelligence, which allows you to process incoming images and transmit only change data (metadata) to the central node. The resolution of images from cameras has also increased, which has made it possible to receive a clearer picture and, accordingly, more information.
Vyacheslav DRUK:
The main innovative solution that allows to significantly reduce the cost of ownership of the video surveillance system is the transition to the technology of direct storage of video data via the iSCSI protocol. The iSCSI disk array is a «basket» for installing hard drives, having two gigabit RJ45 ports for direct connection to the network. The video stream from IP cameras or video encoders goes directly to the array, bypassing computers or servers. In systems with a large number of cameras, software installed on a single server running Windows Server 2003 is used to automate the recording process. The software does not pass the streams through itself, but only tells the camera which section of the disk array to record to. Thus, the total number of disk arrays in the system is unlimited, and the cameras are not tied to a specific array and can use all available storage space.
Andrey PINAEV:
IP solutions are gradually moving down the hardware tree. Initially, only node hubs had a network interface, then it began to appear in lower-lying devices. This is due to the cheaper components used to build network solutions. Another direction of evolution is the disintegration of a complex hardware tree into many independent autonomous network nodes that interact only through common top-level software.
Mikhail BERDICHEVSKY:
The main advantage of IP systems, as I have already mentioned, is the ease of integration of equipment from different suppliers and simpler modernization and expansion of systems. Both factors work entirely for the consumer.
Evgeny KIN:
Most of the existing ACS on the market have a legacy architecture from 10-15 years ago and can hardly be adapted to IP technologies. Nowadays, there are still quite frequent examples when manufacturers add a network converter to existing systems of an old design and pass it off as an “IP-based” solution, although in reality they do not cover the real advantages of the new technology.
In our company's understanding, a truly modern IP ACS is an access control system built using open architecture and standards of the information technology industry. Of course, it should provide the user with the ability to work through a web interface without additional pre-installation of any software on the client's site. IP ACS controllers should be directly connected to the network without the help of any «converter devices». Peer-to-peer communications between controllers and other network devices in combination with the most distributed functionality of the system should create a reliable structure independent of the operation of the central server, which is especially important for constantly expanding and geographically distributed facilities. In addition, new models of IP ACS controllers of our company support the PoE function.
Let me note once again that the main idea of a real IP ACS in our understanding is decentralization of processes in the system. In other words, modern IP ACS devices in the network actively interact with each other, and not only exchange information with the central information server (storage).
Question for discussion
Technical and technological problems that need to be solved for further implementation of IP solutions.
Maxim KACHALIN:
Our company, being a pioneer in many developments, later widely used in the TSB market, has always implemented and used the most advanced technologies in the field of network video. At the current stage of development, the company's equipment meets modern requirements. As technology develops, so will our products. The problem is not in technology, but in people's awareness.
Anton PAVLYCHEV:
The current technical problem is the compatibility of various system components with components from third-party manufacturers. Technological problems also include the introduction of the new H.264 protocol with a high frame rate, which provides a high degree of compression and transmission quality with a low load on the transmission channel, as well as differences in the now very common MPEG-4 compression protocol.
Vyacheslav DRUK:
At the moment, video surveillance systems with a large number of IP cameras with a maximum resolution of up to 4CIF (704 x 576) are installed without any particular problems. The flow rate in MPEG4 format at 4CIF and 25 frames per second is on average 2.5–3.5 Mbit/sec. However, more is expected from video surveillance, namely megapixel resolution of cameras capable of adequately operating in local networks and with lower server computing resources.
Andrey PINAEV:
One of the difficult-to-solve problems is increasing the working length of the network interface. Optical fiber is quite expensive and is unlikely to become much cheaper.
Technologically, the paradigm of developing devices with network and 485 interfaces is fundamentally different.
Mikhail BERDICHEVSKY:
There is only one problem: to correctly calculate the required network bandwidth required to implement all customer wishes. There are no other problems anymore — IP technology has gone through decades of rapid development and has reached a sufficient level to solve any problems facing TSB.
Evgeny KIN:
The main problems of implementing IP solutions are still in line with the tasks of IT specialists. Correct configuration and protection of the corporate network, competent organization of subnets and gateways for access to the global network are the main components of the successful launch and operation of IP ACS. From the point of view of strategic development of IP solutions in ACS, the main direction, in my opinion, will be further convergence with network business processes of enterprise management and building security and life support systems.