Hot Topics Subscribe to Newsletter Tell a Friend Print this Page 09/26/2008 Video Surveillance: Ability to Scale and Evolve is Key W2i Executive Director Daniel Aghion spoke with Mark  Jules, President of Avrio Group on Wednesday, September 24, 2008. Avrio Group is n emerging systems integrator focused on the planning and deployment of metro-scale video surveillance. In addition to well publicized system deployments in Denver and St. Paul for the Democratic and Republican National Convention, Avrio Group customers include federal, state and local governments agencies such as transportation, corrections, emergency management and law enforcement. Q - What do you see as the key driver for municipalities to deploy video surveillance networks? A – Local agencies, particularly law enforcement, can leverage their resources in their fight for public safety, from the war against terrorism to crime reduction, while also sharing the network between multiple agencies in the same organization, at the city or state level. We are seeing applications going from pure police usage to traffic control or remote facilities management. Those networks can benefit most if not all departments and agencies.  Q – How many agencies could hook up on those? A – We have done deployments that had up to 60 agencies, more than 300 users.  at any one time, a testimony of the interoperability of those networks and the applications they enable. Q – What would be the primary benefit for applications like the Conventions in Denver and St. Paul? A – Law enforcement organizations add image to the voice communications they already have. That decreases the time needed to get information before intervention on any event, to issue directions and also allows to better “size” the response. Voice communication is still critical, but adding the video speeds up and improves the decision and response process.  Q – What is the biggest challenge for a city to tackle such projects? A – Access to information on all the possible options, and sharing with all stakeholders.  It is our role to provide the cities, our customers, with the full range of options available in the general framework they will work with.   Q – What are in your view key elements in a network design? A – Forming a team of engineers that are comfortable with a wide range of technologies and vendors, and are not restricted by habits. Also, make sure that designs will allow for expansion and growth of the networks, as well as keep the technologies current.  Q – How do you proceed from there? A – We always recommend a phased approach for a deployment: starting with a smaller scaled application that agencies can test and get comfortable with, that fits with the funding resources, and grow from there as subsequent funding becomes available.   Q – What range of funding do you usually see? A – Basically two types of grants: a smaller range of half a million dollars typically for pilots, as well as bigger grants of 1 to 2 million dollars per year for on-going deployment.    Q – Do you see those networks extending to public access? A – We don’t see that trend as most of those networks use the 4.9 Mghz band reserved for public safety. Law enforcement and other agencies often willshare the same networks, if there is some compatible usage of the network across agencies, but opening the network for public access to the Internet does not seem to be a choice here.  Q – In the future do you envision the potential for outsourcing of the networks and their operations? A – As a rule, cities want to own and control their networks, as they deal with sensitive safety issues. On the same line, city personnel are trained for reviewing and monitoring the video stream produced, especially police officers. No wish to outsource here.  Q – Where do you see that market going over the next five years, and how would you breakdown its components? A – We believe that  the market would be well over 10 billion dollars for total deployments, including wireless deployments. I have to note that cities are coming to realize the danger of using wired only networks, and that we see wireless fast becoming a greater share of those projects.The biggest part of any project would be the network itself, both wired and wireless. Then come the camera equipment and access controls, followed by professional services (planning, design, and deployment) and finally the management and storage of the videos content. The actual percentage of each component varies widely from project to project, though.  Q – Who would be your champions for those projects? A – Usually the police department  join forces with city IT department on those projects. back Related Items: • Beaverton, OR • W2i Finalizes Program Agenda for Digital Cities Convention in Washington, DC • Bowling Green (KY) Launches Public Safety Wi-Fi • Interoperability Grants — An Opportunity for Tomorrow, If You Know Where to Look Today! • Government Processes Reengineering Roundtable: Summary • WEBINAR: Wireless Video Surveillance at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions Comments No records were found. Post new comment: Only registered users can add comments. Please Log-in

• MORE BLOGS