Category Archives: CCTV

Hard drive price rises

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We asked back in October after the devastating flooding in Thailand if the world was about to run out of hard drives. Well as yet we have not seen any issues of major shortages. However there is a warning sign and that there may be some round the corner and this is in the form of huge price rises.

1 tb hard drive price.

A Western Digital RE4 1TB 3.5″ SATA Internal hard drive has risen in price from just over £72 to a  current high of £216 and the 2 TB version has gone from £129 to an astonishing £323.

1 tb hard drive price

Now some  may say suppliers and manufacturers are profiteering of the back of the disastrous flooding .Other may say its simple economics of supply and demand. However with the prices looking like they are here for some considerable time to come cheap DVRs are a thing of the past and this will definitely slow demand for all things megapixel as storage and falling prices are key to its success.

We will continue to watch the prices of hard drives and keep you up to date as they hopefully begin to fall back towards the summer.

Changing security companies

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When is it time to change your security provider? Is it better the Devil you know when it involves CCTV, access control and Intruder alarms or, if you don’t shop around are you in danger of paying well over the odds for your security systems?  There are generally two driving forces that make end users look at changing their security providers. The first is the after service they receive, the second is ongoing costs.

security service provider

Most companies decide to make a change because they are fed up of service levels they are receiving. Recent economic conditions have meant many security companies have had to make cut backs in order to survive, this invariably leads to poor service. It is also the case that prices have had to be squeezed at point of sale and this often leads to poor installations or the provision of cheaper, sub-standard kit. This can only lead to problems for the end user in the future.

So what is the best advice when choosing both a service provider and installer?

Firstly get references, talk to other companies that have used the security supplier and ask about their weak points and service levels.

Next, run a credit check. A good security company is a solvent one.

Always ensure they belong to an affiliated inspectorate such as the SSAIB or the NSI.

Ask to look at an installation or get a demonstration of their products.

Make sure the goods you buy are not closed protocol, once this type of system is installed you are trapped , going elsewhere for service becomes very difficult.

Always insist on a specification.

Ensure the equipment is of good quality and comes with manufacturers guarantees.

Good installers will have health and safety well covered. Ask for examples of  risk assessments.

Check their insurance meets your needs as a company.

 

Swapping service providers can be a pain and many security companies will do everything in their power to make things difficult. Not providing codes or central station details will make life tricky and keeping drawings and specifications away from the end user will mean they can’t provide it to third parties to help them formulate a quote . As a customer you have every right to this information, so insist you get it at the point of installation.

At the end of the day, you, the customer have the power to change and seek better value if you are unhappy with your security provider so don’t hesitate to take action, where your companies security is at stake.

50% of metal theft is actually from metal recycling companies

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Imagine , you are a metal thief, where is the best place to steal your valuable metal products from? Perhaps use a mini grinder to steal a valuable Bronze statue from the streets of London . Perhaps an easier target would be bronze plates from war memorials or maybe the local brewery and a few aluminium casks from their back yard. Even easier perhaps, the metal could be stolen from the high street in the form of manhole covers or the local railway line could be targeted with all its associated steel and copper signalling equipment? Well no, most thieves are a bit brighter than that . It seems the best place to steal metal from is the scrap metal dealers themselves . Often portrayed as part of the problem, metal recyclers of whom most are towing the line and complying with  all the constraints and regulation now being put upon them are often the main victims of metal theft.

According to figures released by the BMRA the trade association of the British metals recycling industry. 50% of all metal theft is actually occurring from the scrap yards or should we say recycling centres themselves. Perhaps this is true, but worse of all it seems most of the crime is more a result of criminals stealing and then moving metal from one scrap metal site to another and getting very well paid for it .. Something not lost on those traders who are sick to the back teeth of being blamed for the problem..

As a result the need for security is becoming more and more important but most sites have historically been difficult to cover with dark corners and lighting almost impossible. The solution though is here . The White light predator is the answer to those recyclers who have been on the end of some nasty losses. The white light predator can identify culprits  in full colour with a zoomed in shot that once captured can be circulated amongst fellow recycling members, meaning they can easily reject these individuals from their sites when they turn up with their wares . The act of being identified and with full colour zoomed in images  is a good start in the effort to  break this cycle of crime. Deterrent in this case is everything and there is nothing worse for an intruder than being “caught in the headlights ” of the white light predator. For more detail on the product see the 360 vision technology website.

White light Predator camera

Intersec Dubai news and reviews

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Intersec is over for another year and the wonderful country of Dubai has waved off the hundreds of over sea Manufacturers and Distributors within our great Industry!

Intersec Dubai

I was looking to post daily, but 3G conspired against me and wifi within the show was well used shall we say!!!

But here goes…

Held in the wonderfully situated Dubai Convention and Exhibition Centre in the main Business sector of Dubai, the show was a very well laid out expo, held over several halls split into country zones. I liked this format and am sure those visiting with specific technology in mind would find this method an easy way to navigate what was an extremely large show

It seemed larger than our own UK based IFSEC expo based in Birmingham, and yet the halls and stands interconnected in a logical, Milton Keynes road structure way!

Notably, our Far Eastern friends find value in the Middle Eastern region, occupying large sections of the exhibitions in ‘China’, ‘Taiwan’ and ‘Korea’ sections – all showing a mixture of their latest Tech goodies including Megapixel cameras, NVR Software solutions and other ‘must have’ gadgets!

What was interesting was the distinct lack of HD-SDI solutions – HDCCTV in another name – and I can kind of understand why………

3G (despite my own woes) was prevalent EVERYWHERE in Dubai…….and this is mirrored throughout the Middle East. Our Arabian friends have embraced IP Technology, spending huge quantities of money developing envied high speed internet links throughout their regions……….visitors to any CCTV stands would always be heard asking ‘is that camera available in IP’

So, with such high acceptance and embrace of IP technology, why would they need HDCCTV?  I cannot argue against this on this occasion – the regions are developing from a relatively recent existence and therefore their ‘retro-fit’ market is much, much less than ours in the UK – if it’s new, it’s IP…..

I did spot an excellent gadget on the Cominet stand though!! a 3G HD-SDI Link to extend HDCCTV connectivity to upto 30Km !!!!! Nice!

So, with the focus on latest products & technology, here is a summary of the key exhibitors and their Intersec offering !
Cominet  – 3G hdsdi link 30km
CPPlus – a nice range of HD-SDI cameras and DVRs including a good looking  3MP Mini-dome

Norbain with their VIP Overt PTZ and Arecont ‘exclusive’ IP Product range.
Comnet showed a very nice PoE+ to provide power over copper to 1km.
Optex/Redwall had a very impressive stand with a PTZ Ganz unit to support their perimeter detection devices.
Hall 3 was set aside for more Integrator/Solution Provider presence relating to homeland security – One notable exhibitor was the Soncell Corporation including the Panoptech team.
Axxon from Russia showed their excellent BMS IP solution.
Bosch – IP all the way but only had one of their flagship MIC units on display !!
Axis IP air conditioned dome!! – yep, a dome with air conditioning on the side !!
Samsung  – interesting to see their inclusion into thermal imaging solutions and also their HDCCTV products!
Panasonic solar wireless CCTV – well, there is always an abundance of sun in the Middle East, good call Panasonic!
Videotec from Italy showed their PTZ positioning device – not the smallest but certainly very well made!
Genetic IP software to rival the Milestone revolution
UTC/Chubb showing their System Solution skills

and not forgetting……
Vivotek
Sony
FLIR
Honeywell
Mobitix

So, was it a success? in my opinion a resounding yes!

Well laid out, wonderfully positioned, excellent cross section of exhibitors, great facilities (catering, rest rooms etc) and with great travel options including the excellent Dubai Metro

In fact, probably the best Security Show currently available!

Get your tickets booked for 2013 !

Intersec Dubai – 15th-17th 2012 – Dubai Convention & Exhibition Centre

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Intersec Dubai security exhibition

The forthcoming Intersec Exhibition in Dubai, UAE, promises to deliver exciting and innovative products to the Middle East Security Sector.

Intersec Dubai

Starting Sunday 15th January and running through to the close on Tuesday 17th January, Intersec Dubai has grown to be one of the most influential and important Security conferences on the Middle East calendar.

Organised and run by the same people behind Essen, Intersec Dubai  is open daily from 10am through to 7pm (6pm on Tuesday) and brings together Integrators, Service providers and Manufacturers from all four corners of the globe!

Hall 4 see’s the British contingent with key exhibitors such as Panoptech, i_comply, 360 Vision, Navtech Radar and many more, all hoping to spread their messages to the Middle East region in order to capture some valuable and prestigious contracts.

We have various bloggers over at the show and hope to bring a daily update of what is moving and shaking in Dubai!