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| MOBOTIX protects all high-security areas and the entire outer perimeter of the building |
Fronius, an Austrian company founded in 1945 that specialises in battery charging systems, welding technology and solar electronics, uses MOBOTIX to protect all high-security areas and the entire outer perimeter of its building. Complete system with high-resolution MOBOTIX cameras delivers reliable monitoring services while also serving as an electronic gatekeeper.
In 2005 the Fronius Group began to build its new main production and logistics centre just a few kilometres from its main building in the Austrian town of Wels. As early as the planning phase for the Sattledt site, the company was looking for a partner to help design and implement more efficient security strategies and have a tailored concept in place already in the blueprint stage of the structure. Fronius chose VALEO IT GmbH based in the Bavarian town of Schwandorf. Established in 2004, VALEO IT with 22 employees at three locations has already earned a reputation as a professional and customer-oriented problem solver. VALEO IT offers round-the-clock service including planning, hardware selection, adaptation of standard software or exclusive distribution of specific software, construction supervision, and verification of the agreed scope of services and after sales support.
Customised solution
For VALEO IT Security Consultant Norbert von Breidbach-Bürresheim, it was easy to convince Jürgen Strasser, Division Manager, Plant and Infrastructure Security at Fronius, of the advantages of a MOBOTIX-based security concept. Fronius had already been using MOBOTIX equipment to monitor IT server rooms and other high-security areas for some time and was extremely satisfied with the results. The jointly developed concept now provided for extremely reliable 24-hour perimeter security using the MOBOTIX IP camera models M12D, D12 and M22M. Because of the greater detail available through megapixel technology, fewer cameras are needed than with conventional solutions. The intelligent software in the cameras analyses alarm criteria, as well as the buffering and compression of image and sound sequences.
Webcam function is a welcome additional service
Even before the first excavating machine buried its shovel in the soil, two MOBOTIX HiRes cameras installed at diagonally opposite corners of the property monitored the construction site. One was connected to the terminal box of a fibre optic cable linked to the headquarters in Wels, while the other was powered by solar cells with battery backup and transmitted its images to the first camera location via a wireless connection. The images proved highly valuable in efforts to improve the construction process and were also placed on the Internet, where anyone interested could follow the rapid progress of the building work.
Automatic gatekeeper
This function is already performed, for example, by the barrier control in which MOBOTIX is used to monitor the entrances into and exits from the plant premises. If vehicle license plates are already stored in a control computer, the barriers open automatically. This is made possible by four cameras set up to read the license plates that are integrated into the barrier posts. Added to this is the pattern recognition software distributed exclusively by VALEO IT and developed by its partner company Schmitz GmbH. With the automatic gatekeeper, suppliers, staff, and security personnel can enter and leave as they wish, while unknown visitors are required to identify themselves over the loudspeaker to staff at the front desk.
License Plate Recognition: convenience & security
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| The detailed imaging capacity of the MOBOTIX megapixel technology makes it possible to use fewer cameras without losses of information |
Access control using license plate recognition is used today in a great variety of areas, including entrances to factory premises, in high-security zones, at gas stations, parking garages and fleet management. In addition to the obvious security aspect, convenience for drivers also plays an increasingly more significant role. An M22M-Sec night camera records the license plates and the system reads them automatically, quickly and reliably, making it possible to identify the vehicle and check its authorisation for entry without a ticket being inserted. The operation of the entire technology is completely based on IT, which makes the use of MOBOTIX IP cameras particularly advantageous.
High-end does not have to be expensive
In addition to the economical installation cost, customers see the prospects for extremely low costs during lifecycle as a particular advantage. MOBOTIX cameras owe their extreme reliability to the absence of any mechanically moving parts that are subject to wear and tear. The cameras have no movable lens, no pan/tilt-swivel or servo motors and also no mechanically adjustable (auto) iris. The unique temperature range from -30°C to +60°C is achieved without heating or a fan at only 3 watts power consumption. The resulting robustness and low maintenance requirements ensure the lowest possible maintenance and energy costs – an advantage that adds up to considerable sums over the years.
Value-added service
All participants saw as particularly valuable the fact that MOBOTIX provides the MxControlCenter software free of charge and license free with a lifetime update authorisation for an unlimited number of cameras and users. The detailed imaging capacity of the MOBOTIX megapixel technology also makes it possible to use fewer cameras than in conventional solutions without losses of information – a clear cost advantage. The camera’s electronic system independently takes over the analysis of alarm criteria, buffering and compression of image and audio sequences, making it unnecessary to constantly transport the images to a central computer for analysis. This minimises the demands on network bandwidth and storage volume. High-resolution video with sound from about forty cameras can thus be efficiently stored on a single PC. Even entirely autonomous operation without a PC is possible when images are recorded in the camera using digital memory (USB, SD card).
