Overland and Mobotix Streamline IP Video Surveillance

Overland Storage, Inc. introduced a unified management console that simplifies the deployment of video surveillance and archive solutions featuring Mobotix AG‘s IP network camera systems and Overland’s family of SnapServer network-attached storage (NAS) products. The companies have seamlessly integrated the configuration of IP cameras, video management software and network video storage for extreme ease of management, flexibility and scalability, making the combined solution ideal for hotels, retail shops, parking structures and multi-tenant buildings.

Led by Check Your Security, Ltd., a security systems integration company based in Norfolk, United Kingdom, Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trusth recently implemented Mobotix cameras and Overland Storage SnapServer storage to provide a video capture and archive system for around-the-clock security monitoring to protect patients, visitors and hospital staff.

"The combined Overland and Mobotix solution was superior," said David Perry, senior estates project manager for Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. "The cameras offered three Megapixel image quality, two-way audio over IP, Power over Ethernet (PoE), sealed external weatherproof housing and the ability to add SnapServer storage capacity with ‘plug and play’ simplicity. The embedded MxControlCenter surveillance software was a real bonus that led to measurable cost savings in terms of seamless, simplified operation."

With the latest version of Mobotix’s MxControlCenter video management software, installers can use a consolidated user interface to set up IP cameras with any local or remote SnapServer storage connected to the video surveillance network. The video management software automatically discovers all available SnapServer devices and provides installation wizards to easily configure the TCP/IP network information. By using the Mobotix control center to manage both the cameras and NAS storage, Overland and Mobotix have reduced the overall implementation process by approximately 50 percent, lowering deployment costs and complexities while minimizing the chance of installation errors.

As technology partners, Overland and Mobotix worked closely to incorporate unique features into both the SnapServer and Mobotix MxControlCenter to further simplify implementation. To that end, Overland has added a centralized ‘time’ server capability to SnapServer systems to support the synchronization of timestamps on all videos captured by IP cameras. Recent testing of Overland’s SnapServer systems in the Mobotix Camera Lab has proven that SnapServers can handle the data-intensive storage demands for up to 80 simultaneous, high-resolution camera streams.

"We have continued to see a growing demand for IP-based video surveillance and archive solutions that don’t require special networking or storage expertise. Organizations are seeking simple solutions to complex problems and to that end, Overland and Mobotix have accomplished that with a single interface for managing both IP video cameras and storage archives," said Jillian Mansolf, vice president of global sales and marketing. "Together, we’re lowering deployment barriers and making it easier for our partners to provide customers with best-of-class IP video cameras and highly scalable storage to meet a wide range of video surveillance requirements."

"There is no easier to use or more cost effective solution on the market today," said Peter McKee, global marketing director of Mobotix AG. "As a result, our network-based HiRes video surveillance and archive solutions are gaining momentum worldwide as organizations upgrade from older, analog cameras to the latest and most innovative technologies. We are simultaneously seeing a continuing rise in new installations featuring our high-resolution, digital cameras and embedded video management solution paired with Overland’s high-performance storage. We look forward to continuing our strategic alliance with Overland as we collaborate on additional applications."