ACTi just announced the release of its new Standalone XNR IP surveillance solution. The ACTi Standalone XNR features built-in NVR software and operates as a true plug-and-play solution for IP-based applications. This reliable system features an embedded Linux NVR along and boasts RAID storage to automatically back up and save recorded files, while eliminating the fear of losing files due to hardware failure.

Milestone Systems has released a free version of its popular XProtect software platform. It's called Milestone Xprotect Go, and you can now pick it up as a free download from the Milestone Systems website. XProtect Go offers a wide set of features and allows users to view and manage up to 8 security cameras. The software is easy to use, and serves as the perfect startup solution for small business and home surveillance applications.

The North Carolina Department of Corrections has deployed a hybrid surveillance solution that incorporates both IP and analog security cameras to monitor prisons throughout the state. The new system replaces aging DVRs with exacq's more versatile hybrid servers. Currently 60 exacqVision Hybrid Systems are being used to manage 1,600 analog cameras and 300 IP cameras positioned in the state's prison facilities.

Milestone XProtect Device Pack 5.0 is now available, offering increased support for a host of new IP cameras and devices. Users of XProtect Enterprise, Professional and Essential video management software editions can now download the updated XProtect Device Pack 5.0 straight from the Milestone website. Milestone's XProtect Device Pack 5.0 delivers support for new products from such leading manufacturers as ACTi, Axis, Honeywell, JVC, Mobotix, Pelco and more.

Vivotek recently released firmware updates for a number of products in its IP network camera catalog. The latest firmware releases include updates for the Vivotek IP7160 2-megapixel network camera, the Vivotek IP7154 wireless IP camera, the Vivotek IP7153 fixed PoE camera, and the Vivotek PZ71x1 series.

Figuring out the right products to use in a video surveillance system can be tricky. Luckily Vivotek, the manufacturer behind a bevy of IP surveillance products developed an online Design Tool to simplify the process of finding the right products for specific video surveillance projects.

Demonstrating just how diverse IP surveillance camera capabilities are, a Mobotix network camera was installed at the top of the volcano Valahnukur in the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland, the same volcano that erupted clouds of ash that closed down airports all over Northern Europe. Fortuitously, the Mobotix camera was mounted just before significant volcanic activity occurred. Anticipating volcanic events, the camera was installed to capture footage of the eruption and share it with the public via a live web feed.

Milestone Systems XProtect Enterprise video management software is taking center stage in the video surveillance operations of Bulgaria's Varna and Burgas airports. Each airport has installed several hundred Axis IP network cameras along with IBM servers all operating on a Cisco network infrastructure. Both surveillance solutions are using Milestone software to access cameras and manage airport surveillance footage.

Mobotix IP cameras are a key player in documenting the decades-long project restoring the Medway Queen shipping vessel in Bristol, England. The ship was nicknamed the “Heroine of Dunkirk” after it rescued 7,000 stranded troops during World War II. As an important part of maritime shipping over the last century, the restoration of the ship has caused considerable interest from the history community as well as members of the public. The Medway Queen Preservation Society chose to use a Mobotix IP camera to accurately record the process of restoration.

In New York City, where millions of people ride the subway each day, video surveillance is playing a key role in keeping crime to a minimum. Currently there are 3100 cameras installed in New York's subway stations, and the city intends to add another 1000 cameras by the end of the year.

In search of an IP camera solution to replace their outdated analog video surveillance system, Bonifacio hospital, the newest hospital on the island of Corsica, settled on megapixel cameras from IQinVision. The top priorities for the hospital were discreet positioning of the cameras and the quality of the resulting footage. Using IQeye Sentinel cameras the hospital was able to reduce the number of IP cameras they had initially planned on by half.

This September, the University of Louisville is opening up a state-of-the-art basketball arena deliciously dubbed "The KFC Yum! Center." Despite its amusing name, this is truly a first-class facility, from design and layout all the way to its video security system. Currently there are 106 IP network cameras monitoring the arena, with an additional 40 security cameras providing coverage of the parking garage. Almost all of the IP cameras operate using Power over Ethernet for flexible installation anywhere along the network infrastructure. And to save bandwidth and storage space, the cameras utilize H.264 video compression.