At VideoSurveillance.com, we’re all about keeping our customers safe and protected. We’ve also underlined the fact that megapixel-quality and/or high-definition surveillance cameras provide clear and detailed images that make recognition and identification possible. Prosecutors in La Crosse, Wisconsin agree. The local La Crosse Police Department also concurs; video surveillance footage has been instrumental in solving crimes, including those that have taken place in the last year. Tim Gruenke, District Attorney, spoke to LaCrosseTribune.com, saying that video has become one of the best tools for prosecutors in the courtroom. He went on to state the following, which was highlighted in

Melter Corporation, a manufacturer and exporter of water cooled components made for the steel company, recently installed high-performance network security cameras in order to become Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism-certified. At present, more than 60% of the company’s production is exported to Canada, the United States, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.

Freightliner, a leading British rail transportation company, upgraded its analog surveillance system to Axis network cameras at its Manchester terminal. Using outdoor-ready Axis cameras, Freightliner is able to identify people and get an overview of operations as well as zoom in on fine details, such as license plates and container IDs.

A hybrid surveillance system featuring IP video equipment from IndigoVision has been deployed in Aberdeen Harbor, the UK's largest port serving the North Sea oil and gas industry. Previously the port had an analog surveillance system in place, but it recently upgraded to a solution that incorporates IP cameras and network video recorders while still utilizing the existing analog CCTV cameras.

With an expected increase in rail cargo container volume flowing through marine terminals, the Virginia Port Authority recently pushed for a video surveillance upgrade. Virginia International Terminals, which operates the terminals owned by the Authority, chose an IP surveillance solution featuring Axis network cameras to help monitor the cargo containers as they move to and from the rail yard. The new system not only enhances security, it also streamlines port operations.

The Wintek corporation, a Taiwan-based LCD manufacturer, is using Vivotek network cameras for a challenging, large-scale surveillance installation in its spacious production plant. The goal of the system is to solve security problems while improving management efficiency. The IP surveillance system features 48 Vivotek IP7138 megapixel network cameras, 16 Vivotek FD7131 IP cameras with PIR sensors, and 13 Vivotek IP7151 IP cameras in outdoor enclosures.

Port Louis, the capitol and primary port of Mauritius, has installed a new video surveillance system using IP video equipment from IndigoVision. The harbor-wide surveillance system is extremely flexible and fully scalable. With this new IP-based solution, operators from multiple agencies can monitor their own operations within the port. A central control room and several sub-control rooms have been set up to allow the Mauritius Police Force, the National Coast Guard, Customs and the Maritius Port Authority to access live and recorded video footage from each of the IP network cameras installed in and around the port facilities.

A large shipyard in the Canary Islands recently turned to Sony network cameras for an intelligent video surveillance solution. The shipyard, which repairs, maintains, and converts various types of boats, has installed a total of 20 Sony IP cameras both inside and outside the premises. The Sony surveillance cameras work to improve safety and provide access control for the shipyard and the boats within it.

Steveston Harbor in Richmond, British Columbia recently deployed a wireless mesh network to monitor the ebb and flow of trucks, shipping containers, and fishing equipment. 22 wireless security cameras have been installed along the harbor in an effort to deter crime, meet heightened port security regulations, and also to prepare for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The harbor surveillance system uses a combination of Sony networks cameras and IQinVision megapixel IP cameras.

Richmond, Calif. will soon install a wireless surveillance network to protect its ports and to reduce crime and vandalism throughout the city. The incoming system will consist of 116 digital security cameras with the ability to wirelessly transmit surveillance images to Richmond police headquarters, a police dispatch center, and to Port security. The aim of the system is to deter crime, limit vandalism and illegal dumping, and provide visual evidence for prosecuting criminals.

The Royal Vopak petrochemical storage terminal in West Thurrock, UK has turned to IndigoVision for a comprehensive IP surveillance solution. The terminal poses a difficult surveillance challenge. The facility features 125 storage tanks and provides storing and handling of gaseous and liquid chemical and oil products. The products are transported from the terminal by road, pipeline, and river. Video security plays a critical role in protecting the facility and making sure the environment is safe for Vopak workers.

The city of Pittsburgh is gearing up for a large-scale upgrade to its existing video surveillance operation. Plans are in the works to integrate hundreds of existing security cameras with new, high-tech cameras so they can all operate on one centrally-monitored system. To move the process along, the city has hired an outside firm, N.W. Getz and Associates, to develop a timetable, examine computer networks for the system, and evaluate rules for preventing abuse and misuse of the cameras.

The city of Helsinki plans on acquiring upwards of 150 new surveillance cameras to be installed in public places and sensitive areas over the next couple years. The aim is to increase the overall level of security, allowing citizens to feel safe in all areas of the city. The new surveillance plan calls for fixed security cameras, as well as portable surveillance cameras that can be used for large public events.

Ports have long been considered some of the weakest entry points into the United States, and one of the biggest challenges facing security officials in the fight against terrorism is port security. Millions of packages enter and leave the country each day through the 100+ ports in the US, which can make establishing security a challenge. The Port of Pittsburgh, the second busiest inland port in the country, has recently received a $2.6 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security to help secure the area.

There are many challenges involved in providing comprehensive video surveillance for industrial locations such as factories and plants. Such locations often include vast building areas which require a large number of cameras installed in various sections such as the warehouse, assembly lines, and shipping areas. Security staff faced with the task of continuous monitoring must deal with the day to day monotony while remaining poised and ready to react to a situation at a moment's notice. Additionally, since the area of coverage is so large, it can be difficult to quickly pinpoint where exactly an incident is occurring, especially if multiple alarms are triggered simultaneously.

GeoVision recently introduced its DVR with Multi-Quad TV out system as a way to increase the efficiency of real-time video monitoring and response times in complicated areas such as these.

Booming economies in China and India, along with record amounts of construction in the US and the rest of the western world, have created an extremely high demand for raw construction metals like copper and steel. Contractors and electricians complain about the soaring costs of metal as thieves ransack incomplete buildings, stripping copper wire and pipes to sell for scrap. Scrap metal thieves have become so brazen as to risk their lives - one man recently died trying to strip live electrical wire from a transformer.