Lighthouse CCTV converted to IP system

(06/08/2007)

The Lighthouse is Scotland's first dedicated national centre for architecture and design opened by HM Queen Elizabeth in July 1999. The Lighthouse building comprises 1,400 square metres of exhibition space, and since opening has welcomed well over 1 million visitors. It shows 15-20 exhibitions a year, many of which are of international stature. The Lighthouse also contains a dedicated education floor including workshop space, a conference centre, a design shop and café bar.

The Lighthouse has had its existing CCTV converted to a state-of-the-art IP system by security specialists King Communications. As the renamed £13 million conversion of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's 1895 Glasgow Herald newspaper office, The Lighthouse is not only one of Glasgow’s most iconic buildings but is operated as a charitable trust, putting special constraints on King Communications & Security Ltd and its hardware and software partner ADI-GARDINER.

Following a demonstration of their proposals to The Lighthouse’s IT Manager Angus Stewart by King Communications’ Martyn King and Katherine Bramwell of ADI-GARDINER’s Integrated Systems Division, it was agreed that an IP CCTV Network Solution offered the most benefits over competitive products.

“The 16 existing analogue cameras located around the grand six-storey building were incorporated into a new IP network using Axis video servers and Milestone Professional software. This saved The Lighthouse time, money and the inconvenience of installing replacement cameras around the building,” says Martyn King.

“The system now operates as a service on the network as well as on the wireless infrastructure throughout the building, allowing users to view on laptops wherever they are in the building. We have even managed to integrate the disabled toilet alarms into the system with alerts to key users.”

In keeping with the unique environment of The Lighthouse, disturbance of the infrastructure has been minimal, the whole system taking less than a week to install. Furthermore, because of its scalability and futureproof nature, the system can be expanded or components replaced at any time according to budget or demand.

“It’s made a massive change to our infrastructure, in the immediacy of checking on all parts of the building, and the extended data storage,” says Angus Stewart. “We hold exhibitions valued into thousands of pounds and are now able to install additional cameras at key points at any time. In image quality alone, the system has more than proved its worth.”

Related topics:  CCTV recording, DVR, VCR, Multiplexers   CCTV system and accessories   Digital CCTV   IP monitoring 

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