When Panduit built its new world headquarters just outside of Chicago in 2010 the company decided to utilize its Unified Physical Infrastructure (UPI) approach to converge core business systems – including security, power and communications.
As part of this effort, Panduit wanted to install pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras at the company’s seven domestic manufacturing and warehousing sites, as well as select facilities around the globe, and manage them all remotely from its world headquarters.
IPVision, a national integrator of intelligent physical security solutions and an Axis (News - Alert) partner, recommended Axis PTZ network cameras because they could easily converge with the company’s other network-based security, safety and environmental control systems.
The PTZ cameras use intelligent video analytics to provide perimeter security for all Panduit global facilities, as well as its lobby exhibit in the new world headquarters.
Combining its security and network operations centers into a single Unified Operations Center (UOC), Panduit archives video locally at each building, while centrally managing the cameras from headquarters’ UOC.
The result is Panduit security staff can view event-based video streamed to world headquarters and controls the Axis PTZ cameras remotely to investigate whether a situation requires intervention.
If an alarm is triggered because a distracted employee holds a door ajar too long, security can observe the situation remotely until it’s resolved instead of putting local personnel on high alert.
Before erecting its new world headquarters in Tinley Park, Ill., each Panduit facility operated its own independent analog surveillance system.
“To update our security system to match our Unified Physical Infrastructure strategy, we needed to deploy the appropriate network technology,” said Jeff Woodward, senior manager of Global EHS and Security for Panduit.
By installing AXIS 233D PTZ Network Cameras in its facilities worldwide, Panduit could leverage its robust wide area network to globally monitor, control and manage those cameras from one central point.
“Instead of sending security staff to physically investigate every alarm, we use the video cameras to remotely monitor the situation and then investigate the triggering event if necessary,” Woodward says.
He estimates a 16-month ROI on the surveillance equipment just from that labor savings alone.
A majority of the Axis network cameras are deployed on building exteriors, overlooking expansive parking lots. With video analytics, they create a virtual trip line around property perimeters.
“If an object of a certain size breaks that perimeter,” explains Ben Green of IPVision, “the Axis PTZ network cameras are strategically placed to alert
security staff, send a video stream to HQ, and also automatically track that object.”
Once the video stream is sent to HQ, security personnel can remotely zoom, pan and tilt the cameras to closely observe the scene.
“Adding intelligence to the video allows us to selectively push video to the Unified Operations Center, which limits how much video we need to aggregate on a regular basis,” says Woodward.
Though AXIS 233D network cameras are designed for exterior use, IPVision turned to Dotworkz Dome enclosures to ensure optimum performance under conditions ranging from harsh Chicago winters to Costa Rica’s tropical humidity. A variety of models with built-in heaters and blowers operate in temperatures ranging from -40ºF to 150ºF.
