sourcesecurity
Located in the Littoral region in Cameroon and in the city of Douala,
Douala is not only the biggest city in Cameroon, it is also the
regional economic engine, as well as the country's wealthiest city.
As can be expected of such a logistically vital location, many of
Africa's biggest companies are represented; and among these, is Libya
Oil.
While it is no secret that the country of Libya has undergone recent
political and societal upheaval, Libya Oil's Head Office in Cameroon has
thankfully experienced few of this turmoil. Instead of these larger
geopolitical issues, Libya Oil administrators are more concerned with
common daily security issues. It is in this vein that
Hikvision technology arrived.
Through this effort, Libya Oil contacted Ernest Kindakong, Sales Executive and Presales Engineer at
Servitel, a Cameroon-based security integrator, to develop a new security solution for their Libya Oil Cameroon Head Office in Douala.
After a thorough analysis of Libya Oil's facilities and concerns, Mr. Kindakong designed a solution that would:
- Provide perimeter security for areas of high employee concentration
- Provide a solution that would allow Libya Oil administrators access
for up-to 90 days of recorded video footage - per company policy
- Develop the overall solution with IT in mind, so as to provide the
easiest and most user-friendly design for the IT users charged with
these security matters
Capacity for the future
Tackling the video storage requirement, Mr. Kindakong elected to go
with Hikvision's DS-9632NI-ST Embedded NVR. As Mr. Kindakong explained,
this model's 8 SATA interfaces perfectly fit one of the key NVR
requirements - massive storage capacity. Furthermore, the up-to 5
Megapixel (2560x1920) of recording resolution guarantees that these
images will be sharp and clear, regardless of when they are accessed.
"It is really a synthesis between required recording capacity and
quality images. Another nice bonus is that the DS-9632NI-ST's 32
channels provide excess camera capacity ... therefore should this head
office choose to later install additional cameras, the upgrade will be
simple and mess-free, from an NVR standpoint," added Mr. Kindakong.
"It is really a synthesis between required
recording capacity and quality images.
Another nice bonus is that the
DS-9632NI-ST's 32 channels provide
excess camera capacity"
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Video coverage both front & back
Providing video surveillance for the Head Office's front and main
entrance, as well as the building's rear exit area (and larger back
surrounding area) is the Hikvision DS-2CD7353F-E(I) 2MP Outdoor Network
Camera.
This fixed camera provides
"a great choice for general
surveillance for these areas. What I mean by this is, both the front and
back areas are rather large, so by placing this DS-2CD7353F-E(I) in
both areas, we get excellent 2MP resolution for specific clarity on
objects - such as the entrance. We also have excellent coverage of
wide-open areas, such as the employee parking facility located behind
the Head Office," furthered Mr. Kindakong.
Since both the Head Office's front, and rear, have good 24/7
lighting, this model's IR functionality is not generally needed, but
does provide an excellent backup should a night-time lighting issue
suddenly arise.
However, in the open-air parking facility, the decision was made to add a
bit more coverage. In this vein, the DS-2DF7274 Series 1.3MP IR Network
Speed Dome was placed on the building's back outer structure to capture
the parking facilities' entrance. Utilising Hikvision's iVMS software,
Libya Oil's IT staff use this camera's 20x Optical Zoom and 1.3MP
resolution to accurately view office visitors and car details, such as
license plates, to gain a more complete picture of who is entering the
premises.
Specifically designed
Rounding out the solution, thematically and hardware-wise, is Hikvision's
DS-1002KI RS-485 Keyboard. Mr. Kindakong explained,
"Again,
this office facility does not employ a full-time, dedicated, security
staff. Instead, IT is largely charged with the administration of
day-to-day security issues."
To make this transition as easy as possible, the DS-1002KI RS-485
Keyboard was chosen because it optimises PTZ camera functions. In this
setting, IT personnel only need concern themselves with possible issues,
rather than trying to figure out how to observe these possible issues
on their monitors: efficiency trumping cumbersome mechanics.
In this fashion, the DS-1002KI RS-485 Keyboard serves as a metaphor
for the entire solution: a detailed-oriented solution devised for both
potency and efficiency - a South African Hikvision solution.
