No closed circuit for CCTV.

Old-fashioned analogue closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) are quickly being made obsolete by newer versions that can transmit their images over the Internet.

In one of the biggest revolutions in security technology since its first deployments in the 1960s, the advent of closed circuit television over Internet protocol (CCTV over IP) also permits security managers to manipulate cameras, causing them to pan or zoom, from any location that has Internet access.

You don't have to throw out your existing cameras and coaxial cable networks to take advantage of the new capabilities, either. At Nortronics, when we install our CCTV over IP product, NetImage XSO, we combine new with old in a way that minimizes costs and maximizes results.

CCTV over IP gives security personnel greater control over surveillance cameras. If a security professional, or onsite facilities manager, notices something suspicious, he can examine it more closely. And, he can notify his boss so she can view it over the Internet, too.

The digital images transmitted by the cameras can be easily stored on any computer hard drive, or saved to a disc. It also enables security professionals to oversee security for a number of facilities from a single remote location.

Sophisticated behavioral intelligence software can alert its human monitors to suspicious activities picked up by the cameras, such as a bag left unattended, a person entering a restricted area, or a car going the wrong way down a one-way street. It can even detect a slip or fall.

Up until now, the biggest adapters of this technology have been in the education, law enforcement, real estate and transportation sectors. The system's flexibility makes it very useful for larger facilities as well.

Retailers can use the technology for applications beyond security, and even as a source of revenue. In partnership with retailers, marketing professionals can conduct real-time in-store consumer marketing research from their own desktop computers, instead of relying on focus groups. Or, the technology can be used to broadcast in-store events.

The system also provides cost-effective maintenance functions including power control and a temperature sensing system that can detect potential problems such as frozen pipes, a flood or fire.

Many security experts and facilities managers have heard about this technology, but don't fully understand its capabilities. Once they see a demonstration, they typically ask us to install it, even if they had originally placed an order for a DVR-driven system.

I expect we will see this technology integrated into plans for almost every significant new development project in the New York area going forward.

MARIA F. GONZALEZ, VICE-PRESIDENT, NORTRONICS CORP