Collaboration Spotlight: SoleraTec and Cam-Tek Systems

Cam-Tek Systems, Inc., has incorporated SoleraTec's Phoenix solution to create the Surveillance Network On Utility Poles or SNOUP™ (pronounced “Snoop”) covert video surveillance solution. SNOUP is a modular, self-contained, ruggedized, video surveillance system designed to mount atop utility poles for wide area public video surveillance. This comprehensive solution utilizes wired, wireless, and cellular network connectivity. This solution is intended primarily for police departments, drug enforcement agencies, homeland security agencies, and other investigative agencies such as states’ attorneys general offices.

Law enforcement agencies understand that crime moves around quickly, and they need a video surveillance solution that can be installed outdoors, used for a limited number of days, and then moved somewhere else, rapidly. The SNOUP solution utilizes SoleraTec Phoenix™ digital video asset management software for IP-camera feed recording from video cameras, the long-term retention of the video feeds, as well as the overall storage resource management of the solution. Phoenix enables recorded video feeds to be stored in the unit as it is mounted on the utility pole and then for that video data to be migrated to a longer-term storage resource, be it by wired, wireless, or cellular connectivity.

Police cars equipped with a secure Phoenix installation client could pull along side the utility pole and begin to download the captured video streams in the event that there is no other wired or cellular connectivity. The SNOUP solution continuously records surveillance video internally and the overall solution enables numerous cameras to monitor a city neighborhood. With constant near-camera digital recording of various resolutions, frame-rates, and data rates for every camera, SNOUP is able to provide realtime video surveillance in a covert, unobtrusive, manner.

The modular base-system has one built-in Panasonic NS202a pan-tilt-zoom camera with exceptional low light capabilities, ideally suited for dimly lit areas. With an optical zoom rate of 22X, it enables the user to get right in on the action or zoom out for wider observation. Standard camera settings, such as frame rate, resolution, and compression, are easily selectable. Multiple methods of connectivity, such as cable, DSL, wireless, or cellular, enable network connectivity regardless of your deployment location.

Phoenix software manages live and recorded video feeds. Live images are immediately available for viewing and/or recording. Video is simultaneously stored locally on a solid state storage unit in case connectivity is lost. This provides redundancy, ensures that video evidence is never lost, and therefore, provides peace of mind. All video management is intuitive and seamless, due to the autonomous nature of Phoenix software.

SNOUP's intelligent power management module monitors every internal component to ensure uptime. If a technical issue should arise, SNOUP can email/SMS a notification and/or take corrective action itself by power cycling individual components per preprogrammed specifications. A web interface also allows manual power cycling as well. All these features, built with ruggedness in mind, combine to create a robust and rugged IP-camera based video Surveillance Network On Utility Poles.

Advancements in video surveillance technologies make cutting edge products like SNOUP possible. Law enforcement agencies need the ability to have wireless access without the need to station an officer near each temporary installation. Manned surveillance is not only resource intensive, but it can also be a danger to law enforcement personnel. Being able to view live or previously recorded video feeds from a safe location is a tremendous value to these agencies. Even interruptions in connectivity are overcome by recording locally at the camera on the utility pole. Once connectivity is restored, access to all missed video can be transmitted and reviewed. SNOUP is the type of advanced surveillance product that is needed to fight today's increase in terrorism and criminal activity.

“We are proud to be working with such a forward thinking integrator as Cam-Tek Systems, Inc. and the SNOUP solution. With its rapid deployment capabilities, video feed download connectivity methods, continuous internal recording, storage management, and small form-factor, we see this as a valuable resource in law enforcement,” stated Mark Armstrong, CEO of SoleraTec LLC, developers of the Phoenix™ digital video asset management software.

“We saw our law enforcement agencies struggling to build similar products for this application. We decided to use our experience with these products and 'build the better mouse trap,' so to speak,” stated Kortney Dunkle President of Cam-Tek Systems, Inc. “The SNOUP solution’s rapid deployment ability, with long-term video retention and multiple connectivity methods, provides today’s law enforcement agencies a new and advanced tool in their efforts to improve crime prevention, detection, and investigation requirements,” continued Dunkle.