The IP Camera and IP CCTV Blog

Network webcams today are able to offer a 3G wireless solution for their construction webcams system, RemoteManager.

Providing increased flexibility and reducing costs, a fully wireless 3G solution takes the hassle out of network cabling on a construction site, which is often impractical or expensive.

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We’re offering £100 off the new Panasonic BB-HCM701 indoor fixed mini-dome IP camera.

This compact camera is designed for discreet indoor surveillance and would be perfect for use in offices, schools, hospitals, hotel reception areas, store and server rooms.

The camera is especially good in low light making the unit ideal in both bright and dimmed light conditions. At just over 11cm (approx 4”) in diameter the Panasonic BB-HCM701 is unobtrusive and PoE support means the camera can be neatly installed using just one cable. The camera has an SD card slot providing an additional internal storage option.

This exclusive offer is only available at www.networkwebcams.co.uk. Buy the Panasonic BB-HCM701 for £249 saving £100 and if you purchase the camera from us, we’ll give you a Free SecurityStation beta account.

Panasonic BB-HCM701 full product and specification >>

Read more about SecurityStation >>

Today, Network Webcams announces the launch of SecurityStation, its own Alerts & Recording Platform (ARP). Designed with the user in mind, SecurityStation makes viewing and recording from IP cameras as easy as using a website.

The new service can be accessed using all common browsers and does away with the need for recording devices or software of any kind. All a user need is a camera and an Internet connection, SecurityStation does the rest.

Secure, offsite remote servers managed by Network Webcams store the data captured from users’ cameras. Via www.MySecurityStation.com users have instant access to their event recordings, live camera feeds and system control settings.

Frank Crouwel, Managing Director at Network Webcams said, “We expect that SecurityStation will become a great success and a market leader amongst other Alerts & Recording Platforms (ARPs). The fact that the service is fully web-based and is accessible from anywhere on demand makes it easy to use for anybody, and this makes it such a powerful product. It will open up the use of IP video to a much wider market.”

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Our Chester City Walls RemoteManager IP camera has hit the local press again as archaeologists uncovered a buried Roman tower during repair works. It’s believed that the well-preserved tower, which was found beneath the foundation of the city wall, was used by Roman guards patrolling the area. Interval towers were placed regularly every 65m or so along the rear of the main fortress wall and acted as lookout points and as bases for Roman artillery.

Chester residents are being enouraged to log on to the webcam to watch as more of the tower is uncovered.

Read the full story at Chester First.
Learn more about RemoteManager.

The Mobotix Q24M hemispheric IP camera recently scored highly when reviewed by the guys at PC Pro, “We were stunned when we first saw the live view. It’s not just that the image quality is good, it’s what the camera can do with it that’s so impressive.”

The Q24M from Mobotix uses a hemispheric lens to capture a 360 degree, 3 megapixel image. The camera then cleverly uses the circular fisheye image to provide up to four independent views, each with pan, tilt and 8x digital zoom functionality which are digitally corrected for distortion. The result is the image and control you would get from a standard mechanical PTZ camera without missing details or events by recording the complete 360 degree field of view.

All Mobotix cameras are designed to operate as a decentralised surveillance system with all image processing and recording performed by the camera. The Q24M comes with a pre-installed 4GB MicroSD card for a complete surveillance solution.

See the PC Pro article >>
Mobotix Q24M 360 degree hemispheric view network camera >>

Network Webcams is highlighting a recent report in the Sunday Mail on the staggering cost of school vandalism in Scotland. According to the report, vandalism in Scottish schools costs taxpayers £10,000 a day or £3.53 million per year, equivalent to the salary of more than 170 teachers.

According to Kevin Bowyer, our Kirkcaldy-based Technical Director: “Because of its proven effectiveness, more and more educational establishments are using networked CCTV surveillance to protect staff, students, property and buildings.

“One specific problem for schools is night-time vandalism against property, and the cost of damage is often significant. Network CCTV helps local authorities and individual schools to take control of this problem, not just by recording the event but by instantly raising alarms with people in other locations, who can then see what is going on and inform the police. The chance of catching the vandals in the act is much greater and a series of quick police responses will deter vandals from trying again next time.”

Read the full story…

Network Webcams’ RemoteManager construction webcam service is being used by Chester West and Chester council to document the reconstruction of Chester city walls.

A 25 metre section of the city walls was closed after part of the walls collapsed on 3 April 2008 close to the Eastgate Clock. The walls have been stabilised and in summer 2009 work was started on dismantling and then rebuilding the walls. The work is expected to last around 12 months.

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Press release October 7th 2009.

Following the release of the World’s first ONVIF conformant Network Video Products, LILIN have announced its partnership with Network Webcams, a leading specialist in Network Video and IP solutions.

Established in 2004, Network Webcams are one of the largest specialist companies in the area of IP Video. Providing networked CCTV systems and remote monitoring solutions for security and surveillance applications, they offer tailored web camera systems and webcam hosting and video streaming services.

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Network Webcams is due to release a beta version of their new web-based CCTV Service in November this year. The service has been branded ‘SecurityStation’ and allows customers to manage their IP cameras fully via the web. It does away with the need for recording software or video recorders of any kind. The recording and storage is done offsite on remote servers managed by Network Webcams. Users simply log in to the system via the web and have full control over their cameras, all via the Internet.

Kevin Bowyer, Technical Director at Network Webcams, and the driving force behind the development of SecurityStation:

“We think we have made it so easy to use, it offers customers all the benefits of modern-day CCTV but we deliver it via the web in a way that many of us have become used to in our everyday life.

“We are releasing a Beta version of the service in November and are looking for users with a critical mind to provide feedback to us before we fully launch. This is the most important stage to us”.

The beta version will be free and available by invitation only. Beta users will be rewarded with a free lifetime SecurityStation account (Terms and conditions apply). You can register to receive an invitation at www.securitystation.com.

Feel free to call us if you want to find out more. Speak to Frank on 0151 633 2111.

Network Webcams Limited is a specialist company in the area of IP video and Security, offering networked CCTV solutions to a wide range of sectors across the UK. We are widely recognised as one of the leading companies in this field and are certified partners with Axis, Sony, Panasonic, Mobotix, Milestone and other IP vendors.

Due to ongoing growth we are looking for an enthusiastic, forward-thinking individual with a proven track-record in sales to further develop our system installation business.

Your key tasks and responsibilities

• Identifying and exploring sales opportunities with support from an office-based opportunity researcher / lead generator
• On site customer meetings, presentations and product demonstrations
• Site surveys
• System design, quotation and follow up
• Customer account management

Key requirements

• Good customer-facing skills
• IT / Networking or CCTV / Security background, or both
• IT and web literate
• Honest, no-nonsense person with high professional standards

Location: flexible
Remuneration: negotiable

For further information about our company please see www.networkwebcams.info.

If you are interested or wish to discuss further details about the position, please contact Frank Crouwel at 0151 633 2141 or email jobs@networkwebcams.com.

On Friday night / Saturday morning (19th September 2009) our server provider is moving some of our machines from our current data centre into a brand spanking new facility.

This means that for a short period during Friday night / Saturday morning our RemoteManager and Streamdays Webcam Hosting services will be offline and unaccessible. We have a team on hand to deal with any issues that may arise, but we have worked closely with our provider over this move and they, to their credit, have been planning this move for many, many months and have covered all bases towards ensuring everthing picks up where it left off once all the plugs and cables are in place again.

The move has been scheduled for the quietist time for our customers and will have the least impact on these public services. We do, however, acknowledge that in some cases users or viewers of those services will be disappointed.

Things can, of course, go wrong. If they do, we’ll be around to restore service as soon as we possibly can and we’ll provide updates on our websites and Twitter feed as to what’s going on

This move is in the best interests of our customers and solidifies a server infrastructure plan for moving both products forward.

With both the power and data being sent to the camera down a single cable, Power over Ethernet (PoE) offers a cost-effective method of IP security camera installation, and now, until the 30th September 2009 Network Webcams has made Axis quality even more affordable when you purchase a PoE compatible Axis IP camera or Video Encoder.

For UK and European customers, every order placed for a PoE compatible Axis IP camera or Video Encoder will have the option to recieve a 1-port Power over Ethernet Midspan, free of charge (giving a saving of £39/€46!).

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Mobotix have released new video management software for their range of IP cameras. Called MxEasy, it offers control and monitoring of Mobotix cameras without the complexities of their MxControlCenter.

MxEasy works with up to 16 Mobotix IP cameras and can be found on the Mobotix website. The Video management software is completely free to download; you just need to register your details with the website.

The software is available for both Windows and Mac and with few software applications for IP cameras being Mac compatible, Mobotix must now be a consideration for anyone planning an IP security system with a Mac computer.

Who is it aimed at?

MxEasy is designed for home security or small business applications and allows for control of up to 16 Mobotix cameras with 4 available to view simultaneously. Additional compatibility with Mobotix external input/output devices with dedicated buttons in the software will appeal to anyone looking for access control.

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Network Webcams, one of the UKs leading IP CCTV firms, has appointed two new technical team members.

Kevin To and Simon Le Monnier will be at the spearhead of our technical support effort, both over the phone, by email and through the web. Our goal remains to provide the best technical support and customer service in the IP CCTV business. These appointments give Network Webcams capacity for further growth and success.

Based in Kirkcaldy, Fife, both Kevin (who has a background in IPTV) and Simon (educated in Music and Video Engineering) will spend some time getting used to how we do things around here, following our in-house training programme and learning the ropes.

We welcome both Kevin and Simon into the team and wish them every success within Network Webcams.

Network Webcams has been chosen by world leading CCTV manufacturer Pelco as one of Pelco’s main routes to market for their new IP camera range. Pelco recognised the leading position Network Webcams holds in the IP CCTV and surveillance marketplace and therefore approached Network Webcams to take on their IP camera products.

“Network Webcams is unique in the industry in that they specialize in IP cameras. We are very pleased that they have made the decision to take on Pelco’s expanding line of IP cameras, including our new Sarix Megapixel technology,” said Alex Doorduyn, Product Marketing Manager at Pelco.

Frank Crouwel, managing director at Network Webcams, commented, “We are very pleased that Pelco approached us and recognises us as a key player. It shows what we have achieved over the last five years, which makes us feel proud.”

Crouwel continued, “We are very keen to work with Pelco, we know their analogue CCTV products well from the past, and the IP product lineup for networked CCTV looks as strong as one would expect from Pelco. We expect Pelco to make quick inroads in the IP video market and we hope to be part of that.”

Pelco is introducing its IP product range as GO IP and offers an aggressive launch discount until 31st October 2009.

Network Webcams is offering its customers the full range of Pelco IP cameras, including the Pelco Camclosures, Sarix Megapixel cameras, and the best-selling Spectra IV IP speed domes. In addition, Pelco’s open platform IP surveillance recording software Digital Sentry will be offered as part of the package.

About Pelco
Pelco, Inc. by Schneider Electric is a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of video and security systems and equipment ideal for any industry. Pelco produces the security industry’s most respected offering of discreet camera domes and enclosures, video matrix systems, next-generation digital video recorders, IP solutions and fiber optic transmission systems for video/data - and much more. For additional product or company information, please visit www.pelco.com

Buy Pelco IP CCTV cameras and IP surveillance software online at www.networkwebcams.co.uk

Network Webcams has made live a revamped networkwebcams.net for promoting the company’s strong IP CCTV solutions offering.

“We are going through a process of rebranding, which means that all our sites will be recognisably Network Webcams with the same corporate look and feel throughout”, says Frank Crouwel, managing director of Network Webcams Limited.

Mr Crouwel continues: “We recently introduced our new logo and this revamped website is step two and much more is to follow”.

With a strong track record in IP video and security solutions and the experience to combine the various technologies involved and make them work reliably as one total solution, Network Webcams is well placed for growth and is committed to network video for security.

Network Webcams is a specialist provider of IP security products and solutions offering supply and integration services.

Read more about Network Webcams’ IP CCTV and security solutions.

Network Webcams’ construction monitoring service, RemoteManager, has been selected to collate, archive and promote images for the restoration of the Medway Queen paddle steamer.

The ship has a fascinating history and she became famous for her record number of crossings to the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940, rescuing 7000 men in seven trips and earning the title ‘Heroine of Dunkirk’.

Since being decommissioned in 1963 the Medway Queen has had a chequered life. Firstly threatened by the scrap yard before spending her days as a nightclub on the Isle of Wight. After several incidents of sinking the Medway Queen is now being restored for future generations by the Medway Queen preservation Society.

RemoteManager will provide the society with a full archive of high quality images, a live camera feed on their website and a Time Lapse Movie of the entire project when it’s complete.

RemoteManager is a turnkey webcam system for construction projects providing real-time video, image archival and time-lapse movies. To discuss how RemoteManager can be used with your construction project please give our sales team a call on 0151 633 2111.

We are pleased to announce we have just added a range of product licenses for SecuritySpy on our UK/European store.

SecuritySpy

SecuritySpy is a CCTV monitoring, recording and playback application developed exclusively for the Mac. By installing the software you will turn your Mac into a professional video surveillance system, compatible with a wide range of devices including network cameras, video encoders, analogue cameras, webcams and digital multiplexers. It will even support the built-in iSight webcam you find in MacBooks.

Recording

SecuritySpy has built-in motion detection routines which can be set to record only when movement is detected saving on storage space. A timelapse function is also available for continuous recording if required.

Remote Access

A major benefit of the software is its remote web access capability. The software can be accessed from any remote Mac on the same local network or across the Internet. This provides remote viewing allowing you to keep track of your property from anywhere in the world. SecuritySpy can also be run in a ’server’ mode allowing other instances of the software to stream video back to a central server. This is useful for large organisations who may be running the software in various departments and want to feed them all back to a central monitoring room.

Affordable

SecuritySpy comes with a few licensing options and starts at just £29 for a 1-camera license making it ideal for home security. Licenses can be upgraded when needed and a full, unlimited license is also available making the software an ideal solution for your business too. It’s also easy to install and very simple to use.

More information

SecuritySpy - 1 camera license
SecuritySpy - 4 camera license
SecuritySpy - 8 camera license
SecuritySpy - unlimited camera license

We’ve just added another 5 great Streamdays clients onto www.streamdays.com. These clients use our Streamdays platform to incorporate a live interactive, and reliable webcam onto their websites to increase their website traffic and promote their businesses effectively.

1. Bowmore Distillery - Where they make the delicious single malt
2. Little Langdale, Lake District - stunning scenery and views
3. Oban Tourist Information Centre and exhibition area
4. Gay Dog Kennels - A live view of the dog kennels
5. Kennel Cam - Watch the dog or dogs inside this kennel

Streamdays fully managed webcam hosting services ranges from true streaming video to high capacity webcam hosting for busy entertainment websites.

Each Streamdays package is driven by an IP camera and powered by the business-class reliability of the Streamdays platform.

Contact us now about a fully interactive, plug-and-forget webcam for your business website from Network Webcams - the IP video and security specialists.

A time-lapse movie produced by Network Webcams construction monitoring service, RemoteManager, has been featured on the frontpage of the BBC News website. At the time of writing the movie is the most viewed on the website having been watched by millions of people globally.

The movie, which condenses two years of the build into a three minute video, shows the construction of the £675m St Davids 2 shopping centre in Cardiff city centre. It will house more than 100 new stores and is on course to open in the autumn.

RemoteManager is a turnkey webcam system for construction projects providing real-time video, image archival and time-lapse movies.

To discuss how RemoteManager can be used with your construction project please give our sales team a call on 0151 633 2111.