October/November 2015 Digital Edition

Intelligent Video Surveillance
Milestone goes wide with new device pack
COPENHAGEN – October 29,
2015. Milestone Systems, the open
platform company in networked
video management software (VMS),
has released Device Pack 8.2 for
partners and customers using Milestone
XProtect monitoring solutions.
A highlight of this release is support
for perspective correction of
video from 180, 270 or 360 degree
panoramic cameras from Pelco by
Schneider Electric. The support is
achieved by a plugin to the Milestone
XProtect Smart Client. Global
unit shipments of 180/360 degree
panoramic network camera is forecast
to increase by more than 60
percent year-on-year according to
research analysts IHS. Panoramic
cameras are predicted to gain market
share in verticals such as retail,
airports, and casinos, where
monitoring wide indoor areas is a
key requirement of the video security
solution. In these scenarios, the
cameras can reduce capital expenditure
as fewer cameras are required
to cover the same area compared to
fixed or PTZ cameras.
The challenge using fisheye panoramic
cameras is that the picture
from the camera needs perspective
correction, which can be adjusted in
the camera or in the software. This
process called dewarping has several
benefits when done in the software
as it allows retrospective viewing.
This gives the user the ability
to go back in time to view the total
scene in its original form and then
pan, tilt, and/or zoom with corrected
perspective within the 360-degree
image.
In addition to the support for Pelco
panoramic cameras, nearly 200
devices have been added to Milestone
Device Pack 8.2. This list of
new model support includes cameras
from Axis Communications,
Bosch and Samsung Techwin. The
number of ONVIF-supported devices
has increased by 64 now totaling
1271 devices.
ONVIF Testing Ensures Quality
The XProtect Device Packs include
tested drivers that are optimized
to enable the capabilities of a camera
or other hardware device to be
managed by XProtect software.
Testing the drivers ensures the highest
functionality for a video surveillance
solution, which is important
for total system operability, efficiency
and stability. Milestone works
closely with the device manufacturers
in the Camera Partner Program
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(CaPP) to achieve the optimal interaction
between their devices and
the XProtect VMS.
Milestone has always promoted
driver standards like ONVIF and
remains dedicated to supporting
the broadest range of cameras and
devices on the market. In the case
of ONVIF supported devices, it is
often assumed that a device that
has passed the ONVIF test tool will
work fully in a given infrastructure.
This is not always the case as there
are marked idiosyncrasies that need
to be taken into account to insure
proper interoperability and to leverage
full feature use of a device with
a VMS. Before ONVIF supported
devices are listed on the Milestone
supported hardware list on milestonesys.com,
they have been tested
to ensure that the functionality with
XProtect is compliant with the ON-
VIF specifications.
In the Milestone CaPP, this ON-
VIF functionality test can be done
by Milestone or the vendors can do
the testing in their facility after they
have completed a 4-day Milestone
training class. The ability to do the
complete Milestone certification
test can save time and costs for camera
manufacturers in their go-tomarket
strategy.