Steelbox OVF makes integration of highly vertical security applications possible for systems integrators and technology partners

ANAHEIM, Calif. – ASIS INTERNATIONAL 2009 – Booth No. 4369: Steelbox, developers of IP media appliances that deliver comprehensive switching, distribution and recording of video and audio, will showcase the integration of its products with SRI International’s (SRI) Integrated Video Environment (IVE) and Aware™ Mobile Network, and with Telindus Surveillance Solutions Ltd’s (TSS) new CIRIS Command & Control Application.     

Enabled by Steelbox’s Open Video Framework (OVF) architecture, these offerings by SRI and TSS illustrate the ability for physical security partners to rapidly and seamlessly integrate Steelbox products into their own.  Comprised of a set of open, standards-based application programming interfaces, software development kits and video solution components, the Steelbox OVF facilitates integration between the company’s IP media appliances and crucial security components including video management systems, access control and storage resources.

Steelbox:  Integral Piece of Best-of-Breed Solution

A powerful, IP-based video and multi-source sensor platform that unifies video surveillance feeds into an intuitive 3D interface, SRI’s IVE uses Steelbox’s media appliances to organize hundreds of video sources within a single, intuitive interface.  

Originally developed for the military and tailored for public safety and security professionals, IVE is an IP video and multi-source sensor platform that solves the problem of large-scale video management by allowing camera feeds to be accessed through a realistic, 3D display of the surveillance area.  Optimized for deployment with SRI's Aware™ system, IVE and Aware™ can be integrated to create a customized, command and control system.   

According to Chris Lockett, general manager of SRI’s Direct Technology Group, SRI needed to field a network video system within one month that was fully integrated with SRI's GPS tracking, tactical audio and 3D virtual environment. SRI selected the Steelbox solution to meet the demanding requirements of its client, which included low footprint, scalable, extreme video distribution performance and open architecture.  Within 24 days of receipt of hardware, SRI completed the development, integration and customer site installation of the Steelbox solution into its IVE system.  

"The Steelbox solution, with its standards-based design, open architecture, and performance was easily integrated into SRI's IVE system to meet the client's demanding requirements for full system operation," said Lockett.

Steelbox Paves the Way for Large Scale Transportation Surveillance Projects

“More than five years ago, TSS integrated Steelbox technology with our field proven surveillance network management software, the Cellstack Integration Suite (CIS), to provide advanced video switching and recording functionality for the UK Highways Agency,” said Sean Huggett, Head of TSS. “Ever since, the two products have been working in tandem to offer our worldwide customers the industry’s leading and most advanced architecture for large scale infrastructure and transportation surveillance projects.  This solution has been extensively deployed in many parts of the world on projects where video quality, alongside redundancy and resilience, are paramount concerns.”

Building on its success with CIS, TSS has developed a next generation surveillance network management suite, CIRIS.  According to Huggett, Steelbox’s modular approach to creating best-of-breed Video Management Systems serves as the catalyst for this seamless integration.

“The combined architecture has already been delivered this year for a new transportation project in Asia,” continued Huggett. “By leveraging Steelbox’s OVF, our engineers were able to invest time in building advanced user interface features for our customers, rather than battling the roadblocks and dependencies of integrating proprietary distribution and recording engines into our surveillance solution.”

TSS’s CellStack CIRIS software is a comprehensive network management system for surveillance networks from one to many thousands of intelligent edge devices, including video encoders, decoders, network video recorders and access control and physical security devices. CIRIS integrates with market leading intelligent video devices providing ANPR/ LPR and a full suite of video analytics from an extensive list of global providers.

CellStack CIRIS is well suited to a multi-service IT environment, which allows for the design and creation of a networked digital surveillance system suitable for all user types and enables the central administration via one user interface.

“In today’s environment, speed and ease of integration and shortened time-to-market are critical success factors. For that reason, our focus is on powering our partners’ applications and products for a mutually beneficial go-to-market strategy,” said Steelbox Director of Engineering, Video, Jim Jordan. “Our technology not only enables powerful and unique integrations via the OVF, but its open, standards-based approach ensures interoperability with a wide range of video and audio sources from multiple vendors.”

Open Standards-Based Approach Delivers Operability, Rapid Integration

 The Steelbox OVF extends beyond the externalized interfaces to the Steelbox system and encapsulates an open standards-based approach to the underlying video switching, distribution and recording technologies. Using OVF, video management systems providers can seamlessly integrate with Steelbox's high speed, high bandwidth video processing capabilities, enabling new features such as multi-user live and recorded video playback with individual controls.

There are no charges or licensing fees associated with Steelbox OVF, and Steelbox supports OVF development efforts with training and phone/email support on the use of the appliance, methods for interfacing with the appliance and the overall object model of the system.
 

About Steelbox

Steelbox, a division of Adtech Global Solutions (AGS), develops IP media appliances that deliver comprehensive switching, distribution and recording of video and audio while eliminating key issues that would otherwise limit IP media networks. With a purpose-built design that delivers unprecedented scalability and flexibility, Steelbox enables a new class of high-count surveillance camera deployments, HD/megapixel camera implementations, bandwidth-intensive medical imaging, and professional video editing and broadcast applications. TiVo-style control of all sources provides a seamless transition between live and recorded video, plus on-the-fly frame-rate video reduction, storage life-cycle management, transport protocol bridging, real-time synchronization from multiple media sources, and zero copy replication of media sources to a virtually unlimited numbers of clients. When coupled with Steelbox’s video-optimized NAS storage platforms or certified third-party storage offerings, and integrated with best-of-breed user interface software specifically developed for various vertical-market needs, Steelbox offers the fastest, most scalable network-centric IP video management system available today. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information please visit www.steelbox.com.

About SRI International

Silicon Valley-based SRI International is one of the world's leading independent research and technology development organizations. SRI, which was founded by Stanford University as Stanford Research Institute in 1946 and became independent in 1970, has been meeting the strategic needs of clients and partners for more than 60 years. Perhaps best known for its invention of the computer mouse and interactive computing, SRI has also been responsible for major advances in networking and communications, robotics, drug discovery and development, advanced materials, atmospheric research, education research, economic development, national security, and more. The nonprofit institute performs sponsored research and development for government agencies, businesses, and foundations. SRI also licenses its technologies, forms strategic alliances, and creates spin-off companies. In 2008, SRI's consolidated revenues, including its wholly owned for-profit subsidiary, Sarnoff Corporation, were approximately $490 million.

About Telindus Surveillance Solutions Ltd

Telindus Surveillance Solutions Ltd is the networked surveillance specialist division of Telindus, part of the Belgacom Group. It provides software, hardware and end-to-end solutions to customers across the world and is based in Cambridge UK. For more information call +44 (0) 1223 509300 or see www.telindussurveillance.com