Video protects goods in transit

South Africa is plagued with high crime rates and one area that is experiencing significant losses in particular is the transportation sector. But, active monitoring of vehicles that carry high value cargo is now available.

Goods in transit are vulnerable and attract crime syndicates that are able to take advantage of vehicles that transport cargo between two points due to security loopholes.

Traditionally, the challenge associated with monitoring vehicles is the fact that they are moving and even if a CCTV solution is installed with the ability to view live footage remotely, more than often the bandwidth required to stream the video is insufficient and unstable at best. Transportation companies are turning to technology that delivers live proactive monitoring even in low bandwidth areas, enabling swift and preventative action to be taken should an incident occur.

For example, SerVision’s mobile DVRs provide mobile video gateways that make use of cellular and wireless technologies to stream high-quality live or recorded video to mobile devices or centralised control rooms. This ensures proactive security with trucks carrying goods, especially in dangerous areas or environments.

Remote users are able to locate and track vehicles with full GPS support and the anti-shock, vibration resistant DVR chassis ensures complete reliability while on the move. Up to four cameras can be connected to each DVR unit as well as sensors connected to doors of vehicles further improve the monitoring of vehicles from a centralised control room. USB modems allows for video to be constantly streamed while built-in WiFi enables wireless backup of stored video to be sent to a storage server.

‚”Swift and immediate action is essential in this day and age when vehicles are hi-jacked and stock is stolen,” says Mark Chertkow, Managing Director at GIT. “”It is crucial to be able to actively monitor the location and nature of a crime as and when it happens to ensure the capture and conviction of perpetrators. The high compression rate allows for video footage to be streamed using less bandwidth and offers real-time image capture and streaming. These aspects are essential to ensure action can be taken as quickly as possible.‚””

The compression capabilities offered by SerVision allows for DVRs to stream video using any mobile data available, from GPRS to 3G. The compression technology makes transmission of video at four frames per second (4fps) possible at data rates as low as 1 Kilobyte per second (KB/s). This ensures recording and streaming of video even when out of 3G areas where only Edge or GPRS signal is available, making it ideal for the SA market when considering that 3G coverage is restricted to mostly metropolitan hubs. The built-in WiFi has the significant benefit that ensures the cost of monitoring footage does not incur data costs when viewed over the WiFi link.

Transcoding also allows for recording to take place at a high resolution and gives users the ability and choice to view this footage at a high or low resolution on demand.

‚””It is essential that a more proactive approach to security monitoring is taken and furthermore to ensure evidence is available to law enforcement during and after an event,”” says Chertkow. “”Live streaming and surveillance that delivers outside of 3G overage areas enables logistics companies to offer a comprehensive approach to protection as well as improved control to further protect trucks, goods-in-transit as well as people.‚””

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