Wireless IP Camera Setup – Part II

November 24, 2010 by Nathan Miloszewski

In the first part of the wireless IP camera setup conversation it was noted that because of their easy, quick, and cost-friendly set-up, wireless ip cameras allow fast deployment for immediate or emergency needs.

Wireless IP cameras enable mobility. Using them in a parking lot, for example, is cheaper than running cables through the ground.

And while popular in the home and small offices, wireless IP cameras have a slower adoption rate in the corporate setting because of network security concerns and reliable wirless signals – topics that I’ll be touching on in this post.

(more…)

Wireless IP Camera Setup

November 23, 2010 by Nathan Miloszewski

Due to their flexibility and cost savings, wireless IP cameras are an interesting alternative to wired networks. For example, a wireless IP camera, like the Axis M3113-R, in a bus can be accessed live from remote locations.

Or, historical buildings protected by the Heritage Act may not allow standard network cables to be installed thus only allowing a wireless setup. Wireless IP cameras signals can go through most media such as wood and concrete.

(more…)

The Future is NOW – Using Switchvox Mobile on your iPhone or Blackberry

November 22, 2010 by Christina Smith

Are you mobile? Do your clients have to juggle 2 or more phone numbers to reach you because you are sometimes at your desk but most of the time all over the place? Don’t you wish your business card were a little less cluttered with just one contact phone number that you can be reached at all the time? You can have these things now, and you probably won’t even have to buy anything!

Businesses running Switchvox 4.6 or 4.5 already have the ability to stream the Switchvox desktop phone functionality to iPhones and Blackberries. If you are using Switchvox for your desktop phone system and you have an iPhone or a Blackberry, you are less than 10 minutes from enjoying all the features your desk phone has to offer on your SmartPhone!

Ready? Let’s get mobile!

Step 1: Download the Switchvox App.

Once you enter the App store, search for Switchvox Mobile. This App is a FREE DOWNLOAD!!!! (Don’t you just love FREE)

Switchvox Mobile for Blackberry

– For Blackberry go to https://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/?countrycode=US&lang=en

– For iPhone go to http://www.apple.com/iphone/

See details, listen to your voicemails, and return calls at the touch of a button.
Access your Switchvox Company directory without logging into the internet.
Remotely set your greetings without a chain of touch-tone commands.
Make calls out either from your SmartPhone number or your Switchvox extension.
Set up call rules using an easy GUI while away from the office.
See call history from your SmartPhone while nowhere near your desk. Even see call history on your SmartPhone for calls you made from your desk!

Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Network Bandwidth

November 19, 2010 by Nathan Miloszewski

Data transfer rate standards have increased dramatically enabling today’s Ethernet networks to provide the performance necessary for demanding IP video applications.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) provides the option of powering devices (IP cameras) connected to an IP network using the same cable that’s used for data communication.

While network bandwidth may have been a scarce resource in the past, today bandwitdth is plentiful but there are still a few things to consider when setting up a network for IP video surveillance.

(more…)

How Video Servers Trigger Alerts and Devices

November 18, 2010 by Nathan Miloszewski

I’ve talked about how video servers are a great way to start converging your analog CCTV surveillance cameras to a network based system and how video servers provide poweful intelligent video features.

Just like installing a video graphics card or more memory in your computer, you will get instant and noticeable benefits from adding a video server to your analog surveillance system.

With the addition of a video server your system can be configured to:

Respond to triggered events and sent alerts.
Connect to and enable external devices

(more…)

Video Servers and Intelligent Video Surveillance

November 16, 2010 by Nathan Miloszewski

As mentioned in the previous post, video servers are a great way to converge analog cameras to IP camera technology. You can gain the benefits of a network based surveillance system while continuing to realize a return on your coaxial cable wiring and analog camera investment.

Another big benefit of video servers, something that analog video systems cannot provide, is the ability to use event management and intelligent video functions.

Video servers enable a surveillance system to be constantly on gaurd with powerful built-in intelligent video features such as:

Video Motion Detection
Audio Detection
Tampering Alarms
Input ports for external sensors

Once an event (any occurence out of the ordinary that you can specify) is detected the system can automatically send email alerts, begin video recording, activate lights, open or close doors, and sound alarms.

(more…)

Grandstream GXV3140 Now Skype Certified

November 15, 2010 by Garrett Smith

As Skype continues to evolve as a service provider it’s inevitable that they will continue to find ways to move away from the desktop and onto the desktop.

Over the summer, Grandstream released a new firmware version that allow it’s GXV3140 to natively support Skype and Skype video calling. Today, Grandstream has taken this one step further by announcing that they Grandstream GXV3140 is now Skype certified.

What’s this mean?

Well, unlike this summers announcement, it means that Skype has officially given the Grandstream GXV3140 its blessing, making it the second videophone on the market for use with Skype. And according to Grandstream,

“Skype certification on the GXV3140 IP multimedia phone creates a seamless video-enabled communications experience from PC to desk phone, giving Skype users the utmost flexibility and convenience for video calling. Grandstream’s GXV3140 bridges the gap between convenient-to-use dedicated voice/video end-points and the increasingly popular world of PC-based Internet multimedia communication offerings like Skype.”

The idea of seamless video communications is a major hurdle to widespread video calling adoption. For the most part there is little interoperability between video calling services and hardware, leaving most companies interested in video calling hesitant to pull the trigger for fear of living in a walled garden.

While this announcement certainly won’t change this, it is a step in the right direction and a sign that more seamless video communications solutions are coming.

Steps to buying the right Polycom phone

by Christina Smith

If you are ready to buy a VoIP phone and have done the research and decided on Polycom, congratulations! Now you just need to narrow down your selection from the 9 Polycom phone models offered and the 2 variations of each model, so here we go!

(more…)

Video Servers Bridge The Gap

November 12, 2010 by Nathan Miloszewski

Video servers, sometimes known as video encoders, bridge the gap between analog CCTV surveillance systems and digital IP based systems. Video servers are a great budget conscious, transitional product for those who are looking to gain some of the features and benefits of network based solutions but, aren’t ready to make the full jump.

If you’ve installed analog cameras in the past few years they’re going to be functional for quite some time. There’s no need to shortchange that investment. Video servers will allow you to maintain those analog CCTV cameras while enhancing your video surveillance system to provide the benefits of IP video.

(more…)

IP Camera Audio and Advanced Audio Detection

November 11, 2010 by Nathan Miloszewski

If you’ve never considered having an audio component with your surveillance system that may be because analog CCTV systms require separate audio and video cables to be installed from end to end which becomes difficult and costly over long distances. IP cameras make the implementation of audio a lot simpler because the audio and video information are sent over the same network cable eliminating the need for extra cabling.

More and more IP camera audio is becoming a common feature not only because it’s easier to process over a network cable but also because the importance of this additional surveillance medium is now being recognized.

(more…)

Wireless IP Camera Setup – Part II

Wireless IP Camera Setup

The Future is NOW – Using Switchvox Mobile on your iPhone or Blackberry

Step 1: Download the Switchvox App.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Network Bandwidth

How Video Servers Trigger Alerts and Devices

Video Servers and Intelligent Video Surveillance

Grandstream GXV3140 Now Skype Certified

Steps to buying the right Polycom phone

Video Servers Bridge The Gap

IP Camera Audio and Advanced Audio Detection

Featured Posts

Popular Posts

Read Our Feed

Latest

VoIP Post Categories

Archives