NVT Phybridge Case Study: Border Protection Agency

NVT Phybridge Case Study: Massive Surveillance Upgrade for Government Agency Aimed at Generating Benefits Beyond Security

A Government Agency was relying on an outdated analog surveillance system and wanted to deploy a modern IP security solution. The massive surveillance upgrade would take place across 360 customs offices and border crossing locations, with the objective of increasing the customer’s ability to identify risks and reduce the response time to threats. The Agency was also looking to improve efficiency by automating most of the processing of imports and exports coming in and out of the country, with the objective of increasing economic growth and foreign trade.

The Government Agency determined that over 8,000 existing analog cameras needed to be replaced with IP cameras, but was uncertain how to proceed. The immense scale of the project presented critical challenges:

High costs from ripping and replacing the existing coax infrastructure, as well as the physical space required to install new IDF closets to support IP cameras in all areas.
The estimated time of 4 years to deploy the new surveillance system across the 360 locations.
Loss of revenue and safety concerns caused by disruption to government import and export operations on a massive scale across the country.

Industry-Leading Power over Ethernet Switches

Unsatisfied with the traditional approach to network design, the Government Agency delayed the project while they searched for an alternative. A new system integrator was hired to help overcome their barriers. The SI introduced the customer to NVT Phybridge long-reach Ethernet over Coax switches and extenders to deploy IP cameras without re-cabling. NVT Phybridge recommended an Ethernet over Coax (EoC) solution and arranged a free no-obligation proof of concept to prove the technology in the Agency’s live environment.

After a few simple setup steps, the CLEER24-10G EoC managed switch transformed the customer’s existing and reliable Coax infrastructure into a power-packed PoE network, capable of supporting the new IP cameras with up to 6,000ft (1,830m) reach – 18-times farther than standard Ethernet switches. The switch’s repeatable, predictable, and scalable deployment methodology would ensure that upgrading the 360 sites would be simple and fast. The agency also used the NVT Phybridge 1701+ extender solution for even more distance and performance.

The Government Agency was impressed with the solution and was confident that the CLEER24 EoC switch would allow them to achieve a simple, secure, and cost-effective upgrade to IP surveillance. The customer was completely satisfied as they leveraged NVT Phybridge networking solutions to achieve incredible results.

Secure & Robust Network

The Agency established a secure and robust Power over Ethernet backbone for its new IP surveillance system by leveraging its existing and reliable Coax-based infrastructure. The CLEER24 switch allowed the customer to maintain a physically separate and cyber-secure point-to-point IP network for surveillance, ensuring zero disruption and risk to the core network.

Maximize ROI

The customer leveraged its existing coax infrastructure to avoid an extensive infrastructure overhaul, reducing infrastructure costs by over $3 million and accelerating the deployment by 80%.

Reduce E-Waste

The Government Agency avoided re-cabling to prevent over 60 tons of e-waste from their digital transformation. The Agency also avoided installing a single IDF closet thanks to CLEER24’s long reach capabilities, reducing the organization’s ongoing energy consumption and network complexity.

Result

The Agency’s new IP surveillance system of over 8,000 new IP cameras delivers high-resolution viewing and recording capabilities, providing officials with better recognition and identification of potential safety threats at over 360 key customs and border crossing locations. The Agency was also able to leverage new business intelligence and technology to implement a new automated customs process. The integration of QR readers within the import and export locations has allowed the Agency to:

Reduce the average time spent by an individual at a border crossing location by 50%.
Reduce the amount of paperwork required during the import/export process.
Eliminate personnel interaction, further increasing safety and labor cost savings.

A Better Return on Investment

The customer took a proactive approach to find new and better ways to support its digital transformation objectives in a financially and socially responsible manner. The Agency used NVT Phybridge long-reach Ethernet over Coax switches to achieve incredible results.

Reduced infrastructure costs by over $3 million, reallocating the savings to more IP applications to improve the project’s ROI.
Eliminated risk and disruption of import and export operations.
Reduced the project’s impact on the environment, avoiding over 60 tons of e-waste.
Accelerated the deployment by 80%.
Built a cyber-secure and robust PoE platform for their enhanced IP surveillance system.

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