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A Government Agency was relying on an outdated analog surveillance system and wanted to upgrade to a comprehensive IP solution. The massive surveillance upgrade would take place across 360 customs offices and border crossing locations, with the objective of increasing their ability to identify risks and reducing 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.

However, planning an upgrade of this immense scale presented critical obstacles. The Agency determined that over 8,000 existing analog devices needed to be modernized to Hanwha IP cameras. The first system integrator (SI) proposed a traditional approach which would have involved ripping and replacing the existing Coax-based infrastructure, along with installing hundreds of new IDF closets to accommodate the long-reach requirements. The customer was unsatisfied with this solution as they were extremely concerned with:

• The high costs to rip-and-replace the entire security network.
• Installing new IDF closets to overcome the 330ft (100m) reach limitation of standard PoE switches.
• 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.

Given the massive size of the project, the SI was concerned with:

• Complex sales cycles, given the complexity around network requirements.
• The potential for cost overruns and revenue delays.
• Poor customer satisfaction, given the network not being properly established.
• Risk of depending on a third party to establish and maintain the network that would support the new surveillance system.

Change the Conversation; Improve the Outcome

Unsatisfied with the proposed upgrade plan, the Government Agency turned to another SI to help find a better solution. The SI searched for a better approach and discovered the Modern LAN design principles, recognizing the opportunity to change the conversation by introducing new innovation and Power over Ethernet technology. The customer was immediately impressed with the innovative approach but was skeptical that the methodology would work in their environment.

The SI introduced the customer to NVT Phybridge Ethernet over Coax technology. Due to the success of past installations, the SI recommended the NVT Phybridge Ethernet over Coax (EoC) solution. The customer engaged in a no-obligation proof of concept to test the solution in their environment. After a few simple setup steps, the CLEER24 Ethernet over Coax switch transformed the existing and reliable Coax infrastructure into a power-packed IP/PoE backbone, capable of supporting the new Hanwha IP cameras with up to 6,000ft (1,830m) reach – 18 times farther than standard Ethernet switches. Given the Agency’s existing point-to-point topology of the coax-based infrastructure in every location, the SI was able to apply a repeatable, predictable, and scalable deployment methodology in all 360 locations; eliminating risk and fast-tracking the digital transformation for the Agency.

The NVT Phybridge CLEER24 switch helped the Agency transform its existing and reliable Coax-based infrastructure into a power-packed IP platform; completely eliminating the need to rip-and-replace the existing infrastructure. The Agency was confident that NVT Phybridge would deliver a simple, secure, and cost-effective upgrade to IP surveillance.

Create a secure and robust local area network – The Agency established a secure and robust Power over Ethernet backbone for their new IP surveillance system by leveraging the existing and reliable Coax-based infrastructure. The CLEER24 EoC 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.

Use new long-reach PoE innovations to maximize ROI – by leveraging the existing surveillance infrastructure, the SI helped the customer reduce infrastructure costs by over $3 million and accelerate the deployment time by 80%.

Modernize to IP using an environmentally responsible framework – by avoiding the traditional rip-and-replace upgrade model, the Government Agency prevented 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; greatly reducing the organization’s ongoing energy consumption. The Government Agency has received the highest rating, 5-stars, for its exceptional transformation.

The customer’s new IP surveillance system, now consisting of over 8,000 new Hanwha 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 Outcome for the Reseller and the Customer

The SI took a proactive approach to find new and better ways to support their customer’s digital transformation objectives to achieve incredible results.