Danish city increases security and achieves savings of more than one million euros annually after installing Milestone video software.
The Danish city of Aalborg is employing Milestone Systems' open-platform IP video management software (VMS) to optimize security levels in property protection. Thanks to this implementation, the number of security incidents has decreased drastically after the installation of the video system, saving the city more than one million euros in insurance costs.
The combination of Milestone's security system and the proactive approach to the use of video surveillance has made it possible to significantly reduce property damage in Aalborg. In the case of the Trekanten citizen center, the losses caused by property damage have been reduced to zero, while before the installation, they reported to the city more than 100,000 euros of losses per year.
The average response time of the city guard service was reduced to 10 minutes, although the municipality covers 1,138 square kilometers. The effectiveness of the response has also improved thanks to the fact that the command center can use the video images of the cameras as visual verification to guide the actions of the immediate response teams when security incidents occur: operators can determine the severity of the alarm and optimize the response.
"Milestone's solution has saved us more than a million euros in insurance costs. Likewise, open platform technology is an important factor for us because it allows us to quickly deploy, flexibility in configuration and reduce running costs," says Henrik Svenstrup, manager of video management software at Aalborg Municipality.
The municipality has installed Milestone's XProtect® Corporate video management software with a management server and seven recording servers to handle approximately 300 surveillance cameras. It is planned to double the number of cameras in a year.
"Milestone's XProtect® open platform technology is a great advantage, as it allows us to choose from a wide range of cameras and select the optimal cameras for a given task. The design of XProtect®, which demonstrates a deep understanding of how the IT world works, makes it easier for our IT department to integrate VMS systems into the global infrastructure," says Henrik Svenstrup.
The municipality of Aalborg also employs Milestone's Mobile Client, which allows access to the central video system via smartphones and tablets. Several local libraries do not have surveillance staff, so they use the video system to ensure the safety of these spaces. Additionally, Milestone Mobile is used to enable nearby personnel to provide an immediate response and resolve minor incidents; for example, a visitor might inadvertently stay inside the library after hours of operation (after automatic door closing), triggering the alarm system and causing local staff to employ Milestone's mobile client to view images from cameras that are in that location, determine the cause of the alarm, and allow the unfortunate visitor to leave the premises; this would save the central surveillance service more serious incidents.
The success of this concept has spread the word to other institutions of the municipality of Aalborg, generating that an increasing number of entities go to Henrik Svenstrup for advice on security through video. This trend is reinforced by the positive experiences of staff working in locations that employ video to protect facilities.
"At first, we experienced a bit of discomfort. However, we now assume in a very positive way the comfort of knowing that we can monitor our employees and respond in the most efficient way, depending on the situation. We have more and more video enthusiasts," concludes Henrik Svenstrup.
*Milestone Systems is a global industry leader in the development of open platform IP video management software. It was founded in 1998 and currently operates as an independent company within the Canon Group. Milestone's technology is easy to operate, reliable and has been successfully tested in thousands of customer installations around the world. Milestone Systems supports a wide range of networked equipment and integration with other systems. It is marketed through authorized and certified partners in more than 100 countries. Milestone solutions help organizations in risk management, protecting people and assets, optimizing processes and reducing costs.
