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History
Optelecom-NKF is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of network video equipment for the Security/Surveillance and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) markets. For more than 35 years, the company has remained at the leading edge of technology development in the field of fiber-optics. Today, as a result of its 2005 acquisition of NKF Electronics, Optelecom-NKF is leading the way with innovative IP/Ethernet network technologies and comprehensive total solutions.
The industry and Optelecom-NKFs customers are benefiting from this business combination. The transaction brought together two customer-driven organizations, each with creative, innovative cultures that now can meet customer needs on a global basis. Today, the Company leverages its R&D efforts, providing leading-edge technologies to customers worldwide. The companys enhanced ability to customize solutions provides end-users a comprehensive platform to address their needs. Customers are already benefiting from a deeper, richer product range and stronger, more localized support.
Optelecom-NKF continues to build its video-over-IP product range and total solutions story. The companys complete IP surveillance platform, called Siqura, demonstrates that Optelecom-NKF has now become a formidable video networking company capable of totally supporting a customers network integration process. Siqura building blocks, such as the OpteliDomeIP camera, C-44 codec, Operator Office software, and i-NVR, are all directly tied to the emerging video networking trend, and our specific product developments in camera, video compression (MPEG-4 and H.264), recording, analytics, and wireless, were created to both meet customers needs today and form the basis to develop innovative, reliable, and complete solutions that will meet our customers needs tomorrow.
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Optelecom-NKF’s Up-the-fiber integrated in the Palm Jumerjah urban surveillance system (Photo by Optelecom-NKF) |
Cutting-edge Products
Optelecom-NKF is committed to providing customers with competitively priced, highly reliable, top quality equipment and solutions along with outstanding technical advice and support. All
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S-40 video server (Photo by Optelecom-NKF) |
products are developed and tested for real-life applications, particularly those that need to operate in challenging environmental conditions and across large distances between individual transmission sites. Optelecom-NKF is ISO 9001:2000 certified and dedicated to the ongoing improvement of their products and processes, applying the highest level of quality monitoring to increase customer satisfaction. A key part of this philosophy is their emphasis on continuous training of their staff, their partners, and their customers to bring the latest technical developments from the development laboratory to the end user.
Video over Fiber Solutions
Their 35+years of experience in fiber optic technology is a large part of why the Optelecom-NKF fiber product line is so comprehensive in the world. Whether moving video, audio, data, or a combination of the three, Optelecom-NKF can meet customer topology requirements ranging from simple point-to-point configurations to the most sophisticated optical add/drop and multiplexing designs.
Video over IP Solutions
Optelecom-NKF has acquired a great deal of experience in implementing IP-video networks successfully. Integration of network services, especially applications for streaming video, audio and data, imposes heavy demands on network operation and creates a compatibility challenge among network components; manufacturers of video compression products must adhere to the open industry standards for video and layer 2/layer 3 Ethernet networks. Optelecom-NKF has extensively and successfully tested its compression equipment under these demanding network conditions as well as in combination with third-party components (e.g., Cisco, Alcatel, and HP).
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Video Codecs/Servers -- Optelecom-NKFs video codec/server portfolio ranges from cost-effective, low-bandwidth MPEG-4 video servers to field-hardened, multi-channel MPEG-2/4 codecs. Both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 codec/servers have been tested in multiple surveillance applications and in many competitive comparisons have proven to be the system offering the highest picture quality.
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IP Cameras -- Their first product in this range is the OpteliDome, an IP camera based on their MPEG-4 compression algorithm. In addition to features like day/night use, indoor/outdoor operation, pan/tilt drive technology, and state-of-the-art optics, the OpteliDomeis equipped with a high-resolution dual MPEG-4 encoder capable of simultaneously streaming two video configurations over a customers network.
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Network Video Recording -- The i-NVR provides intelligent network video storage for both small CCTV applications (16 channels) and up to 64-channel RAID 5 systems. This system is expandable by blocks of 32/64 cameras with each block supporting up to 12 terabytes of storage. The i-NVR offers an extended set of features including scheduled background recording, event-driven operations, alarm track recording, etc. Advanced video content analysis software capable of image tracking, basic motion and travel direction recognition, missing or added objects, and other scene anomalies can be interfaced with the i-NVR to enhance the surveillance capabilities of the system. Special care has been given to selecting hardware such as hard drives, to ensure reliable 24/7 operation.
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Network Switching Equipment -- Part of Optelecom-NKFs portfolio covers field-hardened network equipment. It consists of field-hardened Gigabit Ethernet switches, Fast Ethernet switches, and switches with built-in encoders. The switches are both mechanically and electrically compatible with Optelecom-NKFs 19-inch power supply rack, offering cost-efficient, easy to maintain network solutions for "the edge".
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The Siqura solution -- The Siqura solution is a modular technical integration offering that can be tailored, through their systems integration partner, to meet the customers requirements for their video network. It provides all the components necessary for a complete system, from design to deployment, from camera to console, and the networking components in between. The Siqura solution has proven to be an extremely effective competitive differentiator due to Optelecom-NKFs extensive experience with offering pre-sales assistance from basic design to post-sales support including more detailed network design, acceptance testing and project management.
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Figure 1. Siqura solution scheme (Source: Optelecom-NKF) |
Unique Technologies
Leveraging Texas Instruments high performance, DaVinci digital media processors and Optelecom-NKFs proprietary compression algorithms, Optelecom-NKF was able to create its own unique video codecs to deliver DVD-quality video performance at both high and low bit rates with the companys MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 compression algorithms. Optimizing the DaVinci digital media SoC processing performance, Optelecom-NKF developed a methodology for combining multiple compression algorithms for video and audio including MPEG-2, MPEG-4, M-JPEG, G.711, and AAC into a single IP/Ethernet output stream. By using TIs DaVinci technology, Optelecom-NKF was able to quickly bring to market its two new products, the C-44 and S-44 video codecs, that feature robust operating systems support, rich user interfaces, high processing performance, and the maximum flexibility of a fully integrated mixed-processor solution. The two products are the first in a series of high performance, cost-effective products on Optelecom-NKFs roadmap based on TIs DaVinci processors.
Differentiating Marketing Strategies
Optelecom-NKFs growth over the last two years is due in part to a few critical differentiating factors. Where many of their competitors in the video surveillance space are large global conglomerates active in multiple industries, Optelecom-NKF is a mid-size player only focussing on this market. History has proven that larger companies have a greater challenge giving the customer more personal, customized support. Optelecom-NKF combines the unique ability to support the customer with local and specialized attention along with a strong reputation for developing cutting-edge technology that actually works when deployed in the field.
Another key differentiating aspect is resident in Optelecom-NKFs "Expertise Centers". Located in both the U.S. and the Netherlands, these Expertise Centers enable the company to offer a broad range of pre- and post-sales services to customers the world over. Using their substantial experience with IP video networking and fiber optic transmission design expertise, Optelecom-NKF brings significant value to their integration partners as their customers networks grow.
Finally, Optelecom-NKF differentiates itself through channel management. The inherent complexities of compression, network design, software management, etc., make the Optelecom-NKF product line something that many resellers cannot adequately specify or support. As a result, Optelecom-NKF has made a concerted effort to work with integration companies that have strong technical teams. Its integration partners appreciate the value that comes from knowing that Optelecom-NKF products are not "run-of-the-mill" items that can be resold by just any organization, but are technically sophisticated, premium quality products delivering exceptional value, performance, and reliability to the end user.
Interview
"Network video equipment will offer lower total costs of ownership."
This is accomplished by combining multiple systems into one network and by adding intelligence to the solution.
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Edmund Ludwig, President & CEO, Optelecom-NKF (Photo by Opetelcom-NKF) |
Gaining a strong reputation of offering high quality and reliable communication hardware products at a competitive price, Optelecom-NKF, a manufacturer of network video equipment, gives the customer more personal, customized support.
To meet the growing needs around the world for network video equipment, Sunny Kim, Editor of SecurityWorld INTL, has met with Edmund Ludwig, President & CEO of Optelecom NKF, to talk about the companys market strengths and ultimate vision.
Network video equipment is complex. How can companies within the market help customers get a better understanding?
It begins with the sales process. The customer must be given sufficient information to understand what the important technical factors are and how our company addresses them. We also offer extensive training sessions so that the customers staff fully understand how our solutions will solve their problem.
What do you think network video equipment will mean financially for end-users in a long-term perspective?
It will offer lower total costs of ownership. This is accomplished by combining multiple systems into one network and by adding intelligence to the solution.
Where do you see the network video surveillance market in 10 years?
The market should continue to grow at a rate of approximately 10% per year. Technical factors will lead to the camera becoming an intelligent sensor and thus reducing the number of individual network components. Ultimately, the configuration will be a camera with extremely intelligent scene analysis and decision making capability, high capacity network switches, and a video display. The camera will also contain a recorder which will be capable of massive file storage using new technology most likely based on optical storage techniques.
What are Optelecom-NKFs strengths in the market? How are you building on these advantages?
Optelecom-NKF has a reputation of offering high quality and reliable communication hardware products at a competitive price. This will continue to be the basis of our business. We have begun to expand this basic principle by offering seamless integration of all components into a complete network solution and will further extend this integration using products of other vendors.
What has been your biggest challenge as CEO of Optelecom-NKF?
The combination of bringing two organizations together after the merger/acquisition of NKF and at the same time transforming the organization from a product supplier into a solutions provider. Since we are a public company, this had to be accomplished while maintaining revenue growth and profitability to meet the expectations of our shareholders.
Last but not least, please comment on Optelecom-NKFs ultimate vision.
Our ultimate vision is to become a specialized video surveillance network solution provider by developing dedicated solutions for specific vertical markets.
For more information, please send your e-mails to swm@infothe.com.
ⓒ2007 www.SecurityWorldMag.com. All rights reserved.
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