Milestone Systems, the IP video management software firm, is in use by the police of Osweicim, the Polish town that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Oswiecim is a Polish town of over 40,000 residents, covering an area of more than 30 square kilometers. The main reason people visit Oswiecim is the museum on the grounds of the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Every year it draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world, particularly for the "March of the Living", an international, educational program that brings Jewish teens from all over the world on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day.
A need to protect the residents, tourists and others who visit the town called for implementation of the latest digital solutions. Milestone software was a clear winner because it offered integration of multi-brand cameras into a unified, efficient system of video monitoring.
Town authorities, supported by the head of Municipal Police, Mr Ichniowski, decided to upgrade and unify the previously installed analog Geovision-based monitoring solution. Their security project was gradually implemented with Axis video servers to digitize the existing analog cameras, and the whole system was later linked to the Milestone XProtect Enterprise IP video management software.
“Milestone was selected due to its compatibility with numerous types of IP cameras. The intuitive interface of this user-friendly software and the implementation throughout the town was a perfect solution for our needs. We wanted a reliable system to help us act swiftly and effectively in numerous locations, gather high-quality evidence and, most importantly, to react appropriately in response," says Piotr Ichniewski, the Head of the Municipal Police, Oswiecim.
Milestone Certified Partner Mirare installed the large system comprising 12 recording servers with XProtect Enterprise, and one with XProtect Central to manage servers from one location. They coordinate operation of about 80 analog and digital cameras made by Axis, Vivotek and Acti. They monitor busy traffic intersections, schools, nurseries, the Gothic castle, museum and culture center in Oswiecim, as well as the Municipal Police buildings.
The technology of network-based video monitoring makes it possible to view images from any available location and the central management system has helped the operators when they need fast access to both live and stored video. A Milestone view from two of the cameras is also streamed for display on the Municipal Council website.
A benefit of the Milestone open platform is that the large numbers of mixed camera brands set up over a wide area are integrated into one efficient operation. The software’s Polish language interface made the system accessible and user-friendly for the local police. Milestone software also ensures system upgrades, as new technology comes to market. Installed over a wireless network that provides mobile and remote access, this has meant lower costs with no cabling involved.
“Due to the specific circumstances of Oswiecim, the criteria of selecting a new system were set very high. Mirare implemented the system upgrade in two stages that merged different technologies of signal transmission with different hardware (servers, cameras, supporting equipment) and all those elements had to be put through their paces in the everyday work of the municipal police,” says Mr. Waldemar Szylar, the Board Director of Mirare Sp. z o.o. “The system in Oswiecim, which is built using the Milestone platform, is an inspiration and shining example to be followed by system designers who create up-to-date tools for police, municipal services and security agencies."
