MOBOTIX Network Cameras Monitor Holland Heineken House For 2008 Summer Olympic Games In Beijing

26 MOBOTIX cameras were installed to provide video surveillance, mostly the model D22 along with a few M12s

Network cameras from MOBOTIX were used to monitor the Holland Heineken House during the Summer Olympic Games 2008 in Beijing. Job Groenendijk, CPO RSE Security Consultant for Technoprevention at Proseco, and Ernest Brink, technical consultant at CNI Europe, give an account of their experiences below. The Holland Heineken House (HHH) made its inaugural debut at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona as a joint initiative of the Dutch Olympic Committee/Dutch Sports Federation (NOC*NSF) and the Heineken brewery. In early August 2008, HHH opened its gates for the ninth time in Beijing and served as the main meeting point for Dutch athletes, their families and friends, fans, journalists, and other visitors. The building featured a 100,000 square foot main hall used for the victory ceremonies and to display works of art by Dutch artists. It also housed a royal lounge, a VIP lounge, and other facilities for athletes, the press and sponsors. There was a variety of restaurants, an embassy helpdesk, a travel agency, several fan shops and offices. In short, HHH was a unique venue where a range of events were held, one that required a professional camera surveillance system. "We were looking for motion, noise, and infrared detectors for many different applications and locations," states Groenendijk.

"We also wanted the best available image quality to ensure it would be possible to quickly identify any persons captured on film, should that be necessary. Because we had to work around the clock—often times under the glare of disco lights—with a network that was unique in the conditions it presented, the analog camera system installed by the Chinese did not meet our requirements. After exhaustively testing multiple products from several manufacturers, we came to the conclusion that MOBOTIX network cameras were best able to meet our needs for the planned applications. These cameras offered a further advantage in that they are extremely sturdy and require no maintenance, both of which were major factors in the decision as the units would be packed and unpacked three times and transported 8,000 kilometers in a shipping container."

26 MOBOTIX Video Surveillance Cameras

In total, 26 MOBOTIX cameras were installed to provide video surveillance, mostly the model D22 along with a few M12s and the new Q22. All cameras were connected by UTP copper cables to three network switches which in turn were linked together and to the central control unit using fibreglass. And since the MOBOTIX cameras received power from the Ethernet connection, no separate power cables were required, which saved both time and money. "Although you can save a lot of time by preconfiguring the network settings, it is impossible to rule out every unforeseen unpleasant surprise when you install the system on site," says Brink who already had this experience. "And just this happened in Beijing, when we were suddenly instructed one day before the official opening that we were being assigned new IP addresses and would therefore need to reconfigure the system at the last second. Furthermore, we suffered a complete system failure during the night. We began looking for the cause of the problem by inspecting the equipment we had brought with us, until we discovered that the Chinese surveillance system cut off power each night at 2 a.m. Even a UPS would not have helped us here. In seeking a solution, we reconfigured the system so that all devices would automatically reboot in the morning when the power was turned back on."

The MOBOTIX system was used primarily to assist on-site security personnel and to help reconstruct incidents

More Secure Than Ever

At the official opening of HHH, Erica Terpstra, head of NOC*NSF, thought the ninth Holland Heineken House was more beautiful than ever. "It was also more secure than ever thanks to the most modern camera system in the world," states Groenendijk. "There were several incidents where the cameras proved their value, but luckily nothing too major. In the area of security, the MOBOTIX system was used primarily to assist on-site security personnel and to help reconstruct incidents. On a further note, some of the cameras were used to make high-resolution recordings of the victory ceremonies and other presentations."

Remote-Controlled From Over 8,000 Kilometers Away

Another advantage of the MOBOTIX solution was that any camera or sensor could be remotely configured, in this example from a distance of 8,000 kilometers. And last but not least, the cameras placed minimal demands on the network and were fully reliable. With Proseco’s positive experience at HHH, MOBOTIX was able to get two new orders—from Heineken Experience and the brand store in Amsterdam.