OnSSI's IP Video Management Software Safeguards Parkchester South

The Ocularis system controls 500 indoor and outdoor surveillance cameras at Parkchester South

Parkchester South Condominiums' 70 public safety officers in the Bronx, NY now ensure the safety of thousands of residents using Ocularis, OnSSI's IP Video Management and Security software. The easy-to-use Ocularis system controls 500 indoor and outdoor surveillance cameras at Parkchester South, providing access to video views from throughout the massive complex. OnSSI software also simplifies management of video and enables instant investigation of an event.

“The OnSSI video surveillance management system has been used proactively to stop criminal activity in progress and to investigate crimes after the fact,” said Andre Butler, Director of Information Technology for Parkchester South. “The result has been hundreds of arrests and criminal convictions, and video from the surveillance system has been used in both state and federal courts. In fact, our elevator test project last year was so successful, Parkchester North is implementing the Ocularis system on their 60 elevators as well.”

Parkchester South Condominiums are part of a 121-acre community in the Bronx, NY, that includes more than 160 multi-story buildings, 12,000 residential units and numerous commercial enterprises, including major retailers, theaters, restaurants and small specialty shops. Parkchester South's public safety officers are deputised as Special Patrol Officers by the NYPD and are authorized to investigate criminal activity and make arrests. They use the OnSSI Ocularis system 24 hours a day and provide NYPD officers access to any video they need for investigations.

Kintronics, a value-added reseller that emphasises a consultative approach to sales, works with Mr. Butler to serve the integration needs of the large complex. Bob Mesnik, owner of Kintronics, recommended OnSSI software for the application. “Before we recommend a product, we ask the customer to describe exactly what they are looking for and the circumstances in which it will be used,” he commented. “We recommend a solution only after we are satisfied that it will meet all the requirements.”

Mr. Mesnik lists reliability as a major benefit of the OnSSI Ocularis system, along with the available software upgrade plan and ease of scalability. Ocularis also stands out because of ease of use and availability of free technical support, he added. “We looked at other software, but Ocularis is very reliable and doesn't crash, which is the worst thing that can happen with a security system,” he said. “Ocularis also has a very large selection of [compatible] cameras to choose from, but the real key is reliability.”

In 2005, Parkchester South embarked on a multi-year program to connect all 116 buildings within its 35 building clusters using a fiber-optic local area network (LAN). Today that LAN spans the entire complex and includes multiple 10-Gigabit backbones and high-speed switching for a variety of network services including digital video surveillance using OnSSI software, a residential building access key system, controllers for the heating and hot water system, and a voice-over-IP telephone system.

Parkchester South will complete installation of an emergency communication system in 2012, including video and two-way audio from all 143 of its elevators using the latest OnSSI software and Axis cameras. If someone pushes an emergency button in the elevator, the OnSSI system displays video from the camera located inside the elevator to enable officers to see what's going on even before they send a safety officer and communicate with those on the elevator. Also in 2012, Parkchester South will complete its update of the video system from OnSSI's NetDVR to the newest Ocularis CS platform.

OnSSI's Ocularis CS enterprise-scale IP video-centric security and event management software provides operators immediate access to camera views and video playback using the intuitive Ocularis client software. In addition to live viewing, Ocularis offers blank screen monitoring capability with video “pushed” to an operator only as needed and the ability to quickly investigate incidents and store video evidence to be retrieved later.