Use Case #3 – VMS Plus for Surveillance

05.08.2021 | Success Stories

Highlighted Soliton products and solutions 

  • HEVC Encoder Transmitter (Zao-S) 
  • HEVC Mobile App (Zao App)
  • VMS Plus 

The Challenge 

This Police department has deployed Milestone XProtect IP based video surveillance platform to monitor hundreds of video streams.  With the increasing number of videos in motion such as real time video from drones and Police officers with body worn cameras streaming live video, the Police Department was in need to acquire new technology to address this growing requirement.  

The Solution 

The Police video tactical IT team was referred to Soliton Systems, a Milestone certified partner and video communication technology company.  Soliton VMS Plus is a ONVIF compliant video receiver software that provides seamless integration into Milestone’s XProtect platform.  On the video streaming side, Soliton’s small size HEVC encoder is a perfect fit in enabling real time video from drones and officers on foot with body worn cameras.  These small encoders are connected to drone controller pads, or on backpacks that connects to the officer’s cameras.  Another streaming option is Soliton’s mobile app (Zao App) which is both iOS and Android compatible where officers with the Zao App is able to stream HEVC quality video straight from their mobile devices to the Milestone platform.  

Soliton’s end-to-end encryption provides authenticated and encrypted real time video from the encoder to the VMS server, providing the highest level of security that is critical for public safety.    

Another key solution is Soliton’s multi-link cellular bonding technology, where up to 4 modems can be connected to the encoder to ensure that video is transmitted even in the most challenging network areas.  Uninterrupted connectivity is vital for mission critical applications, and the ability to transmit real time video in network dead spots is a tremendous advantage.  

The seamless integration of Soliton VMS Plus into the Milestone XProtect platform was a big decision factor for the Police IT team.  And Soliton’s experience with Milestone provided assurance that it was a proven solution with minimum test time.  

Benefits 

Upon deployment, the Police IT team saw immediate benefits in the following areas 

  • Venture into new territories

The ability to deploy drones to remote areas with sub-optimal cellular network coverage.  Using Soliton’s multi-link cellular bonding technology, real time videos from drones were seamlessly transmitted into the Milestone XProtect platform.  This now gives the ability to fully utilize the Milestone platform where multiple streams of both static and mobile video are being transmitted simultaneously into the Police command center. 

  • Improved ROI

The project consisted of the acquisition of encoder hardware, mobile apps, and VMS Plus software, which came in below the allotted budget.  

  • The ability to scale

VMS Plus provides the ability to start small and scale as requirements for mobile videos increases.  In this particular project, the IT team started with 1 encoder (for drone) and 4 mobile apps (for body worn cameras).  As requirements for drone and body worn cameras grow in the near future, VMS Plus will be able to handle the increase in video input streams.