Heifer International is known globally for its unique philanthropic mission of providing gifts of livestock and training to help families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. The focus of the non-profit also encompasses a dedication to eco-friendly innovation both at home and abroad and their international headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas is testament to their achievements and goals.

By selecting the Arecont Vision megapixel solution, Heifer International broadened video surveillance coverage of the three-building campus, improved image quality and was able to reduce the number of cameras required versus a non-megapixel solution. In addition to the eco-friendly advantages of fewer cameras and less cabling, the Arecont Vision solution was also more cost friendly and flexible for the non-profit organisation.

According to Zachary Wirges, President, Genesis Datacom LLC, the system designer and integrator, the coverage provided by the 11 Arecont Vision cameras that were installed throughout the three buildings was equivalent to coverage provided by many additional non-megapixel cameras.

“Arecont Vision provided the most robust features, and the panoramic options are beyond impressive,” said Mr. Wirges. “The customer recognised the quality of the product, which allowed performance and versatility to be the focus of the design.”

Included in the design are three Arecont Vision AV8185DN Surroundvideo day/night 8-megapixel H.264 cameras, one AV8365DN Surroundvideo day/night 8-megapixel H.264 camera, one Arecont Vision AV2825IR full-HD mode, 1080p H.264 Megaview IP camera and four Arecont Vision AV1355 H.264 Megadome IP cameras. Cameras are monitored by a central guard station and because it is an IP system, multiple departments can each monitor their respective areas.

Mr. Wirges notes that the increased image quality of megapixel video played the largest role in solving surveillance system issues at Heifer International. Expanded coverage areas and day/night options of Arecont Vision cameras also contributed to a successful and effective new system.

“We can now see areas of the campus that were not previously addressed and acquire the necessary information to address whatever event occurs,” said Mr. Wirges. “The system can clearly deliver faces, license plates, vehicle details, physical details and even capture video in low light.”

The Arecont Vision Surroundvideo panoramic cameras are used to view expansive areas in place of multiple cameras or pan/tilt/zoom devices. The 8-megapixel panoramic cameras can replace multiple analogue cameras and can be switched between day and night manually or automatically. Other features of the cost effective, all-in-one AV8185DN / AV8365DN cameras include image cropping and up to four regions of interest, and the 5.5 inch polycarbonate IP66 (environmentally rated) -rated domes need no additional housing.

The Megaview IP camera with an IR illuminator allows nighttime viewing of distances up to 25 metres (82 feet). The megapixel camera is enclosed in an all-in-one IP66 and vandal-resistant cylindrical (bullet-style) housing and has an embedded heater and blower.

Four Megadome IP cameras provide 1.3 megapixel images at 32 frames per second in an integrated all-in-one camera, lens and dome; and two 3 megapixel Megadome integrated cameras with H.264 compression minimize bandwidth and storage requirements while maintaining real-time image resolution.

“Megapixel imaging represents a significant upgrade in system functionality compared to standard-resolution cameras,” said Scott Schafer, Executive Vice President, Arecont Vision. “In addition to lower bandwidth and storage requirements, megapixel cameras have dramatically decreased costs for Heifer International, including fewer software licenses, fewer lenses and a decrease in costs needed to install the system.“