Many surveillance management platforms support only single vendor products. Controlware believe that the opposite should be true. Management solutions should be designed to be as flexible as possible so that users can maximise their return on investment. This is illustrated within Cware's own open architecture that allows different vendors' equipment to be integrated in the same standards based platform. Integration of analogue and digital components such as analogue / IP cameras, and codec's allows users to benefit from the development of security networks that are vendor independent, improve security operations and deliver a sound basis for growth and development of future applications and services.

The platform has been designed first and foremost to satisfy the requirements of the operators who use the platform. Central to Cware is an intuitive user-friendly interface that provides quick and easy access to comprehensive video management, playback, and recording features.

Cware enables management of multiple sites over various communication mediums. Each Cware client can remotely access independent systems over any type of IP network including dialup. This powerful architecture supports remote access from anywhere in the world delivering all the features available to local operators (subject to user permissions). Furthermore each recording server increases reliability by operating independently of the communication continuity between the system server and clients. Cware also offers remote access via Internet, GSM, GPRS, 3G, or any narrowband IP link by transcoding live video or playback streams to a low data-rate. This process is performed on a dedicated web server, without affecting local system performance, live viewing bandwidth, or recording.

The traditional device tree commonly found in similar products does not provide the operator any usable reference to physical locations of cameras. Cware provides a user defined image and I/O source. Tree directories are sorted per source, physical location or any other logical layout applicable to the monitored site.

Cware patent pending advanced mapping technology enables a virtual duplicate to be made of the real monitored environment. In this virtual world improved locational awareness is developed, security threats identified and security network and camera locations planned more easily and precisely. Cware navigates on standard / vector based maps by travelling along the X/Y axis zooming in/out. Real time video is embedded into the map in the actual areas covered by the cameras.

This technology enables the operator to navigate through a location within the actual video content. An invisible mesh of hyperlinks enables intuitive navigation from one camera to another by clicking on pre-defined hyperlinks in the video itself. For example if an operator is tracking a target in real-time and it moved through a door the user could click on that door, be connected to a camera on the other side, and thereby follow the target. The ICN functionality also supports recalling preset positions of PTZ cameras. This interlacing of cameras in the real-time environment provides the user with better video interaction improving operator response.

The IFSEC 2007 exhibition at the NEC runs from 21st -24th May and Controlware are short listed for best project and the association of chief police officers (ACPO) award for use of technology for improving public safety at the prestigious IFSEC innovation awards.