Owing to its technical expertise and support levels, Harland and Wolff chose Telindus to design and implement the new CCTV infrastructure and surveillance system.

Building on a history of more than 140 years in the shipbuilding industry, Belfast-based Harland and Wolff operates one of the largest dry docks in the world and focuses on ship and offshore unit design, building, repair, conversion and decommissioning. With customers wanting to ensure that an IP video surveillance system was in place before bringing their vessels to the dry dock and the need to comply with the latest port security legislations, Harland and Wolff sought to upgrade its legacy surveillance systems across two docks, the ship repair site and the main heavy industries site.

Rather than working in silos, the systems had to interact and images had to be accessible to staff anywhere on the network, at anytime. In order to support this flexibility, having sufficient bandwidth was essential. With a 90 acre site, the company was also faced with the challenge of ensuring that the area was adequately monitored for health and safety purposes. The DVTel solution connects 39 cameras across the two dry docks and the ship repair site, as well as the main yard and internal and perimeter floodlighting towers, using Ethernet, fibre and wireless connections.

With staff able to access images from anywhere, the new IP video system enables surveillance cameras to be utilised for business as well as security purposes. Project managers and customers can monitor the progress being made on their ships whether they are on or off site. Static cameras have been positioned for clocking in and out purposes and the dock gates can be monitored for leaks. Equipped with PDAs and laptops, Harland and Wolff's sales and marketing team can also show potential clients worldwide the facilities in real-time, rather than simply handing them a brochure.

Robert McIlwaine, Harland and Wolff Group IT Executive, said, "With a site as large as ours and the fact that the ground level is made up of around 10-12 feet of reinforced concrete, upgrading our surveillance system presented a real challenge. However, in employing the DVTel technology, Telindus rose to this challenge, using wireless connectivity to link our existing and new cameras in areas that were difficult to access. The technology deployed has given us a competitive edge. It proves to customers that we take health, safety and security very seriously, and we are willing to use innovative technology to ensure that our business is more effective."

The DVTel solution and the Telindus design deliver excellent flexibility. If increased security is required, additional cameras can be quickly installed on the network when needed. A business Harland and Wolff's size has to ensure that its IT is future-proof and that it is making the best use of the network it has. With this in mind, the company is looking at having voice, CCTV and data all running over one network. Looking ahead, Harland and Wolff wishes to extend the surveillance system to include its manufacturing shops.