The palace located in the Lebanese mountains outside Beirut, lies at an altitude of 1,650 metres above sea level. The ornate design and treasured contents meant the client wanted an advanced security solution to protect both indoor and outdoor areas. The client approached local security company, Security Engineering, who specialise in complex integration between various systems.

Remote access required
The client wanted to achieve high levels of security which they could control and activate remotely. Security Engineering recognised this would be best achieved using a range of different devices to provide a complete solution, combining video surveillance with an intrusion alarm system. As well as the need for IR lighting to assist the video surveillance system in the challenging low light conditions, the client also wanted to use white-light as a deterrent to any potential intruders.

Low light conditions
Raytec’s Vario2 IP PoE Hybrid 8 units were selected, alongside Optex laser beam detectors and Bosch cameras (equipped with video analytics) and intrusion panel. All devices were linked to a Bosch Video Management System (BVMS) which would be used to control the system.

Together, these devices would provide the client with the video surveillance and an intrusion alarm system they required and it would be connected using TCP/IP technology in a unified communications protocol. Khaled Jaber, Security Engineering Managing Director says: “Due to low light challenging conditions, and in order to maintain quality and efficiency of our Bosch cameras, we decided to use the Raytec product for the advanced features it offered in enhancing the overall night image and delivering optimised end results for the camera under the given circumstances”.

White-light and infrared
As the only IP enabled illuminator combining white-light and infrared, Raytec’s Hybrid illuminators provided the greatest level of functionality, flexibility and control. In infrared mode, the illuminators provide high quality images for general night-time surveillance. This meant the camera analytics could clearly identify any intruders. Hybrid‘s dual functionality also meant white-light could be triggered as a deterrent (when an alarm was activated by the camera analytics or the Optex laser beam) to scare off any intruders.

As well as being able to control the entire system remotely through the VMS, the system also linked to an indoor keypad or mobile app which had to be activated in order to alarm the system. This ensured the deterrent lighting was only enabled when needed and couldn’t be triggered by false alarms.

Less illuminators
From the outset, Security Engineering identified the need to use both infrared and white-light. By combining this with IP capability, according to Raytec, Hybrid represents the most advanced product of its type in today’s security market, providing a more dynamic security response and tight integration with the other devices.

Thanks to Hybrid’s IP capability, all elements of the solution could work together seamlessly. As an open platform, all Raytec IP illuminators can easily integrate with a wide range of security devices; in this instance, Optex detectors and Bosch cameras. This gave greater flexibility when specifying the solution, according to Security Engineering.

Hybrid’s dual use also helped to reduce the number of illuminators used on-site, reducing outlay on infrastructure and cabling by half. With no compromise on performance, Hybrid achieves the same power and distance as two dedicated illuminators; an important factor for the challenging low light conditions.