The state-of-the-art building includes a public, museum-style exhibition; a 600 seat auditorium; a 3-D Reality Hall; and vast archive storage areas. Its importance is hugely significant and its effective protection is mission-critical.

Telectron, an established and recognised integrator in the UAE, was chosen to design and install a new, networked security and CCTV system. The system provides alarm notifications, 24/7 visual surveillance and archives all video data. Telectron used 140 Grundig IP cameras; 95x GCI-K1523D, 2 megapixel (2MP) indoor dome cameras positioned within the building; 20x GCI-K1585V, 2MP, vandal-resistant, external dome cameras around the building exterior and site perimeter; 5x GCI-K1812W in the elevator and an additional 20x 3MP, GCI-F0505B box cameras for high resolution images and recording. The cameras were positioned around the entire site, including the museum areas, entrances, public areas and server room. A Milestone Corporate Level VMS system manages and controls the system, which can be viewed from a number of remote locations and monitored centrally.

The new security system is reported to be a success. Mr Fadi El Khoury, Head of Technical Support at the National Archives commented, “In a prestigious application like this one, it is essential that no cameras fail, as this would compromise site security and put priceless, irreplaceable artefacts at risk. The National Archive is now exceptionally well-protected and any incident or potential risk can be addressed appropriately and immediately.”