The IP User Group awarded SeSys the IP Security Hardware product of the year and the IIPSEC Innovation award 2009. Andy Hennings, manager of IP User Group commented, "This years' hardware category was probably one of the hardest we have had to judge but SeSys was a credible winner."

"There were a number of criteria but the judges liked the fact that SeSys went to the customers and found out what they needed and built a fine product around that requirement." Hennings added.

UK based SeSys has been creating digital IP and networked vision solutions for clients including Yorkshire Water and Southern Water since 2004. The firm is well known within the industry for innovative, bespoke projects- especially within challenging outdoor, subterranean and haz-chem environments.

"We built 'Torchy' based on feedback from several clients who expressed the need for video coverage in remote locations where the cost or feasibility running a hard line was prohibitive," explains Dan Eames, technical director for SeSys. Available commercially as of January 2009, the SESYS MX-Torch camera earned its nickname from an early prototype unit, which was originally housed in a large Halogen Lantern casing.

Developed over a 6-month period, the Torch was designed around a 3-megapixel Mobotix D22 IP CCTV camera. The solid state D22 is a professional level network camera which is IP65 rated, designed to work in extreme environments with maximum resolution of 2048x1536 and able to provide colour images in lighting conditions as low as 1 lux.

"We have worked extensively with Mobotix cameras across all of our solutions such as our ATEX-IP Camera which is designed for corrosive environments such as sewage treatment plants," comments Eames, "Mobotix cameras provide high quality images, reliability and a highly efficient codec which is essential for video over a wireless link - together, these factors made it the only viable choice to meet the design criteria we set for the Torch."

SeSys is offering the Torch camera in a range of flexible configurations including narrow and wide-angle lens with up to 16GB of internal storage. A WiFi version is also under development.

The Torch drew a number of visitors while on demonstration at the SeSys stand at the recent IIPSEC 2009 event in Coventry. Mike Lewis also demonstrated the device, UK & Eire country manager for Mobotix during the Mini Partner conference held alongside the IIPSEC event, "The Torch camera is a fantastic bit of engineering and a worthy winner as it provides an innovative and elegant solution to real world problems." Lewis commented.

Torch has a wide range of potential applications including emergency response teams and remote location security. Support for multiple 3G technologies including GPRS/UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA is compatible with mobile operator networks in the UK and a further 118 countries. "We have already begun a pilot with a major customer and hope to announce the full details of this project within the next couple of months." Eames adds.