Using intelligent algorithms in surveillance cameras, Aviotec can identify smoke and flames as soon as they come into the range of the camera instead of having to wait for smoke to migrate to smoke detectors. By detecting fires at the source rather than the ceiling, cameras can issue an alarm within seconds while for point detectors it can take minutes to detect an alarm condition. Aviotec is based on intelligent algorithms to distinguish between real fires and disturbance values like reflections, movements or backlights. According to Bosch, this guarantees a very reliable detection with almost no false alarms and it offers proven detection reliability in all test fires (TF1 through TF8) as specified in EN54.

The video-based fire detection system Aviotec scales well from a single camera to a networked system of distributed cameras with a central console and management system. Using Bosch's dynamic transcoding technology it can relay alarms to an existing fire alarm panel or transmit them via Ethernet to a monitoring centre or even a mobile device like an Ipad. Receiving HD quality video images in real time gives the firefighters a good understanding of the current situation even before they arrive on the scene.

Cameras are easy to install and require very little maintenance in contrast to some smoke and flame detectors. The use of PoE cameras (Power over Ethernet) can eliminate the need for individual power supplies and power cables, making Aviotec even more cost efficient. Aviotec can also be used for very small and distributed facilities such as power stations and signal boxes where the benefit does not justify the installation of fire panels.