Since opening in 1989, the Globe Arenas has been visited by great personages and artists such as the Pope, Dalai Lama, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. Several major international championship tournaments have also been held in the Globe Arenas, such as two world ice hockey championships, world handball and wrestling championships in addition to the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest and the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards. To be able to meet the requirements and security standards of huge public venues the Globe Arenas installed Mirasys NVR Enterprise surveillance solution in March 2008.

"Our biggest security challenge is to prevent disorderly behaviour," explains Ralph Isaksson, techncian at Globe Arenas. The security personnel at the Globe Arenas have to be able to recognize dangerous situations and prevent them - preferably even before they have the opportunity to occur. "We also need to be able to react promptly to incidents to keep the people attending our events safe and protected," comments Isaksson.

"Any event involving large crowds is a potential risk for disorderly behavior. We at the Globe Arenas wanted to ensure our events are safe, that crowds remain in check, and that any threat of a large-scale disturbance is thwarted," explains Isaksson. "We want to make the Globe Arenas a safe and enjoyable experience for both performers and attendees and we needed a state-of-the-art video surveillance solution".

To replace the old CCTV equipment and for help with the new installation Isaksson contacted Krister Norrman, master locksmith and Security entrepreneur at Sickla Låsteknik. Sickla Låsteknik is responsible for the extensive access control system at the Globe Arenas. Norrman and Isaksson found a reliable and knowledgeable distributor in Svensk Säkerhetsvideo, SSV.

"When we set out to choose a new video surveillance solution we had quite a few requirements," stated Norrman and Isaksson. "The system had to be easy to use and have a Swedish user interface. We also wanted the system to be future proof, it had to be scalable and easy to upgrade and expand when needed. Furthermore, we wanted the system to be built on an open platform, so we would have the freedom to choose the best camera technology suitable for the purpose". Anders Lundgren, who is a Partner at SSV and works with industrial applications, presented several options for Isaksson and Norrman but they quickly realized that Mirasys NVR Enterprise was the only solution that fulfilled every single requirement. In addition SSV offered both training and support in Swedish.

Mirasys NVR Enterprise is a feature rich, multiple server video surveillance solution aimed at medium and large companies. NVR Enterprise supports up to 5000 IP and analog cameras, which can be managed as a single system independent of location. Mirasys solutions are very cost efficient as legacy cameras can be used. "As everything in the Globe Arenas is operating over fiber optics with existing CAT5 wiring we didn't have to discard the existing cameras. All the analog data is converted into a digital format through switches," explains Norrman. "When the cameras break down or become outdated they can be updated one by one. For the moment there are 40 cameras in the Globe but it will be expanded in late 2008 with 11 new ones. Mostly IQinvision and Sony cameras are used together with Axis servers".

The transfer from the old analog system to Mirasys was swift and smooth. "Mirasys NVR Enterprise was installed in a moment. Setting up and managing a system of IP cameras is a snap. Unlike analog CCTV cameras which require power tools and technicians, all you have to do is mount the cameras, add the existing ones and start recording. The people working here didn't even notice we switched systems," comments Norrman. "And if there´s an event that requires heightened security the flexibility and ease of use of wireless IP cameras makes it a breeze to add additional cameras".

"The Mirasys surveillance system has been a great aid to secure events. Concerts and sport events go hand in hand with large enthusiastic crowds. But if things get a bit too wild, security cameras can spot the action, allowing security workers to maintain order, while capturing valuable footage of those acting out of line. We installed cameras with remote-controlled pan, tilt, and zoom functions and they have proved to be invaluable," explains Isaksson. "For example, people often bring big banderoles to support their favorite team. However, these can be used to block the view while doing something shady, but now we are able to see what is happening behind the banderoles. If needed, suspicious individuals can easily be monitored and disturbances closely watched with help of PTZ cameras. Furthermore PTZ cameras give superb coverage over the whole arena."

"We have also had problems with unintentional vandalism. For example, supporters can become excited when their favourite team scores that they jump on the seats thus destroying them. With the help of video surveillance we can watch the recorded material to see to which club the supporters belong to and send the bill for the reparation costs to the support club. This has proved to be a quick way to stop this kind of behaviour," tells Isaksson.

"Video surveillance has also put an end to staff letting friends and family attend events witout a valid ticket. We got the proof and it is needless to say they don't work here anymore", comments Isaksson.

"We are cooperating closely with the police. If needed, they are allowed to go through the recorded data," explains Isaksson. With Mirasys software data can be exported to a CD or USB stick with just a mouse-click. Single images can also be printed, and several media clips can even be saved on the same CD or USB stick. In addition, the authentications of the clips are verified by a Mirasys watermark, which is approved by the police. If necessary, recorded evidence can be used in court proceedings.

"We are delighted with Mirasys, they have surpassed all our expectations and we didn't have to compromise on any of our requirements," praises Isaksson and Norrman. "We are also about to install the Mirasys surveillance solution at Hovet and Söderstadion in the coming months. These locations will all be monitored centrally. The Globe Arenas are now ready to meet tomorrow's requirements and security standards of huge public venues," concludes a smiling Isaksson.