In early 2016, Secom plc, a fire and security specialist, was appointed to deliver a customised high-definition video surveillance solution for a new customer, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL). As one of the world’s leading shipping companies, MOL is listed on the Nikkei and is part of Japan’s Mitsui Group, the major multinational corporate conglomerate.
MOL has been navigating the oceans since 1884. During this time, it has grown and developed to become one of the world’s largest full-line marine transport groups. It has done this by anticipating the needs of its customers and constantly innovating to meet the demands of the future global economy. As a multi-modal marine transport and logistics group, its business encompasses an extensive fleet including bulk carriers, container ships, LNG carriers, oil tankers, car carriers, ferries and domestic transport. The company employs approximately 9,600 people worldwide with key European corporate functions based in London.
Ensuring state-of-the-art surveillance
MOL needed a comprehensive surveillance solution for new European administrative offices located within an iconic building in London’s commercial city district. Secom’s challenge was to design and deliver a futureproof solution combining resilience, high-quality images, and ease-of-use. Secom prides itself in going the extra mile so it needed to design a solution with the optimal mix of hardware and software guaranteed to deliver consistently reliable performance.
It also had to ensure a low total cost of ownership without the high recurring annual licence fees associated with many video management software solutions. Given the importance of usability, a key priority was to specify HD cameras that could easily be configured and operated via very simple intuitive instructions by non-experts to avoid all potential user issues and minimise the need for call-outs. The solution would also need to be integrated with MOL’s internal IT network and offer the built-in flexibility to scale and accommodate future requirements.
IDIS Center video management software
"MOL had been impressed with all the IDIS demonstrations, but there’s no substitute for the real thing” |
The Secom surveillance solution comprised a tailored suite of IDIS IP equipment. The solution includes 32 full high-definition (HD) flat dome cameras, a 32-channel network video recorder (NVR) and IDIS Center video management software (VMS), which is bundled as part of the package with no additional licence fees. The Secom team found the solution very straightforward to implement from an engineering perspective. For MOL, ease-of-use has been achieved with a highly intuitive and user-friendly platform that can be easily accessed by in-house personnel. The cameras provide comprehensive visibility throughout the offices and the VMS enables easy retrieval of high-quality HD images, backed by detailed reporting.
Flexible, future-proof security
The solution has given MOL the powerful, highly effective surveillance system it required. "MOL had been impressed with all the IDIS demonstrations, but there’s no substitute for the real thing. MOL were not disappointed. The IDIS hardware and software more than lived up to expectations and everything has been running very smoothly. It is delivering high-quality images, reliable performance, and excellent value – everything that our customer wanted. Furthermore, it was easy to install and is proving very simple for the in-house team at Mitsui OSK Lines to use to meet their day-to-day surveillance needs, both now and for the future,” said Keith Sharman, Regional Sales Manager at Secom.
