IP Video Management – Software Platforms

IP video management plays an important role in your surveillance system.  I’ve already discussed the hardware platforms options.  The physical devices that manage video.  Now we need to move on to software platforms.

The IP camera software you choose allows you to view your IP video in different ways.  The platforms include:

• Built-in web interface
• Windows client-based programs
• Web-based software

Built-in Web Interface

Many IP cameras and video servers have a built-in web server with their own IP address.  They provide simple recording functions and some event-triggered recording and work best when your surveillance system is comprised of only a few cameras.

To access this is you simply need to type the products IP address into the address bar of a standard web browser.  This will access the device and it’s internal software will begin to run – a ‘start page’ should appear.

Windows client-based programs

These are the most common and most popular video management systems.  First you install the Windows client-based software of your choice onto your recording server.  Then a viewing client program (needed to perform surveillance tasks) can be installed:

• On the same server
• A separate viewing server (used to increase performance)
• Or, on a locally networked PC or even a remote viewing station

Web-based Software

Web-based software is great for allowing remote access.

Web-based video management software is installed on PC’s that are used for both recording video and utilizing a built in web server.

This type of software is used to allow any networked computer anywhere in the world to access this video management server simply by using their own web broswer.

Licensing and Open vs. Vendor Software

Most video software programs are licensed and offer a license per camera.  Different numbers of licenses can be purchased at a time and upgrades and additions are always available.

Mobotix IP Cameras, for example, offer free software downloads for all of their products.

Open software systems will support many different camera manufacturers while vendor specific programs, such as this Axis Camera Station software, are specifically designed to only work with that brand of camera.

Some Sony intelligent monitoring software is advertised as working with, in addition to their own, the most popular brands of IP cameras.