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Worse Than Setting Your VCR: Home Network Installation

So you’ve made the decision to install a home network and you’re roaring and ready to go with it. But have you done it before? Perhaps the dreams of not fighting over who can go online next, streamlining your office, and sharing files with other computers in your home has you a bit excited. But do you know what type of network is best for you? Do you know the basic principles to installing a network in your home? Do you know how to set up a wireless network? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, then perhaps you should read on.

Network types

First of all, a network allows you to have multiple computers connected to the same internet connection, share files between the computers in your home, print documents through a printer that is connected to a different computer, and share files that are stored on other computers. It seems like a dream come true, doesn’t it? But what is the best type of network for you? You have to make the decision of whether or not you want a wireless network or a wired network. If you choose wireless, you have to know how to set it up so that all of the computers can talk wirelessly to the network router. If not all of the computers are wireless capable, then you may have to move to a wired network. With a wired network you have to worry about running wire throughout your home or investing in upgrades for your computers to make them wireless.

You also have to know what type of activities you and your family are going to be doing on all of the computers. This is because you want to invest in a router that can handle the load. If the router cannot handle the load, then you’re going to have computers within your home getting booted off of the network.

Network installation

The network installation part can be either easy or complicated. It depends on how you look at it. You have to have an internet connection and you have to know your network type. You also have to know what computers in your home are wireless capable and which are not in case you choose to do the upgrades instead of installing wire throughout your home. If you’re setting up a wireless network, the easiest way to connect is if you have Windows Connect Technology through your Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 2000, or Windows 98/ME. Then again, you could be running a different operating system, which can make setting up your network a bit more difficult than if you were running on a Windows operating system.

An alternative

Then again, you could probably save yourself a lot of headaches by hiring a professional to take care of the installation process. A professional will do an assessment to determine what type of equipment you need to give you a network that is complete. If any of your computers need what is called a network adapter to become wireless capable, the installer can help you with that. Once all of the equipment is determined and acquired, the network installer can then run wire or set up your wireless network for you. You’ll be connected in no time and the only thing you have to do is reach in your wallet. Fortunately, home network installation is not an expensive endeavor and it takes a lot off of your mind. You don’t want to buy all of the wrong equipment, hook it up, and then find nothing works. If you’re not sure, turn to a professional so that you know everything is right.

If you plan on creating a home network installation or a wireless home installation for your computer system, seek the professional, certified advice from EasyTechCare.

New Technology Brings New Ringtones

Over the past few years, technology has evolved significantly and because of the development in technology, a lot of things have changed. Earlier, cell phones used to be bulky and now, cell phones of negligible weights are available in the market. Now, cell phones have a number of features and high-quality camera, music player, radio, GPS system are some of the common features.

The technology for ringtones has also evolved greatly over the past few years and as a result, different types have been developed. The different types distinguish each other on the basis of the number of musical notes played at a time and the quality of the ringtone. New cell phones support all the types of the ringtones whereas old cell phones support one or two types of ringtones. Also, an individual cannot play a one which is not compatible with the cell phone and so, an individual should carefully check the supported types of ringtones while purchasing a cell phone.

Monophonic: Monophonic are the ringtones which play only one musical note at any given time. They were introduced before polyphonic and truetone ringtones and they represent the first generation of ringtones. Truetone ringtones are used to play complete songs whenever someone calls the cell phone subscriber whereas monophonic ringtones are used to play tone based versions of songs.

It is possible to personalize and modify monophonic tones in such a way that a particular ringtone is played for a particular caller. You can use this feature to set specifictone for specific users. As an example, you may use a happy monophonic tone for your best friend or a romantic tone for your life partner. You need to change the tone settings of the cell phone in order to use this feature.

Polyphonic: Polyphonic are the ringtones which play more than one musical note at any given time. Polyphonic ringtones were the first to follow the monophonic ringtones and they are more complex than monophonic ringtones as more musical notes are played at the same time. They are used for creating complex sounds as they give close approximation of harmony and instrumental melody. Polyphonic ringtones are more popular than monophonic ringtones as they sound more like the songs they are mimicking.

Also, the polyphonic tones are available in different styles and heavy metal, pop, country music are some of the popular styles. Most of the new cell phones support polyphonic tones and this is the reason why a number of polyphonic ringtones are easily available. It is possible to use some song writer to create new songs which can be used as polyphonic ringtones. It is also possible to add some variations to the songs and the ringtones so as to generate new tones.

Truetone: Truetone represents the latest evolution of ringtones and they have become very popular among cell phone users. A truetone is also known as a mastertone or a realtone. A truetone is an audio recording in a common format such as AAC, MP3, or WMA. Usually, truetone ringtones are created for using popular songs as ringtones.

A number of truetone tones are easily available and they are used by cell phone users to express themselves. New cell phones allow users to set different MP3 ringtones for different people. Truetone ringtones have replaced polyphonic tones to large extent as truetone tones are of better quality and are available at affordable prices.

If you are looking for new ringtones for you phone you can Download Ringtones including Funny Ringtones from MP3 Music Ring Tones.

Get to Know More About the Importance of Secured Data Storage and Backups

Because computer files and databases are very much susceptible to numerous outside threats, experts highly recommend the importance of secured data storage and backups. These procedures can save people from many troubles as well as other undesirable effects of unsecured and unprotected computers and save them from lost data or replacing many man hours of work. To stay always on top of every situation, it is best for individuals and businesses to acquire the services of highly reliable providers of secured data storage and backups.

Almost everyday, numerous people and businesses are losing some of their most valuable data for so many different and unexpected reasons. Furthermore, these losses can put them into catastrophic, stressful, and costly conditions. For some, lost data are simply irreplaceable like all those important financial statements, e-mail messages, and photographs. These are just some of the many important reasons why people and businesses must provide backups for their data.

To keep computers free from all sorts of troubles and problems, secured data storage and backups provide all the necessary solutions for the safety and security of all those important files and databases. Generally, these secure offsite data storage capabilities are safe, reliable, and easy to use. Simultaneously, people can expect such offsite backups to be fast, compatible, and convenient.

While providing offsite backups, people can use passwords to protect all their valuable and private data while the backup process is taking place. At the same time, these computer tools regularly save all those important data automatically to prevent any of them from being lost. Above anything else, the backup software is very easy to use. Within minutes, computer users can now enjoy the simple interface of the software, while eliminating worries concerning the security and safety of their files and databases.

Home Plans

For all those computers at home, people may want to protect all their valuable data by acquiring home backup plans. They can choose either the Core Backup option, which is basically a one-click operation, or the Power Backup option, which operates on a richer interface. Some of the Core Backup features include secure file accessibility, customizable backup scheduling, and simple interface. On the other hand, Power Backup defines many unique backup sets simultaneously, creates an optional backup for hard drives, and functions well using any operating system.

Corporate Plans

Because many businesses rely heavily on their most valuable data, they need to employ some corporate backup options to help their business operations survive. They can use corporate backup plans to support some of their most important database applications, even though they lack sufficient skills to conduct technical operations. They can use these modules to backup all those important database applications like MySQL, Oracle, and Microsoft Exchange Server.

Additionally, corporate backup plans use special software that provides secure back up options for important files while minimizing their space. Furthermore, corporate backup plans support different kinds of databases and computer platforms. Because these data backups are automated, there is no longer a need to acquire the services of more people to perform such procedures.

John Grant is a the author for a site about Secured Data Storage & Backups where he is writing articles about Offsite Exchange Backups.

TV Wall Brackets Are Just as Important as Your New TV

When buying a new flat-screen television, having the right TV wall brackets are as important as the type of television you buy. Please don’t forget about this, as it is definitely the most important consideration. You have several options, such as having your television flat-mounted or giving it the ability to move or swivel. Your TV wall brackets will provide an important foundation needed to keep your new investment from falling off the wall and breaking. While in the past your television sat on the floor, today’s new televisions are lightweight and easily mounted anywhere you choose. Your television salesperson should be your partner in finding your new model, and you need to know the appropriate questions to ask. If you buy a clearance model, go through the trouble of mounting of it, and then decide later to get the latest and greatest one, you are simply wasting your time and ruining your new TV wall brackets. This is your most important investment and should be treated that way.

When shopping, be sure to get a complete picture of what your television’s warranty covers. A lot of times the labor is included in installation but not the hardware. Many times you are covered when doing your own installation, and you may trade your TV for a new one if you mess up your own install and end up breaking it. This is important. If a satisfaction guarantee comes with your warranty, you usually have a set time period to turn in your television if you are not happy for ANY reason. You can do your own installation on your new TV. You want to shop around and make sure you find the best TV wall brackets available. While you were thinking of mounting your TV flat on the wall, you should be aware that there are other options available such as having a movable arm or a swivel. The movable arm is especially useful if you live in a large open living space.

Be sure to know what you need. Measure your space and do your homework. Also take a look at the aesthetics that your space requires, such as design, color, and other considerations such as backlighting. A lot of TV wall brackets are hidden, so their design is not important. This allows you to focus completely on the television. Research the wall brackets themselves as well. Look online at the prices and what is available. Features usually determine how they are categorized (swivel, movable arm, flat mount), as well as the weight of your television. Newer televisions are now very lightweight, so find out how much your new unit weighs before buying hardware. Shopping online will be helpful as you can compare prices and features before you buy. Installing your new TV wall brackets yourself can be very rewarding as you can look at your unit daily and remind yourself what a great job you’ve done. Once you’ve done your research on the one you want including the TV wall brackets, you can shop with confidence, knowing you’re buying what you need. This is important. Remember that buying a flat-screen television and getting the right TV wall brackets is the most important investment you can make.

To explore our range of tv wall brackets, please visit our website at http://www.avnow.co.uk

TV Stands Can Bring Warmth to Your Media Room

When buying a new flat-screen television, finding TV stands are fairly simple. In addition to finding them in almost every store where you buy your television, you can find tons of them online. Compare them closely and pick the one that fits your needs best. These work real well if you are staying somewhere temporarily and don’t want to rip up the wall with a bracket-mount. Check out the following hints for choosing TV stands that work for you:

1. Look at price. Something that costs 500 pounds will be more sturdy than something that costs 50 pounds. Think you’re getting a good deal? Take a look at the material its made of. Something cheap will usually look that way. A good idea to help you save money is to buy display models or discontinued items. These are not made cheaply, just no longer needed. TV stands bought this way usually last a long time.

2. Decorative elements. What color is it? Will it match your decor? What about material? You wouldn’t want a wood TV stand if all your furniture is black leather or metal and glass. These considerations are usually the first things that one looks at, as they are the most apparent to the naked eye.

3. Technical aspects. If you’re ordering TV stands online through the mail, how much does it weigh? Sometimes the shipping costs offset the money you would save buying this way. Another disadvantage is that many times assembly is required, costing countless wasted minutes and frustration. When you buy in the store, many times delivery is included and you don’t have to worry about the frustration and time wasted putting it together yourself.

4. Size does matter. Before you go out looking for TV stands, don’t forget to measure the space you have. Do you have speakers? How will they be mounted and where? Make sure that the stand you choose is deep enough to hold all your components and your DVDs if you are going to keep your media next to your entertainment center.

5. Do your research. When you are at the homes of others, ask where they purchased their TV stands if it is one you really admire. Also research your suppliers. If buying online, find out about their feedback ratings and shipping rates. When going to a store near you, have a thorough understanding of their return policies and satisfaction guarantee.

6. Skip the warranty. Unlike expensive electronics, TV stands are rarely going to stop working for you. Warranties are less important unless you are a sumo wrestler or massive partier concerned about your new stand getting broken.. Warranties on furniture are usually a waste of time. Check for an upgrade program, though, as this might do well if you are starting off small.

These considerations are the most important when looking for TV stands. Of course, these may not be your only concerns. Just be sure to talk to others and find out what works for them. Televisions are so lightweight, that you can get away with a less than sturdy model these days. Happy hunting!

To explore our range of tv stands, please visit our website at http://www.avnow.co.uk

Don’t Forget About Your TV Mounts!

When buying a new flat-screen television, having the right TV mounts is almost as important as the television you choose. Don’t leave out this important consideration. If you want your new television to stay in place or move as needed, you will need to have the right mounting brackets. This also provides the important foundation needed to prevent it from falling to the floor and shattering into a million tiny pieces. Even though in previous years you didn’t have to worry this as your television sat on the floor, mounts are very important in today’s every-changing market. If you’re in the market for a new television, be sure that you know what questions you need to ask your salesperson. Don’t waste your time getting a cheap model because it’s a good deal, have it installed or install it yourself, then go and rip it out of the wall, ruining your new TV mounts, a couple of months later when you can afford the latest and greatest unit. This is an important investment and should be treated as such.

Make sure you are aware of everything included in your television’s warranty, if this is a route you are considering. Many will include the labor for installation, but you will have to pay extra for the appropriate hardware. A lot of times you can trade your television in for a new one at no charge if you mess up your own installation and break the unit. This is very important if you are installing your own television. If a satisfaction guarantee is included, you can turn it in for any reason within a specified time period. You can install your new television yourself, making sure that you shop around and find the best TV mounts available. While some will want their television to sit flat on the wall, others might need a movable arm so the TV can move about. This is especially helpful if you are in a large open living space. Still others might want a swivel that allows the unit to turn 360 degrees to be viewed in more than one room.

The right TV mounts will afford you any of the above opportunities. Be sure to measure your space and do your homework. Take into account any decorative aspects such as color and design before you choose your new TV. Most TV mounts are hidden, so their design is not important at all. This allows you to focus only on the TV without any distractions. Research the mounts themselves as well. Go online and take a look at what is available and their prices. They are usually categorized based on features (swivel, movable arm, flat mount) and the weight of your television. While newer televisions are now very lightweight, be sure to find out how much your new unit weighs before getting the hardware. Shopping online will be helpful as you can compare prices and features before you buy. Installing your new TV mounts yourself can be very rewarding as you can look at your unit daily and remind yourself what a great job you’ve done. Once you’ve done your research on the one you want including the TV mounts, you can shop with confidence, knowing you’re buying what you need. This is important. Remember that buying a flat-screen television and getting the right TV mounts is the most important investment you can make.

To explore our range of tv mounts, please visit our website at http://www.avnow.co.uk

TV Brackets: A New Concern For Installing Today’s TVs

When television first came out, there was no need for any installation. Sets were extremely heavy, oversized, and simply sat on the floor. But today’s new models are thin and lightweight, allowing easy installation on any wall in the home. These things are often overlooked by the customer buying the model, and they fail to consider the additional cost of installation and TV brackets. Here are a few things to consider when searching for the perfect TV brackets for your new set:

1. Warranty. If purchasing a new television, it is advisable to also buy an extended warranty. Ask the salesperson exactly what is covered as well as the price. It is important to have a thorough understanding of these things before making your purchase. Sometimes installation is included so you will not have to worry about labor, only the cost of the TV brackets themselves. This can also be helpful if doing your own installation, as you may be able to replace your television from free if it gets damaged in the set-up process.

2. Size. The size of your television is extremely important, as this determines what type of brackets you will be buying. Be sure to measure the space you plan on putting your TV in before you go to make your purchase. The brackets are usually sold according to the size of your television, so once you know the size of the space you are putting it in you will be able to figure all this out.

3. Mobility. Is your new television going to simply lie flat against the wall or will you need to be able to adjust it? There are several ways this can be done. Some people actually have a hole in their wall where the television will sit. The TV brackets mounted inside this hole allow the television to be turned 360 degrees so it can be viewed in one of the rooms at a time. Others have arms which extend out and allow the television to tilt in any direction necessary. This is the most popular, and works really well in open living spaces.

Whatever you decide for your TV brackets, the three considerations listed above are a wonderful starting point. Make sure to address any questions you have to the appropriate salesperson or installer before making your decision. And when doing your own installation, you have the freedom to go to any source and compare prices before purchasing your brackets. Imagine your television in your new space. Don’t forget to make all aesthetic considerations like color, design and style as well. Don’t buy a silver television for an all-black room. Match your components, and don’t forget to consider the furniture, too. Never hesitate to go to many places before making your decision. The purchase and installation of a new television is one of the most important decisions you will make for your home. Make sure that you have a full understanding of the process. There are tons of resources on the internet to help you make an informed decision.

To explore our range of tv brackets, please visit our website at http://www.avnow.co.uk

Plasma Mounts: Protect Your Investment

When buying a plasma television, having the right plasma mounts is almost as important as the television you choose. Don’t skimp on this important step. The right mounts will not only hold your new plasma in place, but will also provide the foundation needed to prevent it from falling and breaking. Unlike the old days, where your bulky television set sat on the floor, today’s TVs require installation and the right hardware to hold it up. When shopping for your new television, make sure you ask your salesperson all the important questions. Don’t buy an inexpensive television, go to the trouble of installing it, only to rip it off the wall in a couple of months when you have the money to buy something better. Treat this as an investment and don’t waste your time. If you are purchasing a warranty, make sure to ask all that is included for the price. Some include installation, but you will still need to buy the appropriate hardware. Many warranties also allow you to being the television if you botch your own installation. This is important when doing it yourself. A satisfaction guarantee may be included, which allows you to return the unit for any reason within a certain amount of time.

You can install your new plasma yourself, just make sure that you shop around and find the best mounts available, suited to your situation. While some will want their television to sit flat on the wall, others might need a movable arm so the TV can move about. This is especially helpful if you are in a large open living space. Still others might want a swivel that allows the plasma to turn 360 degrees to be viewed in more than one room. The right plasma mounts will afford you any of the above opportunities. Be sure to measure your space and do your homework. Take into account any decorative aspects such as color and design before you choose your new TV. Most plasma mounts are hidden, so their design is not important at all. This allows you to focus only on the TV without any distractions.

Research the mounts themselves as well. This means going online and taking a look at what is available, as well as their prices. They are usually categorized based on their features (swivel, movable arm, flat mount) and the weight they hold. While newer televisions are now very lightweight, be sure to find out how much your new unit weighs before getting the hardware. Shopping online will be helpful as you can compare prices and features before you buy. Installing your new plasma mounts yourself can be very rewarding as you can look at your unit daily and remind yourself what a great job you’ve done. Once you’ve done your research on the plasma you want including the plasma mounts, you can shop with confidence, knowing you’re buying what you need. This is important. Remember that buying a plasma television and getting the right plasma mounts is the most important investment you can make.

To explore our range of plasma mounts, please visit our website at http://www.avnow.co.uk

Communication Made Easier by Free Web Mail

Email is considered one of the important communication tools nowadays. It is an effective and fast means of communication. Email account can now be accessed through the web browser such as Internet Explorer. This is known as web mail. The first web mail service is Hotmail. After that, several free web mail sites has been established to enhance communication through the internet as well as to make things easier for people. You can sign up on most of the web mail sites for free. Most common free web mail now is AOL, Yahoo and Windows Live. Owning a computer as well as having an email client such as Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird, is not a must for accessing your email. What is important is that you have a computer that can connect to the internet. After that, you may check your email no matter what or who’s the computer you are using.

One of the features in signing up for a free web mail is that it usually has a big storage space for emails. Yahoo has unlimited storage space while Gmail and Windows Live currently offers 5GB as their storage space although there are currently working on upgrading it. Also, you may still allow your email client to receive your email but the good thing here is that you may receive it on both your email client and web mail. Some adjustments on the settings are to be made. This is known as POP/IMAP access.

One threat to web mail is getting unsolicited or emails that we don’t know where it came from. This kind of email is called a spam email. Usually, some of the free websites now offer spam filtering. Spam filtering blocks or filters IP address or domains as a known source of the spam. Possible reason for spam on free web mail is because web mail work hand in hand with advertising. Different advanced features such as spam filter, storage and internet web mail is available for free at web mail because of advertising.

Another good thing for free web mail is that it has a friendly-user interface that is easy to use. Options like forwarding and reply-to settings are on the email page when you open your email. With this, you may easily forward the message or reply to the message just by clicking on the buttons “forward” and “reply”.

On free web mail you also have a function to chat with your friends, families and relatives from everywhere. This is widely used by people who are living hundred of miles apart. This is the cheapest way of communication for them. When you travel a lot and you do not have a computer with you, why not try to forward or retrieve your emails on mobile phones. Some free web mail account has this feature and definitely it is convenient. Imagine how life is easy with free web mail. With free web mail, broader and more open communication is available without being too expensive.

Visit Computer Juice to get more info on hotmail imap, hotmail pop and hotmail pop3.

Advantages of DVR / NVR Solutions Over Software-Only

Pairing hardware with software gives you many advantages, and some companies are creating a new approach which offers the advantages of both software-only and appliances.

From a user perspective, all video management systems are combined hardware and software solutions that give them the ability to better understand and protect a physical environment. What they are looking for is the confidence that a system will adapt to their evolving needs. Will they be able to choose the best hardware at the best price? Will they be able to add or change the system cost-effectively as new technologies emerge? Will they be able to integrate best of class solutions from other vendors?

System providers and integrators use two categories to describe the relative level of “openness” a system has as well as to describe what the customer is buying:

• appliances — hardware engineered together with software to create an indivisible unit

• software-only — which can be run on any open-platform hardware of the user’s choosing

Airship Industries prpepared this paper. Airship is a developer of DVR/NVR solutions offers a third category that brings together the advantages offered by each:

• engineered open platform — software developed around a precise open platform hardware set, and sold as a unit.

Were hearing a lot about software-only security video solutions

The digital surveillance field is in the thrall of software-only solutions. Software-only solutions better meet customer needs in certain circustances. There also many reasons why engineering hardware together with software should happen at the development stage.

Why customers are excited about software-only

The history of digital CCTV is populated with inefficient and proprietary technologies that have not worked compatibly together and which do not scale.

Customers are excited about the prospect of being able to combine best-of-breed applications around video management — analytics, building management, access control, POS. IT departments like the idea of choosing the video management OS and hardware platform that will conform to their established standards.

Why are appliances often a better choice?

Let’s look at the overall approach taken by companies who provide hardware and software. They take hardware specs to make the most efficient system. Ask Apple. Hardware is the solution — though the software is what makes the solution extraordinarily capable and appealing to use. You can’t have an iPhone without the…iPhone.

Which is to say:

Pre-troubleshooting — With an appliance or engineered approach, the user or the system builder doesn’t have to worry about choosing the hardware that supports the intended application of the software.

Software that is built for a specific motherboard, video card, network connection, cpu, RAM chip, and hard drive type, for example, can reduce risk and shorten deployment time and may have a dependability and performance advantage that hardware-agnostic software cannot match.

Tested and true — When a problem arises, is it the hardware? The software? The firmware? With a software-only solution it can be very difficult and time-consuming to identify the problem in order to satisfy a user support issue.

An appliance can ensure a better user experience: When software developers know precisely the hardware their product will run on, they can test their product more quickly and effectively, giving users better stability and fewer bugs.

Controlled costs and reduced risk — Appliances allow users to avoid a minefield of myths that can lead to delays and costs that are significantly higher than anticipated. Sellers of software-only solutions often claim things that are true for only a small subset of customers, such as “You can use your existing IT network,” and “Choosing your own hardware will save you money.”

The Airship engineered open platform solution offers pricing that is based on hardware as a commodity and thus is competitive with software-only total deployment costs and lower than the costs of proprietary appliances offered by the big incumbents.

Airship’s DVR / NVRs are priced 21-56% lower than these competing DVR / NVR systems, and install up to four times faster, saving significant installation costs.

The brass tacks are these: The customer is buying similar primary elements no matter what kind of solution he/she chooses: Software, encoder (whether it’s in the camera or in the server), cabling or network and the labor to install it, servers with storage space for data, cameras, and of course monitors and workstations. The difference is in the predictability and control of the costs.

A customer buying an appliance today can expect many of the system lifecycle costs to be included in the initial purchase and deployment contract with the DVR manufacture and the integrator. But with software-only solutions, deployment and support costs of the system are sometimes decoupled from the software purchase; the software-only customer, in most installations, bears elastic costs for integration, engineering, support, IT staff, and other costs associated with making the system work well on the hardware.

But aren’t software-only systems more scalable?

Not in essence — but scalability has been slow or incomplete in coming to the appliance segment. There is a long tradition of locked-down appliances that merely record from a camera onto a drive, without the ability to integrate third-party applications or the ability to add storage or reassign/add cameras easily and without disruption.

In deployments with large camera counts, software-only solutions allow users to centralize video storage in a singe, efficient server or on multiple servers that can be configured to easily meet changing needs. With appliance recording, video is typically recorded directly on onto each server’s drive space.

Engineered open platform solutions are an evolution of the old appliance approach, giving users the unlimited scalability of software-only — with the stability and controlled costs of appliances. These systems provide IT-level visibility of system events and allow users to centrally manage their cameras, users, and alarm response programs.

And what about being locked into a proprietary“jail?

A packaged solution, an appliance, isn’t necessarily proprietary. Many are, as we have mentioned, and work well for small deployments at a low cost. But new engineered open platform video management solutions from companies like Airship are built from non-proprietary hardware that can be adapted to accommodate new video formats, more cameras of any type, third-party integrations, and storage outside the server chassis — as needs arise. Airship for instance, makes it possible for users to select from a wide array of market-specific video analytics packages, integrate with any POS system, or data source.

Powerful, well-written software packaged and tested with standard hardware can give users video management that integrates easily with the IP cameras, video analytics, POS systems, security-specific keyboards, and other data and input systems from the provider of their choice.

Can you get the benefits of hardware openness with a packaged solution?

The ability to pick and choose best-of-breed hardware is a benefit that sells well to those who have experience with appliances that locked people into limited integration scenarios. There are plenty of those on the market; many manufacturers have been “innovating” by buying smaller pieces of technology and then trying to make them work together with spotty success.

Many other appliance makers have been developing proprietary integrations that are not as useful as the vertical-specific products like video analytics that their customers want to use.

But the appliance industry’s trouble offering truly innovative and flexible options to their users should not prevent better customer value and true innovation.

Packaging the right hardware with the surveillance software on an open platform allows for as many customer-driven integrations, customizations, evolutions, and modifications as are required to move forward with technology and social changes.

When appliance hardware reaches the end of its life, the user must buy the software licenses again

With software-only solutions, the software can migrate from one hardware platform to another without incurring new licensing fees. In theory, this is a significant advantage for users whose systems outlive the 3 to 5 year hardware replacement cycle.

It’s plausible, but when you consider implementation and ongoing support costs, maintenance fees and software upgrades over the life of any type of system, there is no identifiable cost advantage to being able to move software from hardware to hardware. Buyers should consider:

• Hardware will always have a failure rate based on age or conditions or just plain bad luck. Whether you replace hardware from a variety of manufacturers incrementally, according to a variety of different warranty agreements, or whether you let one vendor service one warranty agreement with you, your costs are likely to be the same.

• Software you begin with will over the course of the lifespan of a typical appliance (currently pegged at between 3 to 5 years) will have undergone many releases and upgrades, which incur costs of their own, such as software maintenance, upgrades, support, integration costs, IT staff costs. A software only provider will usually charge for these services in some form of service or maintenance contract. The appliance provider will also charge for these services and will usually offer extended warranties, but their costs may be lower because of the controlled nature of the platform.

Under which conditions is software-only not viable?

An existing need for analog — An overwhelming majority of the world has yet to make the upgrade from analog video. Many organizations have existing coaxial infrastructure that is important to retain because they:

• only want to add some cameras & IP recording — it wouldn’t make sense to rip out and replace what they have. A good hybrid IP-analog system will allow them to add IP cameras wherever they need them, and to use new and existing analog cameras at other camera locations.

• have no tolerance for latency — casinos and other specialty or mission-critical users have no tolerance for the latency that is inherent in TCP/IP transmission and virtual matrixes, as they offer serialized data delivery.

Budget planning and funding — A user who needs to present a hard-and-fast budget to Purchasing will probably be able to better identify and contol costs with a combined hardware-and-software solution. Costs are rolled into one and can include installation, support, and training and warranty coverage.

With a software-only solution, costs may be more difficult to quantify at the start of the project due to unknown implementation and support costs, training needs (convergence between physical security and IT staff), unplanned engineering support and hardware-software diagnostics.

So when is software-only best?

Software-only is the ideal solution for users with:

• Little or no existing analog infrastructure

• All new IP-based infrastructure

• Primacy of tightly controlled IT department standards

• Available internal IT staff resources

• Ability to confirm software/hardware platform performance (reference site)

• Vendor provides risk-reducing service contract or guaranteed service level

Conclusion

Software-only has become a hot sector of the market with wide appeal. It offers many advantages that IT departments in particular have been waiting for. Users have been frustrated by appliances for all the right reasons — the solutions that are available to them have not been good enough, compatible enough, or affordable enough.

However, pressure from customers is combining with media coverage of technological advances to exert pressure on providers to make their systems better, more affordable, and more compatible.

In many cases, the only way to meet this customer need is through a combined hardware and software solution that offers software-only scalability and flexibility as well as the guaranteed performance, support, and controlled costs of an appliance. Hardware that is supposed to work together often doesn’t. Detecting and correcting the problem often requires a highly skilled engineer; including that engineering in the product itself adds value and makes for a much better user experience — and it doesn’t need to add cost or create limitations going forward.

Abigail Hamilton is director of marketing for Airship Industries, a developer of next-generation H.264 video surveillance solutions. Airship systems are IP-analog hybrid systems developed on an open platform for easy integration with any data source.

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