Software and IP Cameras in the Thousands Protect German Airport

Munich Airport has expanded the use of Aimetis Symphony video surveillance to Terminal 2, bringing the total cameras under Aimetis management to 1,900.

Aimetis Symphony provides Munich Airport with a single platform to manage analog CCTV systems on an IP network and integrate the video management system into other systems on the network – such as the command center and the burglary and fire alarm system. Aimetis Symphony is the core of the surveillance system and has successfully been used in Terminal 1 of the Bavarian capital’s airport since 2009.

During the past year, approximately 800 Bosch network cameras in Terminal 1 were equipped with Aimetis Symphony software. With the expansion being implemented at Terminal 2 to include legacy analog cameras with Axis Communications encoders, Aimetis Symphony will be managing over1,900 cameras, 1,000 I/O devices and 5,000 users in a single platform, all of which is handled by only six active and three redundant servers for system failover. In view of the airport's constant growth and expansion, it is expected that there will be more than 3,000 cameras installed in the future.

"For us, a crucial aspect of integrating Terminal 2 into the surveillance system is the possibility to integrate it in the complete network platform and to use just one CCTV system for the entire airport," said Michael Fröhlich, CCTV project manager at Munich Airport. "The Aimetis Symphony software has ensured smooth airport operations, helped prevent or clear up criminal activity and supply rescue teams with all the information necessary in special situations," said Michael Zaddach, chief information officer at Munich Airport.

In cooperation with prime contractor Alcatel-Lucent, which is responsible for system integration and overall project management, Aimetis is delivering a key solution for one of the largest, most innovative security video projects in Germany.

"The Munich Airport had high expectations in terms of performance and reliability for this critical component of its security system, and Aimetis is helping us meet those expectations, including the ability to upgrade individual cameras with video analysis algorithms tailored to its specific location," said Carsten Smago, head of the services business at Alcatel-Lucent Germany.

"We are happy and proud to extend the use of Aimetis Symphony at Munich Airport,” said Aimetis CEO Marc Holtenhoff. “The project teams from Alcatel-Lucent, Munich Airport and Aimetis have worked hard to ensure the success of this project and improve the safety at the airport.”

More than 33 million passengers were counted in Munich airport in 2009, which makes it one of the world's 30 largest airports and one of Europe's top seven airports in terms of passenger volume. As the result of a large-scale survey conducted by the independent market research institute Skytrax with more than 10 million passengers, Munich airport emerged as the best European airport in terms of quality and efficiency in the year 2010 and as the fourth-best worldwide. Munich Airport had already been rated top by Europe's passengers in the years 2005 to 2008.