Metia Windows Embedded NICE Systems Offers Server Appliance Solution for Digital Video Security

NICE Systems Offers Server Appliance Solution for Digital Video Security

Turnkey IP Video Appliance Runs On Windows Embedded Server Company: NICE Systems, Ltd Founded by former members of the Israeli Defense Forces, NICE Systems Ltd. Web Site: http://nice.com has its roots in security. IT departments wanted a low-maintenance turnkey Country or Region: Israel version of the company’s NiceVision ControlCenter video surveillance Industry: High Tech and Electronics software. Windows Server 2003 R2 for Embedded Systems delivered the right Manufacturing solution, with high levels of availability and reliability, along with support for Company Profile remote access and management. The Windows Embedded headless appliance NICE Systems is a leading provider of is easy to manage and has a low cost of ownership. advanced video surveillance solutions, with more than 24,000 customers in Situation over 150 countries. Based in Israel, NICE Systems is a world leader in advanced digital video recording bundled solution that would include Software and Services and analytics systems. The company’s hardware, an operating system (OS), and  Windows Server 2003 R2 for NiceVision ControlCenter software and pre-installed applications. Embedded Systems other CCTV technologies are used around  Windows Server 2008 for Embedded the globe by such organizations as the U.S. “All of our products and services run on Systems Federal Reserve, China’s Ministry of Microsoft technology for seamless  Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Railways, the New York City Police integration with customer IT systems, so we Department, Las Vegas casinos, and 85 of needed a Windows operating system for Hardware the Fortune 100. this device,” recalls Sandy Gilad, Director of  Dell PowerEdge R610, R710 Servers Software Group, NICE Systems. “Desktop  Intel Xeon E5504 CPU NiceVision ControlCenter™ is a suite of operating systems were not an appropriate  2GB Memory software applications that provide solution because IT departments want a management tools for controlling headless hardware appliance that requires For more information about other multi-site video surveillance operations. minimal support and resources.” Microsoft customer successes, please It helps operators detect, verify, resolve visit: and investigate security events quickly and Solution www.microsoft.com/casestudies effectively. With NiceVision, hundreds of NICE was looking for an operating system www.microsoft.com/embedded operators can access thousands of for a device dedicated to a specific function. cameras in an instant, enabling highly Licensing experts at Microsoft provided the “Windows Embedded Server enables collaborative control room environments, right answer with Windows Server 2003 R2 unprecedented reliability for our device; empowering individual operators, and for Embedded Systems. its high availability architecture ensures keeping remote teams connected. non-stop surveillance under any “Windows Server 2003 for Embedded condition for mission-critical NICE sold software-only versions of Systems was the obvious choice because it applications.” NiceVision ControlCenter, but enterprise provided strong data storage performance, Sandy Gilad, Director of Software customers were asking for a turnkey, which is critical for video, while also Group, NICE Systems delivering excellent application

achieve total redundancy for NiceVision performance and the low-maintenance Net. If one server appliance fails, another attributes of a server versus desktop one automatically wakes up and takes over. system,” says Gilad. Customers benefit from having a higher level of availability and no single point of Windows Server 2003 for Embedded failure in their video security system. Systems licensing allows Original Equipment Manufacturers, such as NICE, to “Windows Embedded Server enables develop dedicated server solutions, while unprecedented reliability for our device,” leveraging the powerful security, reliability, and availability of Windows Server. claims Gilad. “Its high availability “All of our products and “We didn’t do any customizations to the architecture ensures non-stop surveillance Windows Embedded OS,” states Gilad. “We under any condition for mission-critical services run on Microsoft used the default settings with some after- applications.” technology for seamless installation modifications.” integration with customer IT Windows Remote Desktop is another Other Microsoft technologies that connect important component technology included systems, so we needed a to or integrate with the NiceVision with Windows Server 2003 R2 for Windows operating system appliance include SQL Server 2005, Active Embedded Systems. “Because the for this device.” Directory, and the .NET Framework. NiceVision Net appliance has no monitor, keyboard, or mouse, customers utilize Sandy Gilad, Director of Software According to Gilad, Microsoft’s online Windows Remote Desktop to create remote Group, NICE Systems technical resources provided timely connections for service, maintenance, and technical support. “We used MSDN and the upgrades,” explains Gilad. “Customers love MSDN communities daily,” he explains. being able to use products and “Microsoft TechNet was our source for technologies that are familiar, and Windows advanced Sysinternals utilities and technical Embedded Server works just like Windows information, which really helped us manage, Server.” troubleshoot, and diagnose our Windows Embedded Server system and applications.” Built in support for Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Service Benefits provides additional customer benefits. “The The final product—NiceVision Net—offers Windows Embedded Server operating an enterprise class, scalable IP video system polls the hardware components to solution. Using Windows Embedded Server get SNMP maintenance indications, alarms, resulted in multiple business and technical and other notifications,” declares Gilad. benefits for NICE Systems and its “Windows simply lowers the overall cost of customers. product ownership for IT.”

Included as part of the Enterprise version of The Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Windows Server 2003 R2 for Embedded Platform SDK allows systems integrators to Systems, Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS) quickly and easily integrate third-party allow servers to work together as a single security products such as alarm and access computer cluster, to provide failover and control systems. “Integrators are a key part increased availability of applications. NICE of how we sell this product,” explains Gilad. software engineers leveraged MSCS to “The Platform SDK gives them familiar

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published February 2010 Windows programming hooks to achieve connectivity.”

For Nice Systems and its customers, Windows Server 2003 R2 for Embedded Systems has been the right operating system choice. “Windows Embedded Server enables my company to provide our customers with an appliance solution while still retaining all the reliability of Windows Server,” concludes Gilad.

In sum, Windows Embedded Server enables NICE System’s NiceVision Net with:  Low cost of ownership  Powerful, familiar development tools  High availability and reliability

Keyword: Server; Embedded Server

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published February 2010