Control Microsystems Announces Remote Video Surveillance Capabilities in ClearSCADA Host Platform

The integration of ClearSCADA with Longwatch allows for video monitoring of locations where high-bandwidth connectivity is impractical or impossible.

Ottawa, Ontario, and Norwood, MA, March 1, 2010 – Control Microsystems Inc. (CMI), a global developer of advanced SCADA solutions, and Longwatch, Inc., a leader in integrated video surveillance systems, today announced the ability of the SCADA host platform, ClearSCADA, to provide video surveillance of remote processes and assets. Existing industrial networks can conveniently and cost-effectively transmit video images over the SCADA communication infrastructure.

Control Microsystems’ ClearSCADA host platform can be integrated with the Longwatch Video Surveillance Platform and Video Historian Platform, along with IP surveillance cameras, as a solution to capture and convey important security information for critical infrastructure. The video surveillance uses Modbus protocol and is event-driven to conserve bandwidth. The Longwatch system continuously takes and stores video locally. When motion is detected, an alarm is raised and a video “snippet” is attached to the alarm message and sent to the central control site, showing what happened before and after the event. Through a graphic display in ClearSCADA, operators are able to view what is occurring on site, preventing the need for sending someone to investigate the alarm.

“Control Microsystems is dedicated to enhancing security in the SCADA market,” says Eric Schwantler, ClearSCADA Product Manager. “Customers can cut costs and maximize resources by immediately viewing real time video on their ClearSCADA host screen and controlling the cameras remotely when a security threat is detected.”

Communications between the Longwatch Video Control Center and the Remote Video Engines, deployed in the field and host locations, can be either Ethernet IP or Modbus over serial. The Longwatch video platform interfaces to ClearSCADA primarily via OPC, with Longwatch acting as the OPC server and ClearSCADA the OPC client. Video alarms, camera status, and camera control can then be achieved from ClearSCADA via the OPC interface.

“Longwatch, Inc. has been successfully providing video surveillance over new and existing SCADA networks and we are very pleased to be working with Control Microsystems in developing a seamless integration of both process monitoring and control as well as video monitoring of field assets,” says Steve Rubin, President of Longwatch. “Our Longwatch Video SystemTM integrated with ClearSCADA is one more cost-effective option to achieve an optimized SCADA system that saves users time and money while improving security, safety and operations.”

About Control Microsystems
Control Microsystems is a global supplier of automation products for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, gas flow computers, wireless instrumentation and industrial strength long-range wireless networks. Founded in 1980, Control Microsystems is the world’s largest, privately held SCADA products company. Control Microsystems’ products are engineered to operate in harsh, unattended environments delivering higher productivity and efficiency while reducing operational costs. For more information, visit www.controlmicrosystems.com

About Longwatch, Inc.
Longwatch, Inc. was founded by industrial automation and software veterans with the goal of simplifying video delivery over existing SCADA, HMI, and distributed control networks. The result is the Longwatch Video SystemTM, a portfolio of products that enables HMI system users to integrate real-time and recorded video with their automation events and easily verify alarms at local and remote sites using both legacy and new networking infrastructures. The system integrates video and system alarms on the same display for fast, reliable operation and decision-making.

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