Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
17th April 2024 Issue no. 701
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MMArena at LeMans says Milestone video is simply spellbinding
XProtect Corporate software from Milestone Systems is managing the video surveillance system of the new stadium at Le Mans, connected to Sony HD cameras
The MMArena was opened in January 2011 by Prime Minister François Fillon and Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno of France, and it is exemplary on many levels. A multisport stadium designed for hosting a variety of sporting events such as soccer and rugby, the MMArena can accommodate 25,000 spectators. This can be increased to 38,000 seats for concerts, shows, operas, etc. The venue also has over 3,000 m² of exhibition rooms and reception areas for meetings.
This was the first time in France that a government-private sector partnership was used for funding such a project. Like many stadiums in Europe, for instance the Allianz Arena in Munich and the Emirates Stadium (home of Arsenal Football Club) in Great Britain, the MMArena is jointly funded by the region, the city of Le Mans, the private corporation VINCI, and a private sponsor, in this case the MMA Insurance Group, investing 3 million Euros at the start of the project, then 1 million Euros a year for 10 years.
This new stadium is equipped with the latest developments in security technology. With state-of-the-art surveillance and high definition IP network recording and camera technologies, the video surveillance component is a virtual showcase.
In the words of Guillaume Garnier, Project Manager at Garczynski Traploir who installed the video surveillance system, "What distinguishes the MMArena video surveillance system is its innovation and user friendliness, at the leading edge of networked technologies."
106 video surveillance cameras, including 104 new Sony IP cameras, is network inter-linked on a fiber optic loop and controlled by XProtect Corporate video management software from Milestone, chosen for its advanced open platform architecture that guarantees clients scalability and sustainability of their investments.
"This open platform aspect of the solution was absolutely decisive in the clients’ choices," points out Guillaume Garnier.
For Vincent Chassac, Technical Manager of the Le Mans Stadium operating company, a 100% subsidiary of VINCI who has managed the MMArena for 33 years: "The highly advanced technology of this video surveillance system is impressive. We had never seen video surveillance as advanced as this before, in terms of the quality of the images as well as that of the software, and all of its possibilities and ergonomic aspects that fit our needs so well are what convinced us. It has an approach that makes it user friendly."
The cameras monitor the players of the visiting and home teams, referees, VIPs, local spectators and visiting fans in and around the stadium, including the ticketing, security check, food and drink vending zones. Each situation that needs surveillance is been individually scrutinised: arrivals of the buses with players of the visiting and home teams and the fans, players going back and forth from the field to the locker rooms during warm up, spectators during the game, players and referees leaving before the game, to and from the locker rooms to the field during half time, leaving after the game, exiting from the field or the stands, departures of the buses with players, fans and officials from the secure parking facility. At times various cameras are dedicated to spectators moving against the flow of entering and exiting traffic.
The use of HD cameras and mobile domes with a high zoom factor enables identification in addition to detection. The choice of high definition for numerous cameras was dictated by the desire to monitor and be able to identify all of the visiting fans from the time they leave the bus until they return to it, while they are in the ticketing and security check zones, the bleachers, bathrooms and open squares, and also in the event of early departures due to dismissal or injury.
High definition is at the heart of 5 Full HD 1080p fixed cameras, 6 PTZ HD 720p mobile domes, and 28 HD 720p fixed domes strategically placed for preventing vandalism. These cameras are supplemented by 65 PTZ SD mobile domes with 18x or 36x optical zoom and two turret-mounted cameras. The XProtect Corporate software manages the standard and high definitions of the video streams with the same performance. All of the images are H.264 compressed, which is the best optimisation in terms of bandwidth use and video data storage nowadays.
Frédéric Tant, Assistant Operations Manager of the Le Mans Football Club, pointed out to us that "the quality of both the live direct and the recorded images, as well as the recording capacity are top of the line," and added that "it is simply spellbinding."
22nd June 2011