Designing, manufacturing and distributing security solutions with customers in more than 30 countries, Hertfordshire-based Genie CCTV is highly versatile and a true British success story.
Who is Genie CCTV?
Based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, Genie CCTV designs, manufactures and distributes a range of professional security products, including HD-SDI cameras and accessories, network IP equipment, access control devices and CCTV solutions. Its 22,000 square-foot head office building is equipped with self-contained demonstration and training facilities.
Incorporated in March 2001, the company is a family-run business with an international reputation, exporting to more than 30 countries. Products are sold through its nationwide and worldwide network of security distribution partners. It is reported to have a net worth of £1.16m, which has remained steady over recent years.
After-care service and installers
Genie’s products have been used in a variety of applications, including retail, healthcare, rail, haulage, aviation and sea freight industries. Said to hold ISO 9001 accreditation, the firm prides itself on product quality and service, on-time delivery, and few returned products and complaints.
The company also describes itself as well-equipped to support installers. It says it provides full after-sales support and technical back-up through its own in-house team, who are said to have many years of installation experience.
Products and services
A regular exhibitor at IFSEC, the company used its stand at the 2016 show to display its CCTV Eco Trailer for mobile surveillance.
This follows on from its self-powered wireless CCTV solution, the Solarguard RD. Showcased at IFSEC 2015, this rapid-deployment system provides CCTV surveillance for applications and environments where mains power or fixed wired communication are not readily available.
The system incorporates self-generated solar power from military-specification photovoltaic panels on the trailer, which makes it a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution. It can accommodate a choice of cameras on a hydraulic mast, which can be extended up to six metres high, says Genie.
As well as its recent focus on environmentally friendly mobile technology, the company used IFSEC 2016 to showcase its ANPR technology, body-worn camera, Virdi-integrated access control solutions and CCTV systems.
In the same month as IFSEC, the company announced two important partnerships. The first agreement, signed with FST Biometrics, enables Genie to offer the In Motion Identification solution in the UK.
In Motion Identification is described as the latest technology for seamless and non-invasive identification use for access control. The technology is said to use a fusion of facial recognition, behavioural analytics and voice analytics, and it is able to identify authorised individuals from a distance and in-motion.
The system, says Genie, provides a seamless access experience, which is accurate, reliable and non-intrusive. Using FST Biometrics’ core software, IMID Access, which serves as the backbone of In Motion Identification, Genie is able to provide identity management and access-control solutions, advanced visitor management, fraud detection, remote monitoring, and more.
The second partnership saw the firm join up with SureView to integrate its Command Centre software platform, Immix, with Genie CCTV’s hardware solutions.
Immix is a software product that operates primarily in central stations and private command centres. It is said to consolidate a wide range of security products into a powerful but easy-to-use operator interface.
It is designed to deliver new video-based services to customers and complements investment in existing security and automation systems.
Genie has also recently released Biomerge-PX2, approved interface utility software for the company’s Virdi range of biometric readers and Paxton’s Net2 controller. As part of the product support package, Genie is introducing a compulsory Biomerge-PX2 training session for integrators, which, in turn, will provide clients with a list of approved integrators across the UK and Europe.
The Biomerge-PX2 training aims to ensure that integrators are fully acquainted with the integration requirements for: Paxton’s Net2; biometric software/hardware; fingerprint enrolment; time and attendance; and the Biomerge utility software.
Another recent product from Genie is an auto-focus bullet camera, the WIP3BVAF, which has been added to the company’s Wish IP range. Described as a 3 megapixel auto-focus IP vandal-resistant camera, the unit comes with a 2.8–12mm auto-focus varifocal lense and has a 30–50m IR range.
Focusing a camera manually, particularly high-resolution megapixel cameras, can be a laborious task. The company believes the camera’s auto-focus feature can reduce installation time, support easy set-up and deliver high-quality images.
Eco-friendly solutions
As evident from its eco-friendly solutions highlighted above, the company also prides itself on its environmental policy and says it is committed to leading the security industry in minimising the impact of its activities on the environment.
The key points of its environmental strategy are:
- minimise waste by evaluating its operations and ensuring they are always efficient;
- minimise toxic emissions through the selection and use of its fleet and the source of its power requirements;
- actively promote recycling, both internally and externally;
- source and promote products that minimise the environmental impact of both production and distribution;
- meet or exceed environmental legislation that relates to the company; and
- use an accredited programme to offset any greenhouse gas emissions generated by its activities.