Everfocus: interview with Detlef Schreiber and Oliver Nachtigal about the recorders and the training concept. Everfocus has launched a brand new series of digital recorders: the Ecor 4 Series uses the latest compression technology, provides extended recording capacity as well as fast network transmission. The machines are intended for smaller premises and the home user – with the advantage that the devices are easy to understand, even without an expert at hand. Matthias Erler of GIT SECURITY spoke with Detlef Schreiber and Oliver Nachtigal about the recorders and the training concept behind them.

Mr. Schreiber, you have just brought out a new recorder series. What new technology is used here and what can the new machines do?

D. Schreiber: That‘s right – the Ecor digital recorder is available as a 4 or 8 channel version and, soon, also in a 16 channel version. A particular highlight is the new operation concept that is so simple that you can use it without even looking at the instructions. We have developed the graphic user interface further so that technical terms are not used but instead new symbols that we have created - for example, to program the machine, for the configuration and for the export function.

The web interface also uses the same graphics, everything is easy to understand and can be operated with a click of the mouse. Data export is very simple via a USB memory stick, to a DVD or CD.

There is also a search function?

O. Nachtigal: That is the ‚Smart Search‘ function. It is used to find lost objects. If you notice an object is missing, you only need to mark the corresponding area and the recorder will look for it automatically.

Do the Ecor recorders have other highlights and innovations?

D. Schreiber: They have individual rights administration: that means I can assign individual rights to each user. So for example, I can specify that standard users cannot alter the configuration but are allowed to export videos. Or you can restrict password protection to specific usergroups.

The dynamic Domain Name Service (DNS) from Everfocus is also new. It works together with a specially created IP address that is always available. As a user, you only need to look for a particular name via a special menu in the recorder and you are automatically registered. That makes the service always available, no matter where you are and without any special training.

In what situations are the recorders ideal?

O. Nachtigal: The prime areas of application are simple surveillance tasks, for example in a domestic environment, in retail stores, at filling stations or for monitoring car parks and open areas. But the surveillance of smaller objects is also practical. Those are areas where there is currently a noticeable increase in crime and vandalism.

Differences in inventory are an important matter in retail situations, and in public areas it‘s all about preventing attacks on people. The particular advantage of the Ecor series in all these scenarios is, above all, their compact size. This enables them to be simply installed almost anywhere and you don‘t need to employ an IT specialist to do so.

You are planning various roadshows and events this year – could you tell us the details?

O. Nachtigal: We will hold a number of events during the year, whereby the dates will be more freely chosen according to the wishes of our customers. The dates will be published in good time on our homepage. But there will also be a new infomail, the ‚InSide EverFocus‘, that you can subscribe to and in which subscribers will be informed concisely about technology, the specialties of the machines and new product innovations.

What will be the content of the events?

D. Schreiber: On the one hand we will hold product training on various recorders and network cameras in the form of workshops in which the customer will be able to put the machines into operation themselves. We will hold these individually according to demand together with our dealers and locally in their premises.

Apart from that we are planning a series of half-day product presentations that we will organize in a sort of circuit training - there will be steps for cameras, recorders and network technology.

We are planning these for the new Ecor series, including very soon the new 16-channel version, but also for the new cameras. The absolute newest products are our infrared day/night external cameras and the new Speed Dome EPTZ 2700 and 3600 series.

And to complete the portfolio there will also be pure network training in which the basics of network technology will be simply explained: the PCs of the participants will be networked with one another. That is a very open and customer-oriented training program.

Do you follow a similar strategy with your customer support?

D. Schreiber: We have indeed found that problems often arise for our customers because IP products are increasingly being used. Therefore we have decided to provide more technical support on site. When planning projects or troubleshooting, the customer can get competent help at any time from someone who knows the products intimately.

We also do this in cooperation with our dealers who can thereby respond more professionally to their customers. There will be special certificates for installers that they will receive in conjunction with the technical training. For the customer, this means savings in both time and money during installation: the installer is competent and the whole process goes quicker and more simply.

Mr. Schreiber, Mr. Nachtigal, thank you for the interview.

Contact:

Everfocus Electronics AG,
Emmerich, Germany
Tel.: +49 2822 9394 0
Fax: +49 2822 9394 95
info@everfocus.de
www.everfocus.de