To the majority of the population, surveillance systems are thought of as a crime prevention tool, used by law enforcement officials around the world to identify perpetrators and boost investigation success. While there is no doubt that surveillance cameras play a critical role in ensuring public safety and reducing criminal behavior, there are other practical applications for these systems that go beyond typical surveillance. Many businesses today use their high-definition surveillance systems for business intelligence to improve operational efficiencies, enhance customer service, and ensure regulatory compliance, all in an effort to add to the bottom line.

Some businesses have found even more creative ways to leverage the superior image quality and advanced functionality of today's high-definition surveillance systems. For instance, restaurants in the UK use high-definition surveillance at several of its restaurants to not only protect patrons and monitor food quality, but to project footage of the kitchen and dining area on monitors installed outside the restaurant doors. For these popular restaurant chains, the surveillance footage has become a key part of the overall atmosphere and an important marketing tool used to attract new guests.
The Canoe Center in Solkan, Slovenia, one of two national centers for wild water kayaking and a top training camp for several national teams, has also found a unique way to leverage its high-definition surveillance system, using it as a video analysis tool for coaches and judges to assist in training, resolve potential disputes, ensure fair judging and ultimately, attract high-caliber International Canoe Federation (ICF) competitions.

Defending Penalties in Wild Water ­Canoeing
In the sport of wild water canoeing, competitors must pass through gates without touching them or an immediate time penalty is applied, which can dramatically impact results. These decisions are based on what judges can see and often end in dispute. After a heated argument at the 2010 World Championships, the Canoe Center began to look for a reliable, scalable, cost-effective high-definition surveillance system that could withstand the outdoor environment and deliver indisputable evidence. "In wild water canoeing, the need for immediate access to irrefutable video for fair judging is critical," said Andrej Grobisa, director at AGM. "The Center also needed a solution that could provide exceptional image quality while accommodating demanding environmental conditions."

The Canoe Center installed the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system to cover the 400-meter course, enabling judges to clearly identify activity at all gates from any point of view. The Canoe Center will also offer competing teams' temporary access to live video and recorded events and will install a dedicated server to archive footage from all major events for historical review. The Canoe Center plans to deploy a mobile version of the software on iPad devices to equip judges with a tool for instant review of incidents. "From the coaching point of view, Avigilon Control Center Mobile will make it easier to share video with athletes for immediate performance analysis," explained Branko Brezigar, sports center manager at the Canoe Center.

100 Percent Fair Judging
"Excellent image quality was the crucial factor in deciding which system to deploy because it must be able to capture the necessary detail to make informed and accurate decisions," said Brezigar. It was also important that the system provide a clear picture in all weather conditions. Because judges need to apply penalties in real time, it is imperative that they have access to clear, sharp video images to resolve possible disputes. "For the first time, our judges feel that they have an efficient tool to review questionable trajectories and resolve disputes with 100 percent accuracy," claimed Brezigar. "As the only training facility to ensure 100 percent fair judging, we have a strong competitive advantage when applying to host major ICF events." And with a high-definition surveillance system in place that is easy to use and delivers indisputable evidence of races and events, the Canoe Center does not need to hire additional gate judges to improve the quality of judging, thereby reducing costs.

World-class Reputation
There is no doubt that surveillance systems can improve the public's safety and help protect the assets of many organizations across the globe. But with vision and a little creativity, a high-definition surveillance system can also become a valuable tool to help businesses enhance their operations, monitor for compliance, attract new customers, and boost profitability. And in the fast-paced world of competitive wild water canoeing, a high-quality surveillance system can mean the difference between bringing world-class competition to their venue - a lesson the Canoe Center in Solkan, Slovenia has learned well.