SLIDESHOW: Interop for Smaller Businesses

Joe Melfi, D-Link technical marketing engineer, explains that video security is a "huge hot topic" at Interop. Why is video security becoming so popular now? It's doable and affordable. A lot of companies couldn't afford it using older analog CCTV technology, Melfi says, so they weren't doing it. But now they can.

That's because the new systems are IP-based, not analog, Melfi says, and with digital cameras there's no conversion needed, the signal goes right into general network traffic. Companies used to have to build a separate "security" network, Melfi says, but now they marry the two together and the "sum is greater than the parts."

With cameras like the new DCS-5610, Power over Ethernet (PoE) makes it easier to install and run the equipment. Best of all, the new systems are just as networkable as a PC. And you can access the video from anywhere over the Internet, and even control pan, tilt, and zoom online.

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