Microsoft Server Product PortfolioCustomer Solution Case Study

Manufacturer Cuts Costs by 45 Percent with Consolidated Video Storage Solution

OverviewCountry or Region: GermanyIndustry: Manufacturing—Audio and video equipment manufacturing

Customer ProfileBased in Grasbrunn, Germany, Bosch Security Systems is a global supplier of security, safety, and communications solutions. Products include video surveillance, fire alarm, and conference systems.

Business SituationBosch Security Systems wanted to offer intelligent video surveillance systems that would be more affordable and easier to manage.

SolutionThe company designed products based on Windows Storage Server 2008 that consolidate recording management software and a storage system in one appliance.

Benefits Decreases implementation costs by 45

percent Cuts deployment time by half Supports innovation Improves business agility

“With a video surveillance solution based on Windows Storage Server 2008, customers cut implementation and management costs by approximately 45 percent.… That’s a compelling selling point.”

Dr. Andreas Burgstaller, Product Manager, Bosch Security Systems

Bosch Security Systems is a global manufacturer of security products for multiple industries. In addition to its installations in airports and other large facilities, Bosch wanted to make IP video surveillance solutions more affordable for small and midsize businesses and public institutions. The company developed a streamlined solution based on high-definition IP cameras and Windows Storage Server 2008 virtual disk arrays. With the iSCSI-based solution, customers can install a scalable, intelligent video surveillance system without costly investment in server and storage infrastructure. As a result, customers cut implementation and management costs by 45 percent and deployment time by half. By taking advantage of the Microsoft platform’s built-in features, Bosch can focus on designing innovative products that target new technology trends and markets.

SituationBosch Security Systems is a leading manufacturer and distributor of security, safety, and communications products. Based in Grasbrunn, Germany, the company sells video surveillance systems to a global customer base. Bosch reported total sales of €1.35 billion (U.S.$1.83 billion) in 2009 and has 11,610 employees. It is a division of Robert Bosch GmbH, a worldwide supplier of technology and services.

Focused on innovation, Bosch submits more than 3,800 patent applications each year. It specializes in closed-circuit television (CCTV) and IP video surveillance systems, which are installed by customers in multiple market segments, including banks, airports, universities, and sports stadiums. The company’s technology advances reflect current surveillance trends, which include a movement from analog to digital video, higher-definition formats, and intelligent video analysis.

In traditional installations, video is recorded and streamed to a Network Video Recorder (NVR), which then encodes and processes the data for storage in another device. This architecture has several disadvantages, not the least of which is the cost of the extra NVR equipment and management. For example, one IP camera captures approximately 600 gigabytes of data in a month, and a large airport can use more than 3,000 cameras. The data can be costly to manage, with increasing demand for floor space, bandwidth, equipment, and maintenance. In addition, a security team is needed to monitor video feeds and retrieve and analyze content. With thousands of cameras and terabytes of data, responding quickly to threats can be challenging.

To address these concerns, Bosch designs intelligent solutions with high-definition IP cameras that encode and process video at the network edge. The cameras improve response time to threats by automatically sending alerts when they detect a potential risk. Instead of manually reviewing hundreds of hours of stored video, the company’s customers use its content analysis software to quickly find and retrieve specific content. The solution eliminates the need for a dedicated network video recorder and costly storage systems. Instead, the data is sent by the cameras to an Internet small computer system interface (iSCSI) storage appliance. The storage networking protocol carries SCSI commands over IP networks and can be used to connect multiple types of peripheral devices.

The iSCSI-based solution improved efficiency for large-scale installations, but Bosch wanted to extend the benefit to more customers. Small businesses have the same security concerns as global enterprises but might lack the IT staff and budget needed to set up and manage extensive security infrastructure. The company decided to design an affordable, streamlined solution that would also offer better scalability. “When you look at most video surveillance solutions, if you want more cameras you have to add more storage systems,” says Dr. Andreas Burgstaller, Product Manager at Bosch Security Systems. “So it’s not very flexible, and management becomes more difficult too.”

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SolutionIn November 2009, Bosch began designing a solution that would eliminate the network video recorder and implement richer camera and storage solutions. It looked at several options for an operating system, including a Linux-based solution and Windows. In the end, the company decided that Windows Storage Server 2008 was the best choice. “We are already using Microsoft technology, and our customers rely on the stability of our solutions,” says Burgstaller. “Windows Storage Server 2008 was also the right platform because it had a feature set that supported the direction we were heading in.”

Burgstaller and his team liked several Windows Storage Server 2008 enhancements, including optimized file service management, a centralized administration console, and the built-in Microsoft iSCSI Software Target 3.2 that supports multiple security standards for IP communications. It could use the tool to create iSCSI targets and virtual disks that would behave like the disk drives of locally attached storage but could be accessed over a network.

In January 2010, Bosch began developing storage appliances on Windows Storage Server 2008. Microsoft Services helped with the software integration, and after extensive laboratory testing, the appliances were made available to customers in September 2010. The new offerings include the Bosch DLA 1200 Series and DLA 1400 Series IP video storage appliances, which offer storage capacity of up to 4 terabytes in the DLA 1200 Series and up to 16 terabytes in the DLA 1400 Series. A typical installation includes two to four

preconfigured appliances, and 32 to 64 IP cameras. With optional licensing, each DLA 1400 Series appliance supports up to 128 IP channels. Customers can administer the system with Remote Desktop Connection Broker from almost any Windows server.

Recording functionality is built into the cameras, eliminating the need for a separate network video recorder. Data streams directly to the virtual iSCSI disk array on Windows Storage Server 2008. Customers can also install a management pack for the solution in Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007.

Some of the earliest customers include retail stores and casinos, and Bosch expects that companies or government agencies with regulatory requirements will also find the solution appealing. Burgstaller says, “We have had very good feedback. Customers were really eager to get their hands on the system.”

Windows Storage Server 2008 already fulfills requirements for an Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 4+, an international standard for computer system security. Bosch is planning new capabilities that will advance the company’s goals for improving both flexibility and scalability.

BenefitsWith storage appliances based on Windows Storage Server 2008, Bosch Security Systems can offer customers intelligent video surveillance systems that they can implement more affordably and easily. By taking advantage of the Microsoft platform’s built-in capabilities, Bosch can focus on designing next-generation solutions that serve multiple markets.

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“We built a new solution based on Windows Storage Server 2008 that bundles our software with a storage system in one appliance. It’s innovative, and it’s also a starting point for more capabilities.”

Dr. Andreas Burgstaller, Product Manager, Bosch Security Systems

Decreases Implementation Costs by 45 PercentWith its DLA Series products, Bosch puts intelligent video surveillance within reach of small and midsize enterprises such as supermarkets and casinos. He reports that its new systems reduce implementation and administration costs significantly. Customers can also add more cameras without purchasing costly storage systems. “With a video surveillance solution based on Windows Storage Server 2008, customers cut implementation and management costs by approximately 45 percent,” says Burgstaller. “For us, that’s a compelling selling point in a very aggressive market.”

Cuts Deployment Time by Half The company’s customers want an affordable solution, but they also want one that can be easily managed. Burgstaller says, “The DLA Series products deploy in about half the time it takes to install solutions with separate storage devices and application servers.”

After deployment, the solution can be administered with familiar management tools. “From a management perspective, it’s much easier to maintain one system based on Window Storage Server 2008 than it is to manage separate server and storage infrastructure,” says Burgstaller. “It’s also an out-of-the box experience. The appliance is easy to install, and all components are

preconfigured. Customers can set up cameras and start recording immediately.”

Supports InnovationBy taking advantage of features built into the Microsoft platform, Bosch can focus on developing the next generation of surveillance technology. “We built a new solution based on Windows Storage Server 2008 that bundles our software with a storage system in one appliance,” says Burgstaller. “It’s innovative, and it’s also a starting point for more capabilities.”

Improves Business AgilityThe features built into Windows Server 2008 make development easier and also give Bosch the flexibility it needs to target multiple markets with one solution. “Windows Server 2008 provides a framework for us in many areas,” says Burgstaller. “In some situations, we have to provide both the functionality and the highest level of security. The solution is already EAL4+ certified, so we’re ready to deploy in markets that have strict requirements. Microsoft makes it easy.”Microsoft Server Product PortfolioFor more information about the Microsoft server product portfolio, go to:www.microsoft.com/servers

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For More InformationFor more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers in the United States and Canada who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:www.microsoft.com

For more information about Bosch Security Systems products and services, call or visit the website at: www.boschsecurity.com

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published May 2011

Software and Services Microsoft Server Product Portfolio− Windows Storage Server 2008

Technology− Microsoft iSCSI Software Target− Remote Desktop Connection Broker

Hardware− Bosch DLA 1200 Series and DLA 1400

Series IP video storage appliances

“Windows Server 2008 provides a framework for us in many areas…. The solution is already EAL4+ certified, so we’re ready to deploy in markets that have strict requirements. Microsoft makes it easy.”

Dr. Andreas Burgstaller, Product Manager, Bosch Security Systems