Q-Park Minimises Downtime and Ensures Data Integrity Across UK with Synology Surveillance Solutions

Q-Park noticed their older security devices had reached its end of life, and often resulted in downtime when installing firmware updates due to its custom hardware. Support for their previous system ended with Windows 7, meaning it was susceptible to security vulnerabilities and could no longer reach Q-park's security standards. Furthermore, it lacked disk and power redundancy, which could respectively result in data loss or power outages in the case of an emergency. Looking for a new, future-proof and easy to manage security solution, they found Synology.

After assessing Synology's Surveillance Station, Q-Park found it would fit their surveillance needs and alleviate the problems caused by their prior setup. Using a central RackStation unit as their host server at their UK headquarters in Leeds, they initially deployed further RackStation servers equipped with Surveillance Station to some of their parking facilities, as well as a total of 2000 cameras across the various sites.

One of the most immediate advantages the Synology system had over Q-Park's previous solution was the use of dual power supplies. This feature guaranteed uninterrupted operation, safeguarding against disruptions caused by power supply unit (PSU) failures or accidental unplugging.

The RAID configuration used in their Synology device offers disk redundancy, meaning data is stored over multiple disks so a backup is always available on-site. This way, if a disk malfunctions and the data stored on it is lost, the same data can still be retrieved from another disk.

The addition of HAT3000 Plus Series HDDs further fortifies the infrastructure. These drives not only make data storage more reliable, but also streamline the support process. In the event of any disk failure, Synology's tech support can rapidly troubleshoot and authorize immediate replacements, significantly reducing downtime and minimizing the risk of data loss.

The Centralized Management System (CMS) enables surveillance teams to monitor different individual servers from the host server. This allows Q-Park to not only view live feeds and recorded footage from each of their sites in Monitor Center, but also to remotely install firmware updates to improve the security of their security solution. The mobile apps on iOS and Android devices are helpful for granting remote workers access to view live feeds with custom layouts when they are away from their PCs, in addition to email notifications.

Moreover, the integration of Synology BC500 model cameras into Q-Park's existing system was seamless, adding advanced AI-powered features without any additional license fees. These cameras complemented the third-party compatibility of the Synology platform, offering People and Vehicle Detection, Instant Search, and other smart capabilities for efficient surveillance and quick recording access.

Q-Park also integrated a High Availability (HA) cluster for its CMS host servers, ensuring maximum system availability and continuous surveillance. If the active server fails, the passive server immediately takes over its duties, guaranteeing uninterrupted recording and data integrity across all parking facilities. This highlights Q-Park's dedication to unyielding security.