Monitor recording solution ... please help

[jerichardson]

I work for a security company and we're having some complications with our recording setup. We have 76 machines, each with 2 monitors, that we record the screens of. Every single machine has to have both monitors recorded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Currently we have it setup like this:

1.) VGA goes from the PC to an external VGA to RCA converter
2.) Video is split at the converter to send a VGA channel back up to the computer's monitor and an RCA channel back to another conversion box
3.) This conversion box converts the 4 RCA cables (there are 2 computers and 4 monitors per location) into CAT5e)
4.) From there they are taken back to a server room where the signal is then converted back to RCA and then into a large video recording card

This is causing a lot of problems. Not only is there a ton of wires under every station in a relatively small room, it's not as stable as it should be. Boxes get turned off and the display sent to the DVR gets moved around.

What we are now looking for is a software solution. We would like to also be able to record VOIP and PC Audio with this solution but just being able to record 152 monitors simultaneously would be a great start.

Does anyone know of anything like this?

Thanks!!!

 

[biglebowski]

Are these CCTV monitors or PC monitors?

When I was born I was so suprised I didn't talk for 18 months

 

[biglebowski]

Sorry forget that didn't read properly.

Have a look at Verint it will record both the VoiP audio and screens. The screens are recorded via an API on the workstation and is compressed on a central server.

When I was born I was so suprised I didn't talk for 18 months

 

[jerichardson]

They are PC monitors. Thanks for the tip!!! I'm going to research that.

 

[jerichardson]

I spoke with a Verint rep and they weren't sure what I was talking about. I don't know that the lady I spoke with was the best person to speak to though.

You're sure their software allows me to record what's being displayed on a PC monitor?

 

[biglebowski]

Do you need to record what is on the screens 24/7 or based on actions or events i.e if someone opens an application. Normally screen recording is used in call centers so when an agent receives/makes a call the screen is recorded for the duration of that call. Screen recording does come as a standalone solution but the config will depend on the nature of the business and what needs to be recorded.

When I was born I was so suprised I didn't talk for 18 months

 

[jerichardson]

I think we would be able to just record when a call is being placed. It's just extremely important that it's recording when the call is placed every time a call is placed.

 

[biglebowski]

What type of switch do you have? Is it just VoiP or mixture of VoiP and traditional?

When I was born I was so suprised I didn't talk for 18 months

 

[jerichardson]

We use traditional switches that have a VLAN for both VOIP and PCs. The CAT5e runs to the CISCO 7900 series phones and then from the phone down to the PC.

 

[BadFrog]

http://www.nice.com/

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[jerichardson]

Nice is a company that we're already looking in to. They quoted us 150k without even having a working solution and without giving us any details as to what it would do.

 

[biglebowski]

With Cisco call manager you can use either the CTI from the CCM or the signalling (skinny or sip) or RTP if neither are available to trigger the recording of the phone and screen. When you need to play the call back it syncs up the audio and screen recording and presents it together via a web portal. Both NICE and other companies may claim to have it working but it doesn't, it has always worked from verint but after the recent acquisition of Witness the VoiP aspect has improved.

When I was born I was so suprised I didn't talk for 18 months

 

[BadFrog]

Lol yup thats NICE! A lil pun intended. Their equipment will do what you are looking for but the support on their end is lacking imo.

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[jerichardson]

Pardon my newb-ness but are you saying that Call Manager has this function built in or are you saying that the protocols it uses can be taken advantage of with Verint to provide the services that we need?

 

[BadFrog]

I think Call Manager is is the piece they use to playback recorded calls. I think NiceVision is the product that would best suit your needs although its been awhile since I've dealt with them and they may have more to offer now.

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[biglebowski]

Nicevision is a CCTV recording solution and call manager is a VoiP switch made by cisco.

Most vendors can record cisco VoiP but it's the way that the screen recording is integrated into the whole recording solution that makes the difference. I worked for NICE so I know how (little) it actually works.

When I was born I was so suprised I didn't talk for 18 months

 

[jerichardson]

Ok, That clears that up. So, since you worked for NICE, you don't think they have anyting that can do exactly that? I know they said they were developing the product we'd be purchasing, which in itself scares us.

 

[biglebowski]

I left NICE in 2004 and they were still developing it. Ask Verint for a demo of screen recording. If you don't have any luck (after all salesmen are idiots) drop me an email at

biglebowski at vodafone dot net

When I was born I was so suprised I didn't talk for 18 months

 

[tekinesh]

Go to this site:

http://www.calabrio.com

and they will have the exact solutions you are looking for.

Their product is designed to work with Cisco Express and Enterprise ACD solutions. If this is the technology you have, then you do not have to look far.

Hope this helps.