"We decided to embrace digital cameras and a number of tenders came in. A digital video network system suited our vision of a new security monitoring center. We planned to build to a specific room to contain our hardware and software - full digital, with fiber-optic cables and QOL iT helped us get the job done in three weeks."

Dechaineux opted for a fully digital, Internet Protocol-based surveillance system from Canon.

The airport's solution - which involves 15 Canon network video cameras and VK-64 Network Video Recorder software - offers a fine example of how physical security and IT security continue to converge. Previously, Dechaineux spent 22 years at Sydney airport, most recently as standards manager, a role that saw him heavily involved with the safety and operational aspects of the aircraft movement area.

However, he says that implementing the network video monitoring system taught him first-hand how today's security technologies require knowledge of both IT and physical security environments to run effectively.

The system has now been running for about six months and the security room is operational.