Diverse clients and powerful solutions

Several of the clients we serve are world-famous. Others are small, but also innovative, and open to new technologies that will enable them to reach a wider audience. Every client is unique, and we welcome the challenge inherent in that. Thrive on it, actually. Here at Camzone, our can-do attitude can best be summed up in these three words: Bring it on.

elephant

World-Famous San Diego Zoo and Safari Park

With more than 250,000 member households and 130,000 child memberships representing more than a half million people, The San Diego Zoo has the largest zoological membership in the world. Located just north of downtown San Diego in Balboa Park, the 100-acre Zoo is home to over 4,000 rare and endangered animals as well as a botanical collection consisting of more than 700,000 exotic plants.

The Challenge

The San Diego Zoo wanted to create an online live-video experience that would keep website visitors coming back. The animals had to be in clear view of the cameras at all times to ensure a positive viewing experience. If animals wander out of frame, viewers are also likely to wander off – and away from the site.

The Solution

Camzone's software development team created a customized admin portal that allows volunteers behind the scenes to login and control the cameras. Whether at home or at the zoo's research facilities, volunteers are not only able to pan, tilt, and zoom, Camzone's software also gives them the ability to select the best camera feeds to send live to the web.

The Results

In the world of live animal webcams, The San Diego Zoo towers – well, giraffe-like – over the rest. For more than a decade Camzone has served this popular San Diego attraction with live video-streaming of the life-and-times of its pandas, polar bears, elephants, and chimps to millions of viewers around the world. www.sandiegozoo.org

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shamu

SeaWorld, San Diego

With more than 100 million visitors since its opening in 1964, SeaWorld is San Diego's leading tourist attraction and one of the most popular marine parks in the world. Occupying 189 acres on beautiful Mission Bay Park, SeaWorld is known for spectacular animal shows, interactive attractions, aquariums, rides, beautiful landscaping, dining facilities and education programs for all ages.

The Challenge

SeaWorld wanted to bring live video of Shamu, the killer whale, to the web (www.shamu.com), providing visitors with a first-hand look at Shamu and other whales. One of the primary concerns with a live camera in the Shamu enclosure was that the public might witness an accident or unexpected encounter between trainer and whale. SeaWorld also wanted web visitors from other time zones to be able to view the video even when it was nighttime in San Diego.

The Solution

Camzone's LiveHD Delay supports a unique time-delayed broadcast feature that addresses these needs. Camzone's LiveHD content-delivery network records the live video from Shamu's pool each day during daylight hours, then streams the delayed video out to the web. This gives SeaWorld plenty of time to alter their streaming if something happens to warrant it. This daily recorded video is also played back when the camera would otherwise be dark at night, giving visitors from Europe and other parts of the world the opportunity to experience the underwater world of Shamu.

The Results

The Shamu cam has been a great resource for driving traffic to the Shamu website and allowing the public to gain a greater awareness of orca whales and the SeaWorld parks. This SeaWorld cam has been in continuous operation for over 10 years with little to no downtime. And the events broadcast over the web have all been positive and typical of Shamu's day-to-day life at the park. Occasionally the time delay has been used to provide a previous day's video of the whales during times when the pool was unoccupied due to cleaning or maintenance. The LiveHD Delay feature allows for interesting and exciting use of the camera, while eliminating the risk of capturing an unexpected event. Additionally, the non-time-delayed video can be remotely accessed by authorized users, allowing employees or trainers to monitor whale behavior even when they are away from the park.

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sdcll

San Diego County Public Law Library

Since 1891, The San Diego County Public Law Library has served the legal community and citizens of San Diego with a collection of legal works and reference materials that has steadily grown. In 1958 the library opened its doors at its current site on 1105 Front Street, serving the community well for more than five decades. But with changes in technology and the ongoing growth of the library's collection, a needed renovation began in January 2011.

The Challenge

The Library wanted to create a website that offered not only information about the library's renovation, but one that also presented viewers and donors with an interactive opportunity to watch its progress in real time.

The Solution

Taking advantage of Camzone's LiveHD streaming service, the library opted for two HD webcams that have enabled them to integrate live high-resolution video with audio into their site. Now website visitors are not only able to see construction happening in real-time; they can also hear the hammers pounding and the saws whirring. At the same time, the library is taking advantage of Camzone's remote image archiving. Using the same cameras, Camzone's network pulls high resolution images every 10 minutes and stores them remotely. These images will later be compiled to create a time-lapse movie of the renovation process.

The Results

The live HD webcams have created content on the library's site that changes constantly. That fact has been instrumental in drawing viewers to the site like never before. And that increase in website traffic and interest has played a significant role in helping to raise funds for the renovation. In addition, the HD cams are archiving the renovation of a building that has played a large part in San Diego's history.

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osprey

Osprey Cam

Found on all continents except Antarctica, the osprey is sometimes known as "the sea hawk." These birds are often spotted near water hunting fish.  At one time, they nested widely across North America until contamination with the pesticide DDT led to population decrease, followed by their disappearance as a breeding species in Southern California. Since the ban on the use of DDT within the United States, the osprey's numbers have rebounded. In 1997 ospreys nested in San Diego County for the first time since 1912. By 2000, two pairs were nesting successfully in the county, and the numbers have grown.

The Challenge

A dedicated naturalist approached Camzone with a desire to bring live video of the nesting birds to the web.  The challenge was how to bring quality video and audio with an up-close view.  Knowing these airborne hunters typically nest on top of trees or on man-made structures high off the ground and away from predators, we were faced with designing an out-of-the-ordinary solution. 

The Solution

After educating ourselves on the nesting habits of the osprey, we developed a plan that incorporated a thirty-foot-tall tower, a custom-fabricated nesting platform, and an environmentally-housed outdoor HD webcam permanently mounted with the proper field of view and an external microphone. Taking into consideration the coastal environment and the size of the surface area needed for the customized nesting platform, the tower had to be built to withstand possible corrosion from the salty air and excessive swaying due to strong coastal winds.

The Results

With the up-close – bird's-eye, actually – view of the nest, The Live Osprey Cam streams sights and sounds few have seen or heard before. As a web-based application, the live video is available anywhere in the world, including schools. Combined with Camzone's video-recording features, the solution doubles as a research tool, allowing scientists to learn more about these magnificent flying fishermen.

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evans

Evans Hotels

With three beautiful properties in sunny San Diego, California, Evans Hotels is considered one of the premier providers of resort accommodations. Founded in 1953, Evans Hotels currently owns and operates three properties: the Catamaran Resort Hotel, the Bahia Resort Hotel and the Lodge at Torrey Pines.

The Challenge

With the desire to keep room occupancy rates as high as possible, the marketing group for Evans Hotels continues to seek innovative and creative approaches to achieve this goal. In this day and age of technology and information, the resorts' websites have proven to be the #1 tool for booking reservations. The challenge the hotel group faced was driving more eyes to their websites.

The Solution

Taking advantage of Camzone's LiveHD streaming technology, Evans Hotels installed Pan Tilt Zoom cameras at each of its resorts. Using Camzone's wait-in-line feature for camera control, at-home viewers, when it's their turn in line, are able to "play director" and move the camera to take in the whole scene or check out the weather. With these cameras and this feature, thousands of potential customers are able to "visit" the Evans resorts online - simultaneously, and in real time.

The Results

Since the integration of the live webcams seven years ago, marketing continues to see growth year after year in the number of visits to the website. In fact, the live webcam pages are the ones visited most often on the resort sites. For this reason, the marketing group has taken a creative approach in using the space around the live video to market special events and resort promotions. The end result has been increased occupancy. In a tough economy which has greatly impacted tourism, every edge counts.

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chopper8

Chopper 8 News

Owned and operated by Westwood One, a media company based outside of San Diego, the Chopper 8 News helicopter can be seen flying above this Southern California city every morning and afternoon, transmitting live HD video for local news stations. For over a decade now, Chopper 8 has launched at a moment's notice, reporting traffic and breaking-news stories. With the ability to be on the scene anywhere in San Diego County in under 15 minutes, the electronic news gathering (ENG) helicopter proves a tremendous asset in the fast-paced world of broadcast news.

The Challenge

To efficiently operate and manage the video feeds from the helicopter, Westwood One's staff on the ground needed to be able to view that video in real-time.

The Solution

Thanks to Camzone's iBroadcast suite of software and LiveHD streaming services, the people at Westwood One and the company's news affiliates are now able to watch LiveHD video from any computer connected to the Internet. The solution not only serves as a camera-management tool, but also allows for simultaneous streaming of the live helicopter video to the web.

The Results

Leaving the helicopter in the air only long enough to get the story and return to the ground reduces expenses. And with costs of over $900 per hour to operate the helicopter, Westwood One now counts on Camzone's services to make the best and most cost-effective use of Chopper 8 and its cameras. But that's not the only advantage. Camzone's services have also created another source of revenue for the client. Previously, Westwood One was only able to sell the live broadcast feed for on-air purposes. With Camzone's LiveHD streaming services, the news company is now also able to sell its Internet video content for web-based applications.

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