The operations manager at ePic Australia, Richard Nguyen, confirmed ePic Asia, a joint venture between a Singaporean government-linked security company Cisco and the United States-headquartered ePic International, had to date ordered 1,500 of the Web cameras from Australia for "the SARS project".
Cisco declined to respond to repeated requests from ZDNet Australia for comment on the issue. However, a Cisco official is quoted in overseas reports as citing the fact the camera does not require a personal computer to operate as key to its selection.
Singapore has quarantined more than 2,000 people in their homes under threat of penalties of up to S$10,000 or six months' imprisonment in a bid to contain the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome epidemic. To date, 21 people have died of the disease, while hundreds have been infected.
According to reports, the government has deployed around 500 of the cameras to monitor Singaporeans suspected of coming into contact with the virus.
The reports said the cameras were off most of the time, with quarantined individuals required to present themselves in front of them only after receiving a telephone call from government officials. The quarantine expires in 10 days if those subject to the order do not display any symptoms.
A number of the cameras, manufactured in Sydney on behalf of ePic by publicly-listed electronics contract manufacturer HarTec, had originally been designated for orders in Singapore as well as projects in Australia. However, Nguyen confirmed ePic had had some early warning that the SARS order was coming and factored that into their supply schedule.
Singapore Telecommunications and ePic Asia announced on 29 October last year a partnership to market the cameras and associated Web site under the HomeCam brand in Singapore.
According to promotional material issued at the time, "Unlike other services, which use PC-based Web cameras, HomeCam does not require the camera to be connected to a [personal computer] nor software to be installed.
"Subscribers simply plug the camera into a standard phone line and power outlet.
"Users can easily play back their recorded images or view 'live' images from the camera...via the Internet".
The images are stored on a password-protected ePicWorld Web site, which allows both live and recorded viewing. According to the material, subscribers can be alerted as to the camera's activation by SMS or e-mail image postcards.
Meanwhile, Australian company Macquarie Corporate Telecommunications, which has an office in Singapore, told ZDNet Australia the SARS virus had had "no material effect" on its operations there.
