Let’s briefly talk about reasons to invest in a video surveillance system, and some specific applications.
The first
thing that comes to mind is security,
but you may also want to consider a video surveillance system to increase productivity and enhance personnel management.
Video Surveillance for Security
Large and
small organizations need to protect their personnel and physical assets. It is
incumbent upon management to do that in the most efficient way possible: taking
into consideration the cost to install the system and the cost to have someone
use the system.
If you
invest in video surveillance for security, ideally, someone is going to be
watching those cameras night and day. We talk about using live video to
identify incidents as they happen, and using recorded video as forensic
evidence to prove what happened after the fact. Analytics such as motion
detection can focus the person’s attention in real time, and make it easier to
find incidents in recorded video.
But how
do you actively secure your personnel and assets while controlling expenses?
Think in
terms of image quality and how many cameras are needed to provide the desired
level of detail.
The
exciting thing about cameras with higher and higher resolution is the ability
to use fewer cameras to cover the same
area. We call this cost savings
through a reduction of cameras. (For examples, 2.1 megapixel STAR-LIGHT single-sensor
HD Coax™ cameras or 2.1 megapixel, 4 megapixel and 5 megapixel MEGApix® single-sensor
IP cameras).
HIGH
RESOLUTION: Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that camera reduction is as
easy as applying the calculation of 2+2=4. In other words, you might say to
yourself that a 2.1 megapixel camera should be able to replace 2.7 VGA resolution cameras when you
do the math to compare total resolution. That math may work for some
applications, but design consultants (Architects & Engineers or A&Es)
can help you look at the whole area to be covered and show you where it makes
sense to use fewer cameras and where it would be inefficient.
Please
allow me to be another voice recommending the use of professionals to design
and install your system. System is the operative word. How many cameras will be
needed and how much storage will be required? Experience counts. Experience
saves time and money.
MULTIPLE CAMERAS IN ONE: In addition to higher resolution single sensor cameras, a tremendous modern innovation is the multi-sensor camera. These gems entered the market as multi-sensor solutions to provide 180-degree and 360-degree views in fixed configurations (STAR-LIGHT PANO™ Three Sensor HD-Analog Cameras or MEGApix® PANO™ 48 Megapixel Four-Sensor Cameras and 6 Megapixel Three-Sensor IP Cameras).
Today,
those multiple sensors have been freed from their fixed configurations to
become user-configurable, literally making it possible to have four independent
cameras in one housing. You can set up those sensors for a traditional
panoramic view if desired, or you can point them at independent scenes. In IP
applications, you still get the advantage of multiple sensors as a single network
connection and only one license needed to record the feeds in popular video
management software (like DW Spectrum® IPVMS). Additionally, DW®®
multiple sensor HD Coax™ cameras provide multiple BNC connections plus a bonus
stitched-view BNC feed.
EFFICIENT
SYSTEM DESIGN: You can condense everything I have said to this point as
follows: apply video surveillance for 1. general surveillance (wide areas) and 2.
choke points. That is what security operators should be watching.
Using an open-air
shopping mall as an example, a high-resolution camera or multi-sensor camera
can provide a view of the entire area, and additional cameras can be positioned
to provide constant detailed views of shop entrances and entrances to the mall
(choke points -- places where people congregate).
As
another example, for a parking lot application, you can monitor the whole thing
and apply individual cameras to capture license plates at the entrances and
exits.
Today, it
is possible for a security operator to watch multiple scenes on one or two HD
monitors, providing an overall view and additional windows with the choke
points. When suspicious activity is noticed in the wide view, attention can
instantly be directed to the appropriate choke point camera or digitally zoom
into the high resolution wide angle or multi-sensor camera feed. Some VMS software
(like DW Spectrum® IPVMS) allows you to instantly create multiple
detailed scenes from a single high-resolution camera view. A pan-tilt-zoom
(PTZ) speed dome can also easily be applied to follow the live action.
It is all
about doing more with less, whether it be the lower cost of using fewer cameras
(and so fewer recording licenses, less cabling and installation/maintenance
costs), or reduced personnel costs.
Video Surveillance for Productivity
We live
in a time when companies must get the most from their employees in order to
survive, let alone prosper. How can surveillance cameras make employees more
productive?
I gave
one example earlier by explaining how a single security operator can monitor
multiple cameras (one person securing a large area).
We have
come to take automation for granted, but the reality is that those fine-tuned
systems must be monitored constantly. We can choose to believe that someone
pushes a button and a million sandwich cookies are baked, assembled, packaged
and boxed, but the reality is that someone is always watching to make sure that
each part of the process is happening correctly.
Video
surveillance can be applied for fewer people to oversee multiple processes.
Analytics can be further applied to alert when things are not running as expected,
reducing personnel and personal error.
Video Surveillance for Personnel Management
There are
many who believe that the most effective style of personnel management is
“management by walking around.” It is hard to argue with that. But how many
companies have the luxury of hiring managers whose only responsibility is to “watch
those guys.”
By
applying video surveillance, a manager can remain in his or her office pounding
away at reports and correspondence while simultaneously monitoring the actions
of the employees. Mix in a little walking around and you have a hybrid system
for management where everyone is more productive.
Oh, and
analytics can be used to alert the manager when expected activity has stopped.
A Solid Foundation
How are
you going to manage and record the video from your cameras?
You can
have it all – feature-rich, powerful and easy to use.
For your
coaxial infrastructure, choose a DVR that will handle all of today’s analog and
HD Coax™ standards with the storage capacity you need. Something like a VMAX
A1™ Universal HD over Coax™ digital video recorder with one of the industry’s
most popular user interfaces and remote management software, Pivot™.
For small
IP systems, you want an NVR that can natively support PoE for single cable
power and data transmission, and can set itself up in minutes, automatically
finding and monitoring all of your cameras. Something like a VMAX IP Plus™ PoE
network video recorder with one of the industry’s most popular user interfaces
and remote management software, Pivot™. It also lets you use your smartphone or
tablet as a mobile surveillance camera.
For the
ultimate in future-proof video surveillance system design, choose a server and
recording platform that has all the bells and whistles and the ability to grow
with you. Something like high-capacity Blackjack™ servers running DW Spectrum®
IPVMS.
Summary
Instead of looking at video surveillance as “the cost of doing business,” my suggestion is to look to video surveillance as a way to REDUCE THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.