Real-time monitoring and securing of assets, both centrally-located and remote, is an important part of any business operation and companies have been increasingly turning toward digital video technology to address this need. However, it appears that many are not utilizing the full potential of their surveillance systems in their premises.
Real-time monitoring and securing of assets, both centrally-located and remote, is an important part of any business operation and companies have been increasingly turning toward digital video technology to address this need. However, it appears that many are not utilizing the full potential of their surveillance systems in their premises.
In a recent study that was cited by Forbes insights in the
Avigilon white paper, over fifty percent of businesses that were surveyed reported that majority of their assets were not being monitored by their video surveillance systems, largely due to their remote locations.
Remote Surveillance Monitoring Challenges
In traditional surveillance systems, video feeds from cameras deployed in various locations are streamed to a central management site where authorities will then view the footage. But this can result in several issues related to bandwidth and the overall management of the system.
Bandwidth Constraints
Transmitting large amounts of video can be tricky as they require higher bandwidths. Bandwidth limitations can cause issues like video latency and drops in the rate at which these videos are being processed; thus, compromising the quality of the images. This could be an important factor for companies as the above-mentioned study also found that majority of companies would not employ security personnel at sites that are guarded by video surveillance systems.
According to the white paper, a good way to resolve this is by local recording. For low resolution systems, this can be done on the cameras itself. But for higher resolution systems that would require more storage space, it would be advisable to invest in a local recorder. As recorders allow for local video management, this would significantly decrease the amount of data needed to be streamed centrally and maintain data integrity.
Video analytics software coupled with intelligent recorders deployed in these local sites can also aid in decreasing the bandwidth and storage space required. Additionally, by tagging videos with related metadata, authorities wouldn't need to spend time scanning through hours of footage in order to search for specific events.
Remote Management of Multiple Devices
In order for any surveillance system to run smoothly, system administrators should ensure that all of the equipment are up to date with the latest firmware. This is difficult to do, though, if the system involved is spread over a number of remote sites.
Companies are advised then to install a system that can allow for simultaneous uploading of software updates from one central location to all connected devices. This central management arrangement will not only ensure that any problems occurring within the system can be easily detected and managed by the administrators, it also empowers them with the ability to remotely manage user access to all related sites and devices.
As companies are always on the lookout for more cost-efficient ways to secure their premises and assets, the need for better video surveillance systems that can provide remote access and management will continue to rise. These systems are gradually incorporating the use of devices at the local sites in order to handle issues such as high storage and transmission requirements, as well as make it easier and less time-consuming for companies to maintain these systems, both centrally and remotely located.