One way for a bank to ensure its success is to provide good security.
Summary
One way for a bank to ensure its success is to provide good security. That’s why Afriland First Bank, the first bank network in Cameroon, upgraded to the Security Center unified platform. Today, operators monitor over 400 cameras across 40 branches from its headquarters.
The company
Customers want to know their money is in safe hands while bank employees want to feel protected. That’s why Afriland First Bank, the first bank network in Cameroon, monitors its 40 branches from its headquarters in Yaoundé. Having real-time visibility of all locations means its team can quickly handle any situation and keep its employees, customers, and their money safe.
The challenge
In Cameroon, video cannot be accessed at distant sites due to network bandwidth limitations. According to Jean-Paul Yamcheu, Director of Information Systems, “Without a live view on our national operations, the bank was heavily investing in local security guards to monitor each site. When an incident occurred, they would phone our headquarters to report the situation and eventually get the order to intervene. We lacked responsiveness.”
Results
Today, security staff monitor nearly 400 cameras on five screens at the control center in Yaoundé. Security Center has significantly increased the team’s effectiveness. An eight-person team operates 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, scrolling through video, zooming in on suspect situations, and intervening if necessary.
The previous cameras recorded in MJPEG, a format that requires 6000 to 8000 times more bandwidth than the H.264 cameras managed from Security Center. With Security Center, each camera generates an H.264 video stream of 300 Kbps. When multiplied by three to five cameras per branch, the load becomes manageable on Cameroon's national network which offers a speed of 2 Mbps to 10 Mbps between cities.
The solution
Open to H.264 video streaming
Security Center supports a variety of cameras. This includes the most advanced models that compress images and consume less bandwidth which is critical for real-time viewing in Cameroon.
Ease of centralized monitoring
Over 400 cameras across 40 branches monitored from the headquarters. With real-time visibility from one central location, there’s no longer a need to have security staff at every site.
Efficient incident response
The system’s ease of use is a critical element that helps the bank’s operators manage incidents as they happen.
Improved customer service
Real-time video surveillance allows operators to keep watch for long bank lines. When a branch gets busy, they call local management and ask them to put more agents at the counters.