Video surveillance working in silos won’t get the user very far. Integrating video with other systems via the video management software can better help the user achieve the kind of efficiency or intelligence they desire.
Needless to say, video surveillance is an important part of a company’s security operations. However, video surveillance working in silos won’t get the user very far. Integrating video with other systems via the video management software can better help the user achieve the kind of efficiency or intelligence they desire.
That was the point raised in a
blog post by eInfochips, which mentions that benefits of a video management software integrated with other systems are manifold.
“The new-age VMS systems with intelligent video analytics are capable of offering much more than surveillance,” the post said. “The cloud-based VMS systems not only fulfill comprehensive surveillance needs of the businesses, but also complement other business processes, which may directly or indirectly reflect into the business ROI.”
Related post: What to expect from VMS for CCTV in 2021
Systems that can integrate with video
According to the post, a video surveillance system can integrate with other security systems via today’s VMS. These include the following:
Access control devices:
Integration between video and access control provides various benefits. “Integration of VMS with access control devices allows users to monitor, control and analyze the multiple access points in real time, track the number of times access granted by the devices and react immediately in case of any event is triggered," the post said.
Fire and smoke detectors: Integration between fire/smoke detectors and video are ideal for verification and response. “An integrated fire alarm system with VMS allows a user to quickly identify and view the location of the fire alert. A quick response to such an emergency can help in saving lives and business assets,” the post said.
Video analytics for security and surveillance: According to the post, video analytics in a VMS solution are a result of the structured algorithm of the software and many times inbuilt functionality of the devices connected to the VMS system. “Video analytics for security and surveillance can be motion detection, perimeter protection, object detection, face recognition and people counting,” it said.
Different applications
According to the post, the integration between video and other systems has security as well as non-security applications. Examples include the following.
Retail
One example is
smart retail. VMS can integrate with retail systems, for example point of sale systems, barcode scanners and retail video analytics, to prevent loss as well as improve the customer experience. “A VMS application monitoring every action of the customers or store employees at the POS can be very helpful in generating the recorded evidence in case of any conflict of interest between employees and customers,” it said.
Fleet management
VMS combined with fleet management applications, for example engine diagnostics systems, can enhance management as well as keep drivers safe. “Engine health is a critical factor in improving the efficiency of the vehicles in the fleets. Plug-and-play devices integrated with the fleet management and VMS systems allow admin to monitor true engine speed, mileage, battery life, engine hours and emissions,” the post said.
City surveillance
According to the post, video can integrated with various third-party systems to enhance city surveillance. These include traffic signals, license plate recognition and interactive maps, among others. “IP cameras installed at traffic signals constantly monitor the traffic flow with respect to changing traffic signals. In case of an accident, law enforcement agencies can quickly analyze the severity of the incident and can accordingly coordinate with emergency services to act,” it said. “In case of traffic jams or congestions, situations can be viewed in real time and traffic lights can be reprogrammed to improve the traffic flows.”