All eyes on CCTV
Video surveillance cameras have undergone a rapid transformation over the last 10 years. Cameras that leverage the network, called Internet Protocol or IP, have made significant inroads into becoming the preferred solution over analog CCTV that doesn’t have the same network connectivity and smarts.
However, if you have analog cameras, which may still be suitable for smaller applications, they now can reap some of the advantages of network connectivity, with the addition of hardware such as encoders that take the signal and digitize it for the network. So for those customers with legacy or older analog cameras, there’s not always the need to ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’ and Hoosier Security can help you use what you have more efficiently. There’s also the possibility of replacing one or two of the cameras you may be using, rather than a total rip and replace, while you plan and budget for a systematic migration to all IP in the future. It’s your decision and Hoosier has the expertise to address the current infrastructure and how to make the most of it.
Cameras for home and office
IP cameras continue to drop in price while adding all kinds of functionality that may benefit your home or business. At home, IP cameras can be used at entrances and exits and alert owners when children arrive from school or watch a pet that needs extra care. They’re also good for keeping an eye on elderly parents, infants, and their caregivers, with images, piped to connected devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers. With IP technology, you’re virtually there.
Cameras can also be used to watch areas of the home like a basement prone to flooding, or the same or other areas during extended absences or vacations. They may be integrated with water or temperature sensors and when an alarm, trigger surveillance for an immediate image of what’s happening.
At the office or business, surveillance is also perfect for entrances and exits, especially those without a receptionist. In this way, once a visitor approaches a door, a motion detector can trigger the video, which sounds an alert and the accompanying image can be viewed on a computer or other connected device from inside the premises. There, workers can make the decision whether or not to open the entrance or greet the visitor personally.
Video surveillance can also include onboard analytics, perfect for retail operations. Heat mapping, a common type of analytic, provides users with graphics that indicate the routes patrons took during their store visit, or, with an analytic known as dwell time, how long a customer lingered at a display. Another handy application with analytics notifies management when checkout lines have blossomed, so they can bring more cashiers to assist. All these applications and more bring business intelligence to a video that users can parlay into better operations management and customer service to benefit the bottom line.
IP cameras can be wireless, installed without cabling, or hardwired, which means they require a wired infrastructure. Wireless cameras have become more robust and have signal strength to penetrate concrete structures or noisy environments like manufacturing plants. They have safeguards that include encryption and authentication to prevent a hacking and malicious takeover.
Video surveillance continues to progress and now includes the highest resolutions ever and 4K imaging technology that results in positive identification in physical security and the ability to pinpoint details in manufacturing or other processes. Cameras also include those with 360 degrees of coverage so you can use one unit to cover a large expansive area, such as a parking lot. For outdoor applications, infrared imaging is now on board cameras so even in the darkest spaces movement can be determined, tracked and recorded. There’s an option for every customer, business, and vertical market.
Hoosier Security can work with you to decide the best plan of action to make the most of
video surveillance technology today and in the future. Contact us today to learn more: 317-644-0570.
