It will not come as a major surprise if I tell you that video surveillance is big business. With 4.2 million CCTV cameras operational in the UK that’s roughly one camera for every 14 people we are the most ‘watched’ country in the Western world.
The benefits that CCTV can realise for society and the business community are well documented. It has made a real difference in cutting crime in our town centres and across the business sector, particularly within the retail, financial and manufacturing arenas.
However, the traditional video tape approach to surveillance does have its downsides, including expensive installation and running costs, easily disposed of and corruptible tapes and poor picture quality that has often impeded prosecutions.
The concept of a fully-converged, multi-application voice and data network has become increasingly compelling over recent years, as IP costs continue to fall and network resilience, performance and quality of service delivery all continue to improve. Adding IP CCTV to the existing network is the next logical step for many businesses, as it not only boosts the scope of surveillance but also centralises security operations and maintenance, eliminates the need for laying additional cables and removes the issue of buying (and then storing) video cassettes.
The economics of IP
The biggest benefit for businesses is that they are simply adding a new application to an already existing system. Adding CCTV to this network further reduces infrastructure costs and improves cost-effectiveness (in addition to the overall Return on Investment).
Many organisations already have in place an IP network infrastructure that serves their telephony and computer networks, Point-of-Sale, ATM and credit card detail acquiring systems, in addition to other key business applications. It’s a simple and low cost process to add a network access point to install a camera and link it with the business network. There are none of the support and re-cabling costs associated with the non-digital alternative. Given the readiness and availability of power-over-Ethernet products, directing power to the devices is easier, too.
Digital surveillance systems have streamlined security management dramatically while also proving an altogether more powerful business tool. IP CCTV has removed the need for a dedicated, on-site security Control Centre and security personnel at every bank, retail outlet or manufacturing base. Instead, a centralised security team can monitor events in real-time across multiple branches and locations even internationally for a more rapid and targeted response when required. This approach also supports flexible and remote working..
Running CCTV over the network infrastructure also eliminates physical videotapes, removing the need for them to be changed and stored on-site (all of which would incur additional costs). With IP CCTV, you can transmit thousands of images in digital format. These can be viewed and then stored off-site, with a manageable impact on the company network.
Another advantage of running surveillance over the IP network is that recording is completed in standard PC formats such as JPEG and MPEG. These are all automatically time-stamped for ease of identification, and easily shared between users.
Cracking down on crime
A key benefit of IP-based CCTV is the flexibility of the digital medium. Images can be distributed to police service or security personnel both quickly and easily, and may also be circulated to multiple branches or locations to ensure a more rapid and pro-active approach to preventing crime.
The IP approach also places CCTV out of reach for the criminal. With images recorded in real-time and then stored securely on the hard drive either on or off-site, they cannot be accessed or tampered with by any intruder. In this way, vital evidence remains untouched and admissible in Court.
Digital surveillance is also playing an important role in securing more criminal convictions for offences such as theft and break-ins. Higher quality digital images and advanced system functionality (such as facial mapping and Automatic Number Plate Recognition) are admissible in Court, and are duly helping businesses to progress with a greater number of prosecutions.
Running IP CCTV over your network infrastructure also enables businesses to adopt a more targeted, event-driven approach to security. IP cameras can be linked-up to key areas within a business like ATMs, Points-of-Sale and entranceways and configured to automatically activate and record when any suspect credit transaction is detected, or when a fire door is opened, for more intelligence-led security.
This ensures that images can be recorded and accessed when an incident occurs, but remain passive when nothing is happening – thus avoiding the unnecessary use of network resources and bandwidth. Remote, targeted monitoring and recording reduces the number of false alarms, and helps to qualify a security situation at an early stage (in turn reducing the need for expensive call-outs to the police service or private security companies).
Profitability and productivity
IP CCTV may possibly spell the end for the security officer watching hours and hours of footage on surveillance screens when nothing is actually happening. Too bad. Official Government statistics have proven that security officers continually watching a Control Room monitor (or bank of monitors) will pick up only 4% of events that occur. If the security officer is being alerted to events as they happen, then they’ll pick up 100%.
IP CCTV also heralds a new approach to security. One which is event-driven, and an effective tool in pro-actively managing and cutting crime.
The simplicity, cost-effectiveness and advanced capabilities of this type of surveillance really do speak for themselves. Isn’t it time you and your organisation opened your eyes to IP?
