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Guide to New Video Surveillance Technology and Uses
How the latest surveillance systems are being used in different ways
By Daniel Kehrer
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Uncommonly
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Dear Dan — As our business has expanded to several locations, it’s gotten harder to keep an eye on things. Surveillance cameras would help for security, but I’m hearing about other uses like monitoring workers as well. Is that possible? — Security Shopper
Dear Security Shopper: Video security systems are increasingly popular as the technology continues to improve and security-conscious small business owners take advantage of the benefits surveillance systems offer. Overall, sales of network video surveillance products and services are expected to grow by over 40 percent this year.
High quality digital video systems are replacing old-style VCR tapes and low-quality surveillance cameras. And motion-sensitive cameras with web-based, high-speed point and click review make it possible to access entire days of recordings in minutes.
With 24/7 live video viewable from any web browser or PDA, small businesses are beginning to think about surveillance systems not just as security, but more as a way to manage many business locations without having to be there.
One firm taking advantage of the trend is EYESthere, a new franchised provider of customized digital video security solutions for business. Rick Rene, CEO, says such services not only help guard property, premises and people, but have become a new type of business tool that entrepreneurs are using to increase efficiency and help them manage more productively.
Web-based solutions, for example, offer much more than security. They can be used to train employees, monitor job performance, and reduce travel costs. “What surprises me the most is how often customers use our cameras when nothing security-related is happening,” says Randy Andrews, who heads product development for EYESthere. “Business owners are discovering things about their businesses that they didn’t know before, such as employee behavior, both good and bad, or efficiency issues.”
Instead of outdated and clunky video tape technology, a digital video recorder (DVR) converts a security camera signal to digital format that can be archived and made available online or through a local area network (LAN).
Cameras can act on motion sensors, eliminating the need to review hours of tapes. And time stamping lets you quickly view almost any event. Systems can also send an email or other notification so you can go online to see what’s happening live.
As businesses become more aware of what digital video technology can do, its uses are spreading rapidly. For example:
- A small deli chain in the Portland, OR area uses a web-based system to observe and evaluate employees. Instead of visiting each store, the manager checks on each location right on his desktop PC.
- A car dealership lets customers watch their cars being serviced via large screens in the waiting area with more than 40 cameras and three servers handling data storage. Managers can get a close-up view of vehicles as they enter the service bay for dent and scratch detection. That’s helped reduce claims that vehicles were damaged while at the facility.
- One restaurant owner fired a waiter who was observed reading a magazine in a hallway while customers waited.
DVR systems can even be integrated with point-of-sale (POS) systems to provide a visual record of transactions, and can easily be searched for instances of voided or unusual transactions. EYESthere customers, for example, can simply double-click on a transaction to bring up the video to show what happened.
Businesses of all sizes are installing DVR surveillance. They range from the car dealership with 40-plus cameras, to small retail outlets with just two or three. Installation costs average about $1,100 per camera, with additional amounts for monthly support and other services.
Cameras are available to fit every business need, from armor-plated equipment to infrared (night vision) cameras, and those with zoom capabilities. Some businesses are even using face-recognition software to either identify VIP customers, or banned patrons.
Rene, the EYESthere CEO, also reports that many business customers like the technology so much, they have it installed at their homes too.
These resources can help:
The official source of New Video Surveillance Technology and Uses is
the Video Security Control Centers page at Business.com
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