Watch Your Customer’s Back With Remote Video
Leaps in technology and affordability associated with video, networking and mobile devices have greatly expanded the feasibility, demand and opportunities of remotely viewed surveillance video. Learn the steps to bring your clients the solutions they need to more effectively manage safety and operations.
How can you help your customers defy the laws of physics and be in two places at once? With simple remote video solutions. These video surveillance applications can make your customers’ business operations more efficient and perhaps streamline maintenance responses. ©iStockphoto.com/Lise Gagne
4 Primary Ways to View Remotely
The next step is gaining a basic understanding of the four different methods commonly used for remote video monitoring. Granted there are many other approaches, just not within the scope of this article. Let’s look at them in more detail:
1. The view only method is virtually real-time, but does not involve any recording. The IP video camera was born to deliver on this task, allowing you to leverage an Internet connection to view one or multiple cameras from just about anywhere. This is truly a “many-to-many” video application where you can view multiple video images from myriad places without hardware or software limitations. Typically this is browser-based and very intuitive to use requiring virtually no training, and also cost effective and not technically very demanding on set-up and installation.
2. The view and record on the camera method allows you to do everything above, plus record a limited amount of video based on the size of the storage card bought for the camera (typically $75-$150). Based on the camera capabilities, processing power, resolution and frame rate settings, this method typically provides a limited amount of video data but can still be cost effective and just a little more technically challenging to install. This solution limits bandwidth consumption while preserving high quality video for short periods of time. The higher end this solution can also incorporate video analytics that are matched to specific camera performance parameters. In general, this can improve the validity of using video analytics.
3. The view and record on a network appliance with storage method uses either an onsite appliance (managed) or offsite (hosted) provided by a systems integrator or third-party service. Where the recording will actually take place will impact the cost, options and system commitment; just like buying a computer. The hosted model starts to offer end users the freedom from hardware purchase, software, maintenance and up-front investment costs, and delivers video without some of the headaches. The real questio
n is where/who manages the hardware and storage.
4. View and record video using a turnkey hosting service, commonly referred to as video surveillance as a service (VSaaS), is based on the software as a service (SaaS) business model with a couple of twists. As a competent systems integrator make sure your team is trained on how remote site video equipment is installed, configured and tested between the camera and hosting service.
Remember, any remote video solution begins with asking yourself, “How will this help my customer’s business?” Secondly, consider using “remote viewing” as a way to introduce your customers to the benefits of video technology.
Paul Boucherle, Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Certified Sherpa Coach (CSC), is principal of Canfield, Ohio-based Matterhorn Consulting. He has more than 30 years of diverse security and safety industry experience.
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About the Author
Paul Boucherle, SSI Contributor
Paul C. Boucherle, Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Certified Sherpa Coach (CSC), is Security Sales & Integration’s “Business Fitness” columnist. A principal of Matterhorn Consulting, he has more than 30 years of diverse security and safety industry experience including UL central station operations, risk-vulnerability assessments, strategic security program design and management of industry convergence challenges. Boucherle has successfully guided top-tier companies in achieving enhanced ROI resulting from improved sales and operational management techniques. He is a charismatic speaker and educator on a wide range of critical topics relating to the security industry of today and an accomplished corporate strategist and marketer whose vision and expertise in business performance have driven notable enterprise growth in the security industry sector.
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