Real-Time Analytics Becomes a Viable Option for Small Businesses

Real-time video analytics, such as heat mapping, can provide business intelligence for small- to midsize businesses.

Video analytics and other software tools that provide business intelligence are beginning to find their way in to small commercial applications.

The reason is twofold: 1) The pricing model is much more favorable than it was several years ago; 2) the analytics finally work better and are more refined.

For a small retail customer, for instance, real-time analytics can now be performed relatively cost effectively and add the type of value installing security contractors can leverage to separate what is left of any price increase in a cost comparison between IP vs. analog.

RELATED: 10 Factors to Analyze Today’s Video Analytics Options

With an IP-based or hybrid system in place, end users are able to consider various types of analytics and business intelligence tools. It could be as simple as enhanced motion detection around certain areas of concern, such as a back door into an alleyway.

“If they have an intrusion system, they may want to get additional verification of break-ins or some other type of intrusion alarm and set that up in the store on a schedule so it’s afterhours,” says Steve Carney of Tyco Security Products, director, product management, video.

Heat mapping is an analytic that can be used to determine the amount of foot traffic in monitored areas that can be used for commercial purposes. A small retailer can very easily understand traffic patterns and gain operational insight. For example, a high-margin product could be stocked where traffic is maximized.

“That camera is gathering the data. It’s one click of the button and you see a heat map rendered on that image,” Carney says. “It demos very well from a salesperson standpoint and can deliver a lot of information at a pretty low cost to an end user.”

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