The world of security and in particular CCTV, is a rapidly developing industry, one which many will find hard to keep up with. There will be companies offering older solutions, claiming it to be the latest in technology and others claiming quality of footage is everything. It can be hard to work out what is right for you or your business security needs. Is CCTV enough? Do you need an alarm? How do I manage access to my sites and subsequent rooms, doors or gates within them?
You aren’t alone in trying to navigate this crowded marketplace, where hundreds of companies are looking for your attention, all believing their solution to be the best one. How do you focus your efforts to find the right one? Employ a consultant? Research manufacturers yourself? All of these things might be the right choice, but ultimately your own requirements are key. Let’s dive into those a little deeper.
What does your security system need to do?
It is important to ask yourself the above question, because if you don’t know the answer, you are likely to end up with something not suitable for the job and will find yourself replacing it sooner than you would have liked to.
Ask yourself these questions:
- How long do I need to store footage for?
- How many cameras will I need?
- What is your budget?
- Do I need to control access to certain areas?
- Do I want to have access to footage from anywhere?
- Do I have multiple locations to cover?
- Do I need to know the status of my security systems at all times?
- What are my MUST HAVE features?
- What are my DREAM FEATURES? (think big, so much more is possible than you think)
- Am I managing vehicle access or wanting to monitor vehicles at sites?
- Do I need to manage the level of access to the system by user?
- Does my CCTV need to integrate with other security such as Access Control or Environment Sensors?
Once you know the answers to these questions and anything else you feel is relevant, you can then start to refine your search for the system that fits your needs. If you want help with this, get in touch with us and one of our experts will advise you based on your specifics.
What is possible in 2022?
Technology in all sectors is progressing at an exponential rate, none more so than the world of CCTV and cloud based software solutions.
There are a few companies out there who are combining these two things to create some stunning solutions that integrate seamlessly with your business or lifestyle, with minimum fuss and maximum peace of mind.
Below are a list of features you can utilise across one system easily and cost effectively:
- Smarter motion alerts
- People Alerts
- Vehicle Alerts
- Facial Recognition
- Have a database of faces spotted on site
- Mark faces as People of Interest and be alerted to their presence
- Number plate tracking
- Have a record of number plates that have visited your sites
- Mark vehicles as number plates you want to be alerted to when they arrive
- Search for footage based on descriptions
- Search for people based on the colour of clothing or if they appear male/female
- Search for vehicles based on body type and colour
- Avoid having to have large servers or Digital Video Recorders by having built in storage per camera, up to 365 days of footage each.
- Be alerted to cameras going offline
- Have instant alerts with associated footage when someone opens a door on site
- Have an integrated and monitored alarm solution utilising all sensors and cameras installed on site
These features are all available to utilise at the same time, but depending on your requirements, the system you need may differ from someone else’s. We can help you to choose and guide you through the process of sourcing a security solution/platform.
Is my system future proof?
Nobody can say for sure what will be available in 3, 5, 10 years, but there are solutions out there that will make sure you are as future proof as possible. If you choose a cloud based solution, the software will be updated on a constant basis, always squeezing the maximum potential from the hardware you have, introducing new and improved features for you to use instantly, normally with no additional cost.
Customisation
A lot of these systems are customiseable, using built in API (Application Programming Interface), allowing you to use the data collected by these systems to trigger custom events on third party software. This is particularly useful when integrating your security with highly specific software and hardware. The possibilities are endless.
What is the best CCTV System?
In our opinion, the best CCTV solutions depend on your needs, but if you want a system that does it all and is constantly improving, even after you’ve installed it, then we would recommend a cloud based solution, such as Verkada, or Rhombus (both of which we are partnered with). To get a demo direct from Verkada and their experts, join us on our next joint Webinar and get a FREE YETI MUG worth £25.00! Just click the link below and signup with your work email address and attend the webinar.
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