Jamie
Upgrading your organization’s video surveillance system is a big job, and it’s vital to make the right decision. All too often, organisations only replace their existing system when their current one has experienced an issue — only to then install a replacement that has the very same weaknesses.
As anyone who has looked for video surveillance systems will know, there’s no shortage of options on the market. They’ll also know that the gap between so-so surveillance systems and the best ones is wide.
With that in mind, we thought it’d be a good idea to put together a few handy questions site managers can ask when looking at video surveillance systems. Once you’ve got the answers to these questions, you should find that the number of options left is significantly smaller.
Can You View the Footage Remotely?
Video surveillance footage used to be recorded onto tape, which meant you had to be on-site to view the recordings. Modern video surveillance systems allow for remote viewing, both of live feeds and recorded footage.
This is especially important for assessing after-hours incidents when security personnel may not be on-site — with the right system in place, they can securely access the footage via their mobile device.
Does It Offer Automated Alerts?
Many organizations still rely on live human monitoring of their video feeds, but that’s rarely a fully effective system. For large organizations with multiple sites, it’s inevitable that things get missed.
The best video surveillance management systems provide automated alerts during suspicious activity, offering another layer of confidence that your site is being closely monitored. In some cases, surveillance systems can also notify security teams, ensuring that incidents are responded to more quickly.
Will It Speak To Your Other Security Tools?
The video surveillance system is one part of a broader security system, including door access control and alarm systems. A good video surveillance system can interconnect with an organisation’s other systems, which helps to provide a fuller picture, more quickly.
This feature does more than simply keep your site safe today. It also makes it safer in the future. Integration-friendly systems will allow you to add new tools or systems later down the line, if necessary, without having to replace the whole system.
Does It Need To Be Multi-Location, Now Or In The Future?
Most organisations make their decisions based on their current needs, but things can change. If they do, and the video surveillance system they chose is no longer capable of providing security, then the organisation will have no option other than to undertake an expensive refit.
Assessing whether the organisation might add more locations or have more advanced needs in the future can help inform the decision-making process.
For example, some businesses that plan to expand will find that working with a provider that allows for hybrid or fully-cloud surveillance systems is recommended, since that’ll allow them to effortlessly expand their security. Ultimately, the best systems are the ones that’ll grow or change with your business; they should be fully scalable.
