It’s safe to say from the volumes of video footage available online today, that cameras aren’t always enough of a deterrent for criminals and that many breaches still occur whether or not there is a visible camera on premises.
One of the possible reasons for this is that cameras don’t always mean a quick response time and, often, criminals know that they have a window period before they are spotted on screen by someone in a control room. Add to this the fact that many cameras aren’t actively monitored and merely record activity, or that criminals may have help ‘from the inside,’ and cameras are not always as effective as they are intended to be.
IP cameras can change this trend. Many of the models available today have built-in functionality, enabled by IP, that allow for faster response times and can even be preventative.
Fast and accurate
IP cameras often have the capability of being able to analyse incoming images and data, and detect anomalies in set patterns immediately. This in turn allows the camera to act as the first responder, sending off an alert to designated systems and personnel in order to promptly respond to the disturbance.
This decentralised camera setup enables cameras to do most of the work, reducing the need for manned control rooms, which also helps to minimise the risk of collusion and corruption. With the cameras analysing data in real time against a backdrop of set patterns and pre-determined allowances, there is also less room for error.
It is easy for a person in a control room to miss an incident when his or her attention is drawn away from the screen. However, if the camera reacts to a breach of acceptable pattern, it can immediately send out an alert, which can be reacted to instantaneously. Additional functionality such as facial recognition can also be enabled to further enhance security provision and allow for better accuracy of alerts.
For example, if the camera monitors employee access, it could pick up when certain employees access the premises outside of permissible hours, or deviate from their typical access patterns, and send the appropriate alert. This could potentially highlight deviant patterns and behaviours, and activate an immediate response.
Data analysis
IP cameras are typically connected into a network. Using a central database of stored information, cameras can operate individually and together to identify patterns and pattern deviations against the searchable database. This data can be used as a human resources tool to identify employee behaviour, as well as to enable better security.
The cameras can respond automatically based on data patterns, with auto alerts sent to specified people within designated times. This further helps to alleviate typical camera security concerns such as the human error factor and reliability of reporting on activity.
Reducing security costs
We have already mentioned the cost saving on bandwidth by decentralising data analysis and enabling this at the camera, as well as the savings of reducing spend on employees to man a control room, but there are also the ‘invisible’ cost savers to consider.
Targeted alerts based on pattern analysis means that less resources are wasted on sending unnecessary response teams in the event of a false alarm. It also means that the possibility of theft can potentially be prevented, if incongruent employee behaviour is identified early enough. This enables the camera access control system to be preventative rather than merely reactive, allowing for organisations to divert potential threats and save on wasted and lost or stolen money.
Organisations with multiple sites and cameras can also benefit from a phased integration and do not necessarily need to upgrade an entire system in one go to benefit from IP camera functionality. In this way, businesses can benefit from an IP camera network at key points, without spending a fortune on complete upgrades of everything, keeping eyes on the places they’re needed most.
For more information contact Jasco Group, +27 (0)11 266 1500, eckart.zollner@jasco.co.za
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