As a business owner, you undoubtedly realize that video surveillance is valuable for a number of reasons; it can deter crime, capture vandalism or theft to aid in recovery and prosecution, and increase employee productivity.
Live monitoring of these systems requires an additional person, or several, to continuously monitor the camera feeds. Alternatively, the camera feed can be recorded for later review. There are severe limitations with both of these methods, and these can be alleviated with the use of video surveillance with analytics.
What is video surveillance with analytics?
Video Analytics: Video Analytics, is a generic term that describes computerized processing of video streams. The term Video Analytics is typically associated with surveillance system video streams and the tasks it can perform range from immediate detection of events to analyzing video to extract data and events.
Simply put, the computer can do the monitoring instead of a person, and the newest technology, called intelligent analytics, has the ability to discern the difference between a human being and trees blowing in the wind, or a small animal. This can make video analytics a lot more effective than people actually sitting in front of monitoring screens. After all, people are human and their attention span and alertness are both limited resources. Not to mention the additional costs incurred for salary and benefits. Research studies have proven that the average person observing video screens stays alert for around 20 minutes—compare that with the boundless energy of a computer!
Why Should You Consider Video Surveillance with Analytics?
- Reduce overhead– Intelligent analytics can help reduce costs for inefficient tasks, waste and spoilage, even employee productivity.
- Increase employee productivity– If your employees are outside smoking or chit-chatting in the break room, while productivity suffers– you need video analytics. Lost productivity means lost revenue and lost profits.
- Ramp up customer service– Are customers promptly greeted in your establishment, or waiting for inappropriate lengths of time? With video analytics, you will know and can react.
- Reduce man hours– Intelligent video analytics can monitor and initiate the proper handling of events.
- Monitor production lines– Manufacturers can benefit from early knowledge of mechanical failures through the use of video analytics.
- Loss control– The first use for intelligent analytics, the system helps eliminate losses from fire, theft, trespassing, vandalism or unauthorized access.
- Quick fire detection– Smoke and flame can be detected early by intelligent analytics, before it can cause significant damage.
- Perimeter control– If people or vehicles break the perimeter set up, they are easily detected by intelligent analytics; and the system can initiate actions like a lockdown, call to police or facility security, an alarm or alert.
- Monitor assets– Intelligent analytics can be set up so that removing specific assets from within camera view creates an alert or alarm.
- Safeguarding– Video analytics can track movement through any doors in your business, allowing you to set differing levels of protection for the main facility and specific areas.
- Detect groups of people– Intelligent analytics can help you avoid problems by alerting you to large gatherings; this can help you handle fights or other problems quickly.
- Reducing risk– Having video analytics “guard” your property can reduce a lot of risk of doing business. If you are sued for an injury within your facility, but can produce clear evidence in the form of video that it did not happen (at least not there!), you will prevail.
- Decrease insurance premiums and liability– Enforcing safety rules can be difficult; you cannot be everywhere at one time. Video analytics can monitor these rules and alert you to problems immediately.
- Lower workers compensation fraud– Employees can be monitored and recorded continuously, and intelligent analytics can search for alleged incidents, to reduce fraudulent claims and save you money.
While a conventional security guard can only monitor one area at a time, a virtual security guard can have “eyes” on your entire facility all of the time. This system does not take breaks, go to sleep or get distracted. The result: better-than-guard-level security at a fraction of the price!
Can you see how much of a benefit video surveillance with analytics could be to your business? Securiteam is experienced and knowledgeable about video analytics, and would love to discuss the options available for you to integrate video surveillance with analytics into your security strategy.
