How remote monitored CCTV can save you money

Remote monitored CCTV.

Do you use security guards? Many companies feel they have no alternative. Security guards are an excellent deterrent, they can do other jobs to , secure a premises and respond to all sorts of incidents that may occur on a secure site after hours. There is a drawback though, they cost a lot of money. At £7 per hour upwards its an expensive luxury but of course no site can realistically be left unsecured. So whats the alternative?

monitored CCTV solution
monitored CCTV

Monitored CCTV is something that has improved leaps and bounds in the last few years. The arrival of fast reliable broadband means that at a significantly lower cost, monitored CCTV can replace security guards and offer even greater deterrent value. Using strategically placed sensors and fixed beams a quality picture of an intrusion onto a secure site can be seen and acted upon by a remote central station. They are then able to offer a verbal warning or dispatch a key-holder to site to act upon reliable information to stop any losses. We recently talked about the Predator camera from 360 vision that is also able to operate a spot light to follow and deter intruders.Imagine a search light following the intruder around site, operated by a remote CCTV central station ,What deterrent value! Its only the most determined criminal that would hang around and this is the sort of person that could seek to harm a security guard anyway.

predator CCTV camera with a spotlight
Predator Camera

So what does remote CCTV monitoring cost? Well for a closed site (not a garage forecourt) you would probably expect to pay around £3k per annum for anything up to 6 CCTV cameras. To install this type of system is hard to quantify, it is always site specific, but lets say around £20k will cover most scenarios. Work this back and see what a guard costs and lets not forget , will always cost and you can see that within a year or so the CCTV system will pay for itself. Add to this the benefit that it will be able to offer health and safety and site management during the day and pretty soon it becomes clear that monitored CCTV is a pretty good way forward when looking to cut costs and ensure site security. So when you next get your guarding bill through have a think what monitored CCTV might be able to do for you………..its very easy now to see monitored CCTV as the way forward!

CCTV Remote Monitoring – is the Security Guard awake?!

It seems to me that the good old Security Guard gets a raw deal…….often depicted as typically old(er), maybe semi-retired…….. even more of a raw deal is that he (or she!) is normally suspected of putting their feet up, watching a crackly old portable TV, sipping a cuppa, in fact, anything other than keeping an eye on the site they are meant to be watching!

Now, before we get complaints from hard working effective Security Guards, that is not our opinion!!!

But…..nonetheless, the Security Guard can be perhaps a second option to today’s advanced technological security systems…..

monitored CCTV solution
monitored CCTV

let’s take CCTV…….. with modern DVR’s, connecting alarm devices is easy……. and once connected and armed, they can used to trigger a connection to a 24/7 monitoring centre, anywhere on the planet, equipped with dedicated viewing staff that will ascertain the problem and alert the required person/authority……

The Security Guard can also do the same thing, but are they potentially in personal danger if they approached the intruder? Are they simply going to do the same as the Monitoring Centre and call the nearest person/authority? If so, perhaps it is safer, quicker and cheaper to employ the services of a dedicated Monitoring Centre instead?

And, as more and more end user sites become automated with barriers/gates etc, clever modern DVR’s also have the ability to trigger relay outputs so as to remotely allow speech, gates/barriers etc to be controlled…..

We are not advocating the end of Security Guards – this country has enough unemployed as it is – but we DO advocate safety and efficiency using the technology that is available to us……

So have a think, could your system be better utilised with a Monitored Centre?

Contact us today and we will put you in touch with the Professionals!

SecurityGuard.jpg

International Security Exhibitions

We may be based in the UK, but we always like to follow some of the up and coming International Exhibitions!

Volcano ash permitting, we are looking to bring good information on emerging technologies from the following exhibitions in 2010

ESSEN – Essen, Germany 5th to 8th October

ASIS – Texas, USA 12th to 15th October

ISC EAST – New York, USA 3rd and 4th November

more to follow!

IPCCTV over WIFI

CCTV over Wifi……saving cash on analogue RF !

The scenario.

Picture the scene (pardon the CCTV pun!)

Building A is 500 metres from building B

There are 4 cameras on building A, one on each corner (don’t you just love perfect worlds!) and they need to be viewed, recorded and controlled (did I mention they were PTZ?) all from building B

THE PROBLEM

The two buildings are separated by a river – a very nice river, big boats coming up and down, delivering stuff to dockside delivery points.

No chance of cabling then….. Until recently, the answer was to use free range wireless transmission solutions, such as RF, Microwave, Laser etc……… but, history shows that each has it’s positives and negatives but they all share one common negative….. expense.

ANOTHER WAY?

With the upsurge in IP, there is another way………..Wifi…………ok, professional wireless is what all the proper ‘wifi’ consultants will call it, but wifi nonetheless.

You see, Wifi does not have to be a one to one transmission solution…………. with typical bandwidth of 54Mbps, even if we halve it (because clever network guys will tell you that there is always a drop over distance etc), we can expect a 27Mbps bandwidth allowance……

So, take our building A and B scenario…. cable all the 4 cameras to a central point (it is a perfect world after all !) and either convert to IP from analogue using encoders (or, if we are to get this industry into the 21st century let’s push the boat out and go true IP cameras!) and connect to a regular 4 port network switch…

Take the output of that switch and insert into something like the Silvernet product range….. 1Km line of sight, pre-configured to create a point to point connection…..go to building B, position the receiving unit line of sight to building A and either decode back to analogue or bring one, neat, simple CAT5/6 cable out and introduce to the network for full control and view of the system ! simples !

THE THEORY AND THE PRACTICE

Ok, we don’t always have a perfect world, clearly, however, using the above solution, we have sent 4 cameras over the one link….saving a LOT of money:-

RF/Microwave/Laser = at least £2000+ for EACH camera

WIFI = under £1000 for a 1Km link with the ability to run a good few cameras – typically a PTZ IP camera would be around 5Mbs and a static at around 2Mbs

But, just like RF/Microwave/Laser, if the Wifi states ‘Line of Sight’ or LoS, then it REALLY means that…..so much as a leaf on a overhanging tree, or, in the case of our River separating the two buildings, boats that might momentarily ‘interrupt’ the signal, it is imperative to ensure that the TX and RX units are positioned so as to enjoy clear and uninterrupted transmission!

The cost savings are impressive and just might give this industry the excuse to use IP !!

Monitored CCTV. Stop security breaches.

Need external security?

Your business is one that predominantly has to store your stock outside and you are starting to suffer some big losses. What can you do to ensure your property is protected and safe from the criminal fraternity who seem to have no fear about stealing from your yard? There are many businesses that will  fall into this category . Hauliers, garden centres , car sales, scrap dealers to name a few.

CCTV.

Your first thoughts may be to turn to CCTV, a good start but some view CCTV as a reactive solution , one that is good for deterring daytime losses but one that can leave the customer frustrated when they are only able to view the images the next day of stock disappearing from their premises. Guarding is also a good solution but one that could find you reaching deep into your pockets,  50k a year is not an unrealistic figure for a manned guard on your site. Fencing is the best physical deterrent but many companies return to work after a weekend to find a gaping hole in it and no stock. Nothing seems to keep people out it seems. The one thing a burglar does not like though is having attention drawn to themselves while perpetrating a crime. It seems from feedback we get that verbal deterrent can keep people out. Monitored CCTV is a way of using this facility.

What is monitored CCTV?

A number of cameras and external sensors are placed strategically around the site. When the sensor picks up movement a DVR will transmit the pictures to a central station. Here an operator is able to view the images and take action while the crime is in progress and will be able to stop or limit losses. He is able to do this by talking back to the site giving a verbal warning or using his discretion call the authorities and key-holders to get a presence onto the site as quickly as possible. This is not new technology and has been around for some time but what is happening is that with broadband and IP communicators, picture quality at the central station is so much better and the update of the images is almost real time meaning no lag for the operator to deal with. This means he can do his job far better.

Be realistic.

Remember though the operator is there to handle alarms, he not able to always take control of the camera and zoom in on the events although this service is now becoming more widespread as central stations look to offer more and more benefits to the end user.

DVR transmitters.

DVR’s are the most popular way of transmitting these images, remote connectability is a function that most manufacturer’s will  look to include into their products. 360 Vision Technology and Dedicated Micros are at the forefront of integrating their products into central station software. A key factor because the central stations will only except certain products to be integrated into their front end CCTV software, so advice on which central station can handle which product should be sort before you buy a remotely monitored system.

For more information on protecting your property.

For more information  or advice contact us and we can help you make the right choices.