Table of Contents
As security cameras have proliferated in the workplace, managing security systems has transitioned from being a one-time set-and-forget for IT to an ongoing commitment.
IT professionals are bogged down with requests to retrieve video and root causing system downtime across a patchwork of systems across locations. And as the need to access and retrieve video increases in frequency, these demands on IT are only intensifying.
This is making the choice of the right camera system even more critical.
Security systems and the video management system have transitioned from being a one-time set-and-forget for IT to an ongoing commitment.
Important considerations for your next security camera system include:
- Does it meet minimum requirements of a modern AI camera system?
- Is the vendor building and releasing useful features like facial recognition software, license plate recognition software, video surveillance analytics, AI assistants, and more at a high rate?
- Are you able to proactively evaluate the health of your hardware and network?
- Do you have the observability needed to easily manage your systems across all locations?
Considerations as you think through your next system
Meet the minimum requirements of a modern system
Cloud is table stakes in video surveillance today. This encompasses easy remote viewing across locations, easy search and collaboration, and best-in-class cybersecurity. Most organizations maintain their video surveillance systems for three to five years.If your users don’t need this today, they may need this sooner than your next refresh cycle.
Evaluate feature velocity of the vendors you want to partner with
The current pace of AI development is unprecedented. New products launch weekly. This means that a product that has unique features today may not be as unique in the near future. When selecting your next camera system, it’s important to select a system that has a proven track record of high feature velocity, so you can trust that the product will continue to keep up with the rapid pace of AI development. This will allow your users to benefit from new features more quickly, which will be a compounding advantage over the life of the system. Your camera system can become an appreciating asset rather than a cost center.
Proactively evaluate the health of your networks
As users pull for more video, the utilization of your networks may rise. In that case, you may run into bandwidth constraints if your system of choice of bandwidth consumptive. Your data is also at risk of being exposed to malicious actors if not properly protected..To evaluate the health of your networks, ask questions like:
- Do we have sufficient bandwidth for our video workflows today?
- Are there unexpected data flows or unusually high bandwidth consumption observed in the surveillance system traffic?
- How often do unauthorized devices attempt to access the network?
Make sure you have the observability to easily manage your systems across locations
As your organization grows, managing the network and connected devices becomes more and more complex. Observability into network health isa crucial aspect of network management and monitoring. Best-in-class video surveillance systems can provide insights into the health of the surveillance system’s components, such as cameras, recorders, and network infrastructure.
This information helps in planning maintenance and replacing or upgrading components as needed to avoid unexpected failures. Surveillance cameras may encounter issues like lens obstructions, misalignment, or electrical problems.
Observability can help in monitoring the health of individual cameras, ensuring they are functioning correctly. Additionally, user management is a critical component of IT and information security, particularly in organizations that rely on digital systems and networks. This ensures easy provisioning and modification of access for employees, contractors, and other users.
