Each year, the tech landscape evolves, and the next-generation of security solutions not only becomes more innovative but affordable. Advances in software are making surveillance systems more intuitive and easier to use, while also giving rise to a more connected ecosystem of devices that meet end-to-end requirements.
More importantly, these solutions ensure that businesses are safer and can be used to improve operational efficiencies through AI-powered analytics. Here are some of the ways security technology and advanced cameras can be used to make your business more efficient.
Securing the business
Theft is a concern for small businesses, and it can result in significant losses if not prevented or minimised. A quality video surveillance solution is certainly worth investing in as it gives business owners visibility over their premises. With detailed coverage, it is also possible to review incidents, which is valuable from a liability perspective. Without video to verify claims, it becomes difficult – if not impossible – to determine exactly what happened.
The latest network cameras allow business owners to monitor operations from anywhere. Rather than having to worry about their business while they are away, they can simply use their smartphone to view live or recorded video remotely. It is also possible to set up notifications for specific activities.
For example, if a rule is set for detecting movement after business hours, an alert can be sent via an app so that the owner can establish whether someone is trespassing in real time. Smart technology means assorted authorised personnel can receive notifications for different types of incidents, which makes it far easier to manage every aspect of security.
It is always vital to consider the image quality of the cameras, and how easy it will be to identify incidents in changing conditions. If you need to monitor external areas where there might be significant differences in lighting conditions, you may need to consider cameras with wide dynamic range. Multi-directional and fish-eye network cameras are very useful for covering large spaces in great detail to eliminate blind spots – all from one single installation point.
Streamline operations
Security solutions can do more than just provide a more secure environment. With the help of AI-powered analytics, businesses can use surveillance to work smarter and grow their bottom-line. In the retail sector, video analytics can be used to count how many people have entered a store at any given time.
This can then be compared to the transactions that took place that day to get an idea of the store’s conversion rate. With this information, business owners can then test different offers, change the number of sales assistants on the floor (who can also be notified automatically through a connected audio system), set clearer sales targets, or gain valuable insights into what is affecting their sales performance.
This is only one of many examples of what video analytics are being used for. Using deep learning algorithms, surveillance analytics can collect, analyse, and categorise the smallest details in a scene from thousands of hours of footage without the need for manual involvement. This can be used to detect everything from unique objects to recognising behaviours such as loitering, or even identify more specific details.
This information can be integrated with other systems, such as environmental sensors, noise detection systems, GPS tracking, and point-of-sale transactional data to enable many more applications and provide more holistic insights. Ultimately, AI analytics tools in surveillance help businesses save costs, streamline their operations, and respond to events more quickly without having to monitor everything manually.
Built on a system of network cameras rather than traditional CCTV, these systems can be monitored, managed, and maintained from one central location in a way that is simple, cost-effective, and less labour intensive.
Partnership gains
Security and surveillance are essential to the success of every business, and the security technologies that business owners can choose from are constantly improving. The key to unlocking full business value from a security solution lies in choosing a trusted partner who will understand your unique business requirements and find the most innovative ways to approach them.
