Back to the Future

Several years ago, we launched Network- Centric Security because we saw a need to embrace the convergence efforts. Convergence has come, and while there are still analog cameras being produced, bought and installed, the security industry has become a networked prism.

I recently visited with some integrator friends in Florida, taking a whirlwind tour of three of their installation sites. All networked, all the time. It seems to me that the future of IP has never been in a better position to secure the world.

In this issue of Network-Centric Security, you’ll find an interesting solution provided to Texas Title Loans, in the Dallas area. The storefronts went from a marginal analog system to the most up-to-date hosted video surveillance system, allowing streaming video to be picked up at the store and sent to a secure data center. This meant that the customer could view the video live or retrieve archived footage at a desktop—or better yet, on a mobile device.

The system was installed initially to provide safety and security for employees, but the end user also found multiple uses, such as putting an end to petty theft and helping school employees in the art of closing the deal.

Because the future of network cameras is already here, and has been for some time, the end user can quickly determine that today’s cameras are more affordable and much smarter. In fact, including the use of analytics, the cameras installed today are probably smarter than a fifth grader.

Cameras can identify items left behind or, with the right analytics program, determine traffic patterns, count people and maybe give marketing staff another tool to use in securing a facility and boosting the economy.

Getting back to the future of IP video surveillance is all part of the new landscape of imaging.

This article originally appeared in the October 2012 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher of Security Today magazine.

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