Video Surveillance Takes to the Cloud

Video Surveillance Takes to the Cloud

  • By Laura Worell
  • Oct 20, 2021

It was not all that long ago when discussion of professional security services on the Cloud seemed all but preposterous due to bandwidth and security concerns. Fast-forward to 2021, and all that talk seems like it was decades ago, likened to a time when IP video was thought to be a futuristic speculation.

The evolution to Cloud services has largely been the work of technologist in other industries who have been nurturing the Cloud for software as a service (SaaS) applications. The success and widespread acceptance of highly popular and successful applications like Microsoft Office 365 and Salesforce.com helped pave the way for numerous Cloud applications. As a result, scores of software innovators now offer users access to powerful software applications that would otherwise not be affordable with little to no capital expenditures and minimized risk.

The continued demand for remote system access and management is also helping to drive the migration of some or all aspects of professional video surveillance to the Cloud. Moreover, with early barriers to the adoption of Cloud such as cost, bandwidth and resolution all but behind us, it is expected that Cloud security solutions will continue to become even more popular. However, it will take some time to break ingrained industry habits, which will change as more use cases are made public that substantiate the performance attributes and document return on investment (ROI).

Going remote with the Cloud
COVID-19 has also created new security and business operational challenges, which have spurred the demand for Cloud video surveillance solutions. Video surveillance is leading the Cloud movement by enabling a cost-effective way to easily download and share footage remotely. It also offers users the ability to control their systems remotely via a mobile app or a web portal. For example, users can change motion detection zones and sensitivity or use pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) functionality to adjust their cameras to better focus on events of interest, without having to be physically near their system.

When a potential security breach or threat is detected, users can also respond in real time to deter unwanted visitors with features such as two-way audio. These remote capabilities set Cloud video surveillance apart from traditional systems where sharing footage and controlling settings is often cumbersome and requires physical access to the recorder. 

Business owners and management are also increasingly seeking security solutions that can assist in improving daily operations. Cloud video surveillance and security solutions can instantly transform these systems from being reactive to proactive sources of business data and intelligence. For example, users can be alerted via email or push notification when specific objects such as people or vehicles are detected so they can respond to events in real-time.

Cloud providers such as Videoloft offer video analytics features, which can empower even basic cameras with the ability to detect a wide range of objects and thus allow customizable alerting and smart footage search. By connecting Cloud software to existing video surveillance cameras, users can instantly upgrade legacy systems with new capabilities while leveraging their existing capital expense in fixed system technology.

Scaling with the Cloud
While video surveillance and security in the Cloud delivers new remote access capabilities to legacy systems, it also provides virtually unlimited scalability. Users are free from the burden of maintaining the hardware used to store video and are not subject to the fixed storage capacity limitations of resident servers and/or recorders. Recorded footage can be archived in the Cloud for more than three years. 

Bandwidth management in the Cloud
High bandwidth consumption and limited resolution also is perceived as a key hurdle for professional surveillance and security applications in the Cloud. As video compression technology continues to improve, bandwidth requirements have been reduced. Cloud-based systems continuously monitor network conditions and adjust frame rate, bit rate and resolution, so that video can be sent to the Cloud, even in poor network conditions. Cloud-based video surveillance systems also commonly offer an option to store only video events that have been triggered by motion, meaning that bandwidth is used when the video is worth saving. 

Security in the Cloud
Cybersecurity concerns have hindered the growth of Cloud-based systems, but independent Cloud platform providers are arguably more secure than traditional systems. The independence of Cloud providers is important, as often their software runs on a bridging device rather than on the cameras or recorders, meaning that camera manufacturers have no access to the Cloud platform.

Cloud solutions can also overcome other cybersecurity issues. For example, enabling remote access on traditional systems frequently requires port forwarding, leaving the system vulnerable to infiltration. However, with Cloud solutions, no port forwarding is required and in most cases, video files are transmitted over encrypted TLS (HTTPS) channels.

Resolution in the Cloud
The final hurdle historically truncating the adoption of professional video Cloud services is resolution. Cost and bandwidth constraints often necessitated that the resolution of video sent to the Cloud was limited to 2MP. In most cases, this meant an onsite recorder was needed to save higher resolution video locally.

Moving to the Cloud
While cost, bandwidth, security and resolution are areas, which have all improved with vast improvements in recent years, there is still one very simple reason why Cloud is not being more widely adopted by security professionals – resistance to change! However, when it took the security industry literally a few decades to move from coax to IP, making a move to the Cloud may seem even more daunting. One large motivator is the financial benefits that the Cloud delivers to both users and resellers in the form of cost-savings and recurring revenue, respectively. Although perceptions will not change overnight, professional video surveillance and security is destined to take to the Cloud.

Featured

  • Gaining a Competitive Edge

    Ask most companies about their future technology plans and the answers will most likely include AI. Then ask how they plan to deploy it, and that is where the responses may start to vary. Every company has unique surveillance requirements that are based on market focus, scale, scope, risk tolerance, geographic area and, of course, budget. Those factors all play a role in deciding how to configure a surveillance system, and how to effectively implement technologies like AI. Read Now

  • 6 Ways Security Awareness Training Empowers Human Risk Management

    Organizations are realizing that their greatest vulnerability often comes from within – their own people. Human error remains a significant factor in cybersecurity breaches, making it imperative for organizations to address human risk effectively. As a result, security awareness training (SAT) has emerged as a cornerstone in this endeavor because it offers a multifaceted approach to managing human risk. Read Now

  • The Stage is Set

    The security industry spans the entire globe, with manufacturers, developers and suppliers on every continent (well, almost—sorry, Antarctica). That means when regulations pop up in one area, they often have a ripple effect that impacts the entire supply chain. Recent data privacy regulations like GDPR in Europe and CPRA in California made waves when they first went into effect, forcing businesses to change the way they approach data collection and storage to continue operating in those markets. Even highly specific regulations like the U.S.’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) can have international reverberations – and this growing volume of legislation has continued to affect global supply chains in a variety of different ways. Read Now

  • Access Control Technology

    As we move swiftly toward the end of 2024, the security industry is looking at the trends in play, what might be on the horizon, and how they will impact business opportunities and projections. Read Now

Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area. 3

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities 3

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure. 3