Back to the Future
- By Ralph C. Jensen
- Oct 01, 2012
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/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.