Video Surveillance Takes to the Cloud

Video Surveillance Takes to the Cloud

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

  • 12 Commercial Crime Sites to Do Your Research

    12 Commercial Crime Sites to Do Your Research

    Understanding crime statistics in your industry and area is crucial for making important decisions about your security budget. With so much information out there, how can you know which statistics to trust? Read Now

  • Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    In alignment with the state of Mississippi’s mission of “Empowering Mississippi citizens to stay connected and engaged with their government,” Salient's CompleteView VMS is being installed throughout more than 150 state boards, commissions and agencies in order to ensure safety for thousands of constituents who access state services daily. Read Now

  • Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    This year’s Live From GSX program was a rousing success! Again, we’d like to thank our partners, and IPVideo, for working with us and letting us broadcast their solutions to the industry. You can follow our Live From GSX 2023 page to keep up with post-show developments and announcements. And if you’re interested in working with us in 2024, please don’t hesitate to ask about our Live From programs for ISC West in March or next year’s GSX. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX
  • People Say the Funniest Things

    People Say the Funniest Things

    By all accounts, GSX version 2023 was completely successful. Apparently, there were plenty of mix-ups with the airlines and getting aircraft from the East Coast into Big D. I am all ears when I am in a gathering of people. You never know when a nugget of information might flip out. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • ComNet CNGE6FX2TX4PoE

    The ComNet cost-efficient CNGE6FX2TX4PoE is a six-port switch that offers four Gbps TX ports that support the IEEE802.3at standard and provide up to 30 watts of PoE to PDs. It also has a dedicated FX/TX combination port as well as a single FX SFP to act as an additional port or an uplink port, giving the user additional options in managing network traffic. The CNGE6FX2TX4PoE is designed for use in unconditioned environments and typically used in perimeter surveillance. 3

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file. 3

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols. 3