Dear Dan: As our business has expanded to several locations, it’s gotten harder to keep an eye on things. Surveillance cameras would help for security, but I’m hearing about other uses like monitoring workers as well. Is that possible?
– Security Shopper
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Dear Security Shopper: Video security systems are increasingly popular as the technology continues to improve and security-conscious small business owners take advantage of the benefits surveillance systems offer. Overall, sales of network video surveillance products and services are expected to grow by over 40 percent this year.
High-quality digital video systems are replacing old-style VCR tapes and low-quality surveillance cameras. And motion-sensitive cameras with Web-based, high-speed point and click review make it possible to access entire days of recordings in minutes.
With 24/7 live video viewable from any Web browser or PDA, small businesses are beginning to think about surveillance systems not just as security, but more as a way to manage many business locations without having to be there.
One firm taking advantage of the trend is EYESthere, a new franchised provider of customized digital video security solutions for business. Rick Rene, CEO, says such services not only help guard property, premises and people, but have become a new business tool.
Web-based solutions, for example, can be used to train employees, monitor job performance, and reduce travel costs.
Instead of outdated and clunky video tape technology, a digital video recorder (DVR) converts a security camera signal to digital format that can be archived and made available online or through a local area network (LAN). Cameras can act on motion sensors, eliminating the need to review hours of tapes. And time stamping lets you quickly view almost any event.
DVR systems can even be integrated with point-of-sale (POS) systems to provide a visual record of transactions, and can easily be searched for instances of voided or unusual transactions. EYESthere customers, for example, can simply double-click on a transaction to bring up the video to show what happened.
These resources can help:
• Business.com is an excellent place to find a full range of security camera and surveillance system providers.
• EYESthere (www.eyesthere.com) can design just about any customized solution.
• EZ Watch (www.ezwatchstore.com): StarDot Technologies (www.stardot-tech.com); Extreme CCTV (www.extremecctv.com); and Axis Communications (www.axis.com) are a few leading equipment and service providers. •
Daniel Kehrer can be reached at editor@business.com.
