The need for advanced video surveillance, and the advancements in technology within this arena have been steadily increasing over the last several years. Having a broader and all-encompassing view allows companies of varying sizes, from a variety of vertical markets, to develop overall situational awareness that aids officials in recognizing and addressing threats to safety and security at a moment’s notice. This awareness is crucial when it comes to protecting not only visitors and customers, but also valuable assets. As the Internet of Things (IOT) presents a platform for connectivity and data exchange, it also introduces both security risks and solutions.
Market research reports on Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) estimate the market spend is already in the billions and set to rise by more than 20 percent annually. As current systems come to end of life, and requirements are defined for their replacement, there is an industry trend developing to help enable users to access the control video surveillance from multiple locations and from multiple devices leading to a higher likelihood of leveraging cloud-based solutions.
As this technology develops, it would seem inevitable that the introduction of Cloud-based products and services would become an important asset, but companies have been hesitant and slow to adapt to this storage solution for many reasons. The main factors that customers should consider are how the system is going to be used and what type of infrastructure is in place to support such a solution.
Broadly speaking, Cloud-based video and access control systems should be considered if a customer has a large number of relatively small sites that need to be centrally managed. Additionally, if there is a need to access data or video on mobile devices from remote locations, then Cloud-based systems are essential. This model of data storage enables availability and accessibility to users and offers real advantages to customers. Data storage in the Cloud is a low-maintenance option and has the ability to scale up or down based on business needs.
For distributed smaller sites, there is a lower likelihood of bandwidth limitations being an issue. If the necessary bandwidth is not available, there can be a significant decrease in quality of video. Without enough bandwidth, customers may have to limit the frame rate or resolution of video from the cameras and look to employ technology that reduces bandwidth through compression and other techniques. While remote access is important for larger, multi-site organizations, for smaller businesses, simplicity of solution is more important.
Looking beyond VSaaS, there are many other layers of Cloud-based services that can be added to increase the value of the investment for other ares of the business such as retail operations, merchandizing and marketing; and this extensibility of a cloud-based platform could prove to be beneficial for businesses.
Pure Cloud Solution – Video and data are streamed, stored in and accessed through the Cloud.
Hybrid Model – Video and data storage is governed by policy and synchronized between local and cloud storage accordingly. This approach better enables access for mobile users and those using a range of devices.
While there are certainly advantages and disadvantages of Cloud-based storage when it comes to VSaaS availability and adoption is sure to have an impact on the industry over the coming years.
To help explore these possibilities, Oncam plans to progress the development and launch of future Cloud-based solutions. The Oncam team is dedicated to joining in the exploration of how to integrate these technologies for increased usability and efficiency.