The Good Old Days
Examining software advancements in security technology
- By Jeff Vollmer
- Jun 01, 2010
To say that technology has allowed tremendous advancements is not
detailed enough. The real power has come from software.
It is the development, advancement and implementation of
software that has allowed us to always be accessible through cell
phones, carry thousands of songs on an MP3 player or be guided
with personal directions through a GPS. Make no mistake about
it -- software rules today’s world.
Changing the Face of Security
Software has had a huge impact on the security industry
as well. Back in the “old days,” VCRs ruled the day.
And then, some software programmer developed
a method to record more than one camera onto a
single hard drive, and the DVR era was born.
While DVRs continue to play a major role in video security
and surveillance, they have limits and weaknesses; they can go to
sleep, get stolen or be destroyed. If you sell an eight-camera solution
on an eight-channel DVR and the customer wants to add
more cameras, it’s going to be expensive. And who hasn’t experienced
the agony of telling a customer that no video was recorded
because the DVR or camera failed.
Software has brought an added dimension to applications,
configurations and flexibility. Today, software solutions are solving
hardware problems.
Case in Point
Consider the story of Pyle Automotive Repair. Over the years, the
business grew and expanded to six locations. Security and surveillance
were a concern for the owner, who was still price conscience.
The owner invited four companies to quote a CCTV system.
All four sales representatives suggested a similar solution: a DVR
combined with cameras. Three representatives suggested eight
cameras, and the fourth suggested a 16-camera system be installed
at each repair center.
Although all four systems were very similar, the pricing was
dramatically different. The companies that quoted an eight-camera
system varied by several thousand dollars, and the 16-camera
system was nearly three times higher than the highest eight-camera
quote. The owner knew that there had to be a better way, so
he invited in two more firms with the hopes they would propose
different solutions.
One of the new companies stood out. Instead of telling the
owner what solution he should have, the sales representative
asked him what he was trying to accomplish. This representative
learned valuable information -- the type of information that allowed
her to suggest a solution quite different from the others.
She learned that of the six repair centers, two were high-volume
shops, and the other four did much less business. The dominant
buying motive wasn’t security, surveillance, slip and falls or even
theft. It centered on flexibility and simplicity of use.
Asking questions got her prospect to think about a single,
managed system instead of six stand-alone systems. The representative
was designing an easy-to-use scalable solution with
tremendous horsepower.
The sales representative said it wasn’t necessary to invest the
capital in six stand-alone recording units. Rather, by using a single
Web-based application, the owner only needed one onsite video
recorder installed at the main location. Because the main location
was much larger and busier than the other five, she suggested 18
cameras with varying camera quantities at the other five centers.
The complete solution consisted of 63 cameras and one OVR.
The 18 cameras at the main location are being recorded on the
local OVR. Video from the other 45 cameras is transmitted over
the Internet to the OVR, where the video is stored. The owner’s
concern over ease of use was solved with the Web application. He
can view all 63 cameras in any combination, from any Internet
connection in the world.
Additional Benefits
Because the solution is primarily software based, the concern
over a surprise failure was eliminated. The software monitors every
device every second of the day, regardless of where the video
is transmitted. If there is a failure of any kind, an automatic alert
can be transmitted to the customer’s cell phone or e-mail address,
notifying them of the problem.
The OVR even monitors itself. Should a fan, motor or hard
drive begin to fail, an alert can be transmitted to the dealer. The
OVR can even alert the owner if someone turns off or unplugs
the OVR. Most OVR installations include a camera to monitor
the OVR, so the user can actually see who turned the unit off.
The video is sent offsite, where it is stored and easily accessible
through an encrypted username and password.
Not only did the customer save thousands of dollars, the
video system is future proof, allowing him to add cameras any
time, without having to purchase more recording units. The
diagnostic capability helps the owner feel very comfortable that
the entire system is constantly checking itself. But most importantly,
he found the user interface to be very simple to use
and was not boxed in by having to use a certain brand or type
of camera.
This article originally appeared in the June 2010 issue of Network-Centric Security.
About the Author
Jeff Vollmer is the president of IVR Controls.