Corporate and Private CCTV - A Very Modern Phenomena

Brenden Carr   

Over the past 15 years I've witnessed a marked increase in the purchase and employment of both corporate and private CCTV surveillance systems. Pre-millennium, CCTV systems were quite expensive and were mostly used to survey public places or shops, countering theft, fraud and street crime. In this post, I will look at some of the reasons for the huge surge in demand for both corporate and private CCTV installation services.

CCTV Systems for Businesses

Business CCTV systems are interesting on many levels. They not only optimise the safety of the firm's commercial goods but also serve to protect the people present on the premises. And it's no coincidence, CCTV manufacturers have been set on the idea of affordable CCTV systems since forever.

The Digital Age

The advancement of digital video equipment and technology is by far the main reason for the current trend in CCTV systems. Coupled with faster and more powerful computers and remote storage of data, video surveillance has become more practical than ever imagined.

Corporate Benefits

The increasingly developed features of surveillance cameras allow for the rapid detection of incidents. Faster detection equals a faster response, and that makes the business more efficient. The great benefit of businesses being more safe and efficient is that insurance premiums are kept at reasonable levels – a serious advantage for any company. To avoid being fined you must make sure your business complies with the ICO data protection act, regarding CCTV.

A Comforting Factor

For business owners and staff alike, CCTV has an added comfort factor. Its presence puts staff at ease and gives business owners the peace of mind of knowing that their investment is being properly watched and recorded at all times. After all, a security guard patrolling the first floor has no idea what may be going on in the basement.

The advantages of CCTV over Manual Security

• The constant surveillance of all entrances and exits, keeping track of all who enter or leave the premises.
• The identification of unusual movements, abandoned objects or risk of break-in.
• Monitoring of hard-to-reach places, strategic points, blind spots.
• Simultaneous Surveillance: CCTV provides a global and simultaneous view of all the strategic locations within a company.

An Affordable Deterrent

If CCTV were only to record obvious incidents, it would still have a great worth but would maybe not have taken off like quite it has done. One of the reasons for this explosion in popularity is that CCTV systems don't only offer surveillance but also act as a great crime deterrent. And, unlike some years ago, CCTV systems have become increasingly affordable, so much so that they have transcended even the corporate domain and are now a feature of many private homes.

Improved Logistics

As little as 10 years ago the main drawback of video surveillance systems was that it was just impossible to record and keep all the data the cameras were capable of picking up. Computers just were not powerful enough and there was no other practical way of storing the vast amounts of information. Today, with remote storage, businesses CCTV data is automatically backed up and stored.

Real-time Security

Another great advantage of the advancement of digital technology is that CCTV security systems can now be monitored in high-definition in real-time. Security chiefs can also manipulate cameras at remote access and follow potential security threats step by step. With 500% zoom action and silent panning, security staff can now survey premises like was never before possible.

5 overlooked Selling Points

• The affordable cost of modern CCTV systems.
• Easy installation and setup, particularly wireless cameras and IP systems.
• Increased functionality: the ability to view images from a remote computer is greatly appreciated.
• Alert systems on certain models that fire up whenever suspicious movement is detected.
• Ergonomics: some cameras are now so small and discreet that they are almost invisible.

Modern CCTV systems allow business owners to monitor their business premises in real-time, access images from whenever they want, and be warned of potential anomalies. But, as I've already touched upon, CCTV is no longer the exclusive toy of entrepreneurs. Today more and more people are employing CCTV in various ways, often as a part of their home security systems and crime prevention strategies.

Exterior Home CCTV

So, you're contemplating equipping your garden with an external video surveillance system to deter burglars and better protect your home? In an increasingly flourishing market several types of outdoor surveillance cameras are available. Over the last 5 years I have personally witnessed this explosion of private external cameras.

Outside Cameras

Outdoor surveillance cameras now come one hundred percent weather resistant. There exist two main types of camera:

• The housed camera: the camera is protected by a waterproof protection box, sometimes integrated into the camera.
• The vandal-proof camera: known as a mini-dome, these cameras are both attack and shock resistant.

Night and Day Vision

For round the clock 24/7 surveillance certain CCTV cameras now record using infrared. Infrared surveillance cameras record daytime images in colour and night-time images in black and white. The one disadvantage of such systems is that a small red LED turns on when the camera records at night.

The better option for night recording is the day/night camera. This type of camera adapts to brightness and switches from day to night depending on the latter.

Classic halogen lined CCTV cameras are also designed to record at night. These cameras illuminate the area to be monitored. As they are very obvious, their main worth is in being a very visible deterrent.

Installing a Private CCTV System

If you're interested in installing a video surveillance system in your garden or private parking lot, you can can either opt to install it yourself or call in the professionals. In the event of having a professional install and set up your system, your external surveillance cameras will be connected to the computer system of your service provider. In such instances, be sure to verify how the data is stored and for how long they will keep your data before deleting it.