Remote Video Monitoring for Smaller Properties

Due to an increase in crime and uncertainty in our community and convergence of technologies, Video Surveillance and remote video monitoring (or Closed Circuit Television -- CCTV) are rapidly increasing in popularity and effectiveness. The result is video surveillance being used in an increasing variety of situations and application from private homes and small businesses to large scale government and commercial applications.

Recorded video archives can be a valuable resource for determining what happened when a security breach occurs. But more importantly, video surveillance is one of the most effective tools for proactively preventing breaches in the first place. How can this be accomplished?

Larger commercial and government properties have the advantage and economies of scale. They have live guards on site 24 hours a day 7 days a week. These guards can monitor banks of video and respond to potential threats. Full time on-site guards can easily cost more than $16,000 per month which is clearly not cost effective or practical for most smaller properties. Fortunately, there are other options.

Urban Alarm’s remote video monitoring service utilizes the latest in digital video surveillance cameras, or IP Video, to view and asses activity on a property in real time. IP Cameras are programmed to connect to our central monitoring centers immediately when a defined event is triggered. These may include motion detected on specified portions of the screen, a person loitering for more than 90 seconds or an object left by a person in a crowded lobby.

When such an event is detected, our central station views the event and follows up with additional video analysis within seconds. If a threat is identified, the central station may engages the individuals or groups over a two-way intercom at the camera location. Or they can dispatch guards on the ground or the police.

Remote video monitoring starts at $95 per month making it extremely cost effective for commercial and retail applications and even for homes. To be effective, clear rules must be defined that are actionable. Watching cars pass by is not going to be useful since the monitoring center personal will not be able to distinguish a threat from a passer by. Watching a pool or playground for anyone loitering during night time hours is a good example of actionable events.

For more information on how to utilize remote video monitoring strategies on your project give us a call.

Security Video on your iPhone or PDA

Video can play an important role in any security system for verification and evaluation of alarm events. When an alarm goes off video can be used to evaluation what is occurring and the best response.

Storage of video can unlock what (or who) triggered an alarm and provide the information needed to pursue a legal resolution. In some cases it can also be used to limit liability (more on this in the future post).

Urban Alarm’s Web Dashboard, powered by Alarm.com, now supports integrated video. The video is available through a web browser but video clips can also be accessed via your Apple iPhone or other video enabled PDA.

While video is supported on any iPhone, the new 3G iPhone from Apple and ATT supports significantly higher speed improving performance of streamed video to your PDA. Setup rules in the alarm system web dashboard to email you video from specified cameras based on alarm events, sensor detection, and/or motion detection in the video.

You may also arm, disarm, and control other features of your alarm system through your iPhone or web enabled PDA.

Video integrated with your alarm system is useful for:

• 1 to 4 camera retail security systems
• small offices
• remote viewing of conditions and activity at a vacation home
• monitoring of elderly or special needs individuals living at home
• monitoring the exterior or interior of primary homes

Urban Alarm video, powered by Alarm.com video, is integrated with the web dashboard. The only equipment required is the video camera and a wireless (wi-fi) wireless network. All video is stored on Alarm.com servers and retained for a period of time.

For more information on video and CCTV system for a residential, retail, or commercial property call us at 202-265-2700.

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