Why IP Camera Systems are Best for Businesses

If you have an existing video security system in place, you already know the value of being able to pull ​“tape” on an incident that occurred at your business. You put the system in place in order to protect and maintain your assets, whether they are your property or human capital under your employ. How effective, though, is that old analog camera system anymore? No doubt, it was top-of-the-line when you first made the investment in your business security. However, with the constant evolution of technology, as well as the evolution of the potential threats to your security, you may want to consider the possi­bility that an upgrade is in order. You might consider looking into what today’s technology in video security services, specif­i­cally an IP camera system, has to offer.

IP Versus Analog

We are all familiar with the grainy videos of suspects which have made the evening news, accom­panied by a pleas for anyone who can offer infor­mation leading to capture of the perpe­trators of the crimes. How often have you wondered how anyone could make any kind of positive ID with such poor video quality? Granted, not all analog cameras turn out video which looks that bad, but when compared to what IP camera systems can do, the analogy is not far off consid­ering analog cameras are a 50-year-old technology.

IP cameras get 6 to 20 times higher resolution than their analog counter­parts. They can cover more area per camera and can transmit over larger distances as well. Instal­lation for IP camera systems are easier than analog, as well, due to the fact that they transmit video and power over Cat5e network cabling (which is probably already present), as opposed to the separate cables needed for power and video for analog. Furthermore, if you are using an NVR (Network Video Recorder), you can add cameras one at a time to expand your surveil­lance as opposed to purchasing DVRs in multiples of 4 to accom­modate the analog cameras in the system.

Flexi­bility

IP camera systems offer immense flexi­bility. You can get remote access to them via nearly any PC, smart phone or tablet. You can obtain a live stream of video, or set them up to record on an NVR ​“in the cloud.” This gives you the freedom to access your video files from the office down the hall, from across town, or from across the country if needs be. If your business neces­si­tates travel, being able to access files via mobile apps and over the internet is definitely a benefit to going with IP camera systems.

Cost Effec­tiveness

The miscon­ception is that obtaining the NVR and IP camera deploy­ments are so expensive that they become prohib­itive. When you take into account the fact that multiple analog cameras are necessary to cover the same amount of ground that an IP camera can cover, as well as the fact that DVRs can only handle analog cameras in fixed numbers (usually 4, 8 or 16), the cost comparison begins to lean further in favor of going with the future-proof NVR/IP camera option.

Whether you are looking for a brand new video surveil­lance system or you are contem­plating the end of life of your current analog/​DVR compo­nents, it is definitely worth exploring the IP cameras. The benefits of such a camera system far outweigh the liabil­ities, especially when you consider added extras that are available through a security service provider. Contact Bates Security for more infor­mation about their profes­sional design, integration and instal­lation of turn-key video security solutions.