The world of video surveillance has been changing rapidly in recent years. That doesn’t just mean that the days of poor-quality, borderline useless CCTV footage are over. Today’s surveillance software can do far more than capture video of crimes, and organizations across the globe have been finding new ways to leverage video surveillance as part of their integrated or unified physical access control systems.
The History of Video Surveillance
To appreciate how far the world of commercial security has come, let’s take a look back at the history of video surveillance. The first CCTV cameras were made available to the public in 1949, but they offered little help when it came to physical security. The video footage couldn’t be recorded, which meant that guards had to monitor it constantly, often in addition to continuing their ordinary rounds.
Just a few years later, video recording was introduced, although the technology was still too expensive for all but established companies. Although improvements were made continuously to video quality throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the quality of the footage remained comparatively poor, and it was often useless as evidence because the criminals could not be identified.
Video Surveillance in the 21st Century
Recent decades have brought about impressive improvements in video quality. However, that’s not the most important advancement in surveillance technology. Today’s most advanced video surveillance tools have also become more specialized. They often feature AI-driven software solutions that allow smart video analytics, automatic triggering of security-related events, and even advanced biometrics for use as part of physical access control systems.
Video surveillance is no longer about capturing evidence of crimes as they are being committed. Advanced surveillance cameras and software make it easier for security guards to prevent those crimes from being committed.
The Importance of Full Integration
The only way to take full advantage of the recent improvements in video surveillance cameras and software is to utilize them as part of a unified security system. Let’s take a look at one example to get an idea of how important integration is.
In an older system, surveillance cameras send video to a centralized location for review by security personnel. If there was something amiss, a guard could be dispatched to the last place the potential intruder was seen on camera. In the best-case scenario, a second guard could continue monitoring the videos and stay in communication with the person dispatched to intercept the intruder.
Modern, unified security solutions make it easier to stop intruders in their tracks. Cameras can be placed in lobbies and other physical access control points. They can route video to software programs that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify authorized personnel vs. potential intruders and flag people who could pose a threat. Not only will security guards know about the threat much sooner, but they will also be able to track the potential intruder more accurately using smart surveillance technologies, dramatically reducing the chances that a crime will be committed.
Take Full Advantage of Today’s Most Advanced Security Solutions
Security technology has come a long way in the past few decades. Businesses that are still relying on separate systems for video surveillance, access control, and activity monitoring are missing out. They can only stay one step ahead of today’s most advanced criminals by implementing equally advanced security measures.
