Cloud CCTV
How does cloud based video surveillance work?
CCTV systems/footage can based in the cloud. Cloud in this context, is just a remote server where the cameras’ footage is uploaded to.
It is likely that your already use cloud in other elements of your life. Some cloud based services you may use include Netflix, Spotify and Google Drive. Storing your files digitally makes your life easier.
These services are popular because you don’t need to worry about storing your files or the content being deleted/corrupted and you have access to them anytime you have internet!
What are the advantages of cloud CCTV?
1. Provides additional backup
Unlike with an onsite recorder your footage is not vulnerable to theft or damage. By recording your footage to the cloud you have a concrete backup. In fact in some states in the US certain businesses are required by law to have cloud storage backup for their CCTV systems. Recording to the cloud doesn’t mean that you have to lose the recorder completely and some cloud video surveillance providers allow you to record to the cloud alongside your local recorder.
Although it’s clear that cloud storage is a great backup you may be questioning whether recording to the cloud is secure?
In some ways cloud recording can be more secure than traditional systems as it doesn’t require port-forwarding which can leave your system vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
2. Access anywhere, anytime
You can access your footage from anywhere at any time (as long as you have an internet connection)! This is really crucial because in the past its quite often required physical access to the security system to see the footage. With cloud-based video surveillance however, you can access your footage at any time, it doesn’t require going anywhere!
3. Centralized viewing platform
If you have CCTV systems that are on different sites it can be really hard to view your footage with traditional NVRs or DVRs, and even if it is possible it can require port-forwarding which as the point above explains can cause security problems!
When connecting your CCTV systems to the cloud it means that you can view the footage from all your different sites in one centralized platform, which makes monitoring much easier!
4. Makes your CCTV system proactive
Lots of people view CCTV systems as reactive security systems that just store footage. With cloud-based video surveillance you are actually enhancing your CCTV systems features and making it proactive, for example you can receive real-time and customizable alerts when motion is detected.
You can even choose the zones you would like to monitor for motion detection. This is even the case with old legacy systems! Best of all you can actually enable rule based alerting which means that you be alerted when a specific object appears. Therefore by making your cameras cloud based you can transform them into proactive security systems that alert you to situations you think are important.
5. Easily share video surveillance footage
Unlike with an old traditional system getting a copy of the footage could take a long time. By connecting your camera to the cloud you can easily share footage, which can be really important in emergencies and with providing evidence of events.
6. Get new features for legacy CCTV systems
By connecting your cameras to the cloud you can upgrades even basic CCTV systems into intelligent ones with a host of new features such as video analytics.
7. Notifications when your security system fails
In the past most people didn’t realize their security system wasn’t working until they needed the footage for something and realized that it hadn’t been recording. But some cloud based CCTV providers have live camera health monitoring features, which means you can both check if your cameras are working and that you will be alerted if your camera goes down.
8. Scalable and flexible
If you choose a cloud service provider which we go into below it makes cloud very scalable – you can change your cloud plan as required rather than guessing how much storage you will need with a recorder. It’s also possible to connect your existing IP and analogue cameras to the cloud, mean you can choose professional security camera brands that suit your situation at the time.