Enterprise IP Surveillance

Enterprise IP Surveillance

IP surveillance scores over CCTV on account of the cost-savings and flexibility that it provides. By Manjari Juneja

Physical security is an essential investment that no enterprise can afford to disregard. Surveillance is an essential aspect of this and the system should also be able to address everything from pilferage to theft and nowadays even terrorism. Enterprises have the responsibility of safeguarding the personal information, financial resources, and physical/emotional well-being of their employees, customers and shareholders.

The surveillance requirements of corporate environments are driven by the need to protect employee and company assets and IP-based network cameras can help here. As more companies in industries such as banking, retail, healthcare, manufacturing and education realize the benefits of this technology, they are incorporating network video into their enterprise IT security plans.

Additionally, surveillance can serve business objectives as well. For example, retail outlets can use network surveillance for footfall measurement. In airports, an intelligent video system could measure the queue time between entering and exiting a check-in point, helping direct staff and minimizing waiting time for travelers. In banking, remote surveillance and monitoring has obvious benefits be it in an ATM or at a branch. It can help prevent theft, fraud or—in case an incident occurs due to whatever reason—facilitate investigations.

Abhimanyu Gupta, Director, Actis Technologies, said, “The need for IP surveillance as a managed service is heating up among large enterprises, especially those with lots of dispersed locations such as retail chains. IP surveillance satisfies the need to protect employees as well as physical assets through a manageable platform. The live feeds help an administrator or security professional respond immediately, if required. Many a times, video cameras are deployed to monitor the performance of employees. However, it also contributes in keeping a tab on other issues such as physical theft.”

Murali Venkatesh, Product Specialist, Enterprise Solutions, Sify Technologies, said, “Some level of intruder detection can be managed using surveillance. For e.g., if you witness a moving body in an area where no motion is expected, with some intelligence the system can trigger alerts for ratification and help prevent a security exploit.” ATMs are under such surveillance and this has helped the police nab the bad guys who would otherwise have got away with it.