Network Camera and Security Solutions

Network camera technology has gotten to the point where someone can literally go down to their local big box store and buy a complete network camera system with multiple cameras and a DVR to store and review video. For a Do-It-Yourself person, that might be all that is needed. On the other hand, (and there is more than one time this scenario has occurred) a client might purchase the camera system, get home (or to the office), open the box, figure out they may have bitten off more than they could chew, and bring that camera system right back to the store for a return/refund. Which is fine, but going that route doesn’t solve the problem the client was trying to address when they bought the system in the first place.

We at Quantum PC can help. We are knowledgeable professionals that work with our clients to develop a network camera solution to meet their needs. It’s safe to say that a client looking to have cameras for their residence will have different priorities than a client looking to have cameras installed at a place of business. Further, a car dealership (for example), may have different priorities than a bank. We at Quantum PC help identify those priorities and use our experience build a solution that addresses those priorities.

Let’s take a step back in this post and look at some questions that a client should be able to answer when developing a network camera system. There are plenty, but in this post, we ask three.

Question #1 – What is the camera system to be used for?

A simple question, but the answer is everything. Think about it this way: A business owner that wants a camera trained on the cash register for quality assurance doesn’t need the same camera as a Common Interest Community or Homeowners Association (HOA) that has a common area swimming pool that is trying to stop unauthorized use of that pool after normal hours.

Question #2 – How good do the images need to be?

Using the above scenario, the business owner may want to be able to see exactly what’s in the cash register drawer. On the other hand the HOA just needs to be able to tell if there is someone in the swimming pool after it has closed and needs an alert sent to a hired security company.

Question #3 – Who will have access to the camera system?

The first two questions asked can have a direct and immediate impact on the cost of a network camera system (the higher quality and capability of the cameras and the complexity of the install generally mean higher cost). The question of who has access to the camera system can cost a client in the future. Let’s go back to the cash register scenario. Imagine if someone with nefarious intent had access to a clients camera feed. The criminal could take an account of how much cash is in the register at any given time. They can observe routines, procedures, personnel, and pinpoint weaknesses and vulnerabilities through the camera system. If the camera system isn’t setup properly and monitored regularly, the business owner is giving criminals an open invitation to do harm.

Here at Quantum PC, these questions (and more) are intended to get our clients thinking about their needs and priorities so that we can address them.

If you have further questions about this, feel free to contact us.