By Kevin Padayachee, Product Manager for Surveillance at Rectron.

Video surveillance has been around for years with the primary aim of recording criminal related activity. However, technological advancements have transformed surveillance capabilities by adding business intelligence components. In turn, transforming businesses.

South Africa’s economy has hit a slump, contracting 3.2% in the first three months of 2019, according to Statistics South Africa.

Given the country’s constricted business climate, companies have got to find every edge to be more efficient in order to increase service levels, productivity and revenue. Fortunately, today’s surveillance systems equipped with BI allow businesses to do just that, effectively.

The infrastructure needed to monitor multiple cameras can now be achieved with one device, cutting the costs of servers, installation, labour, trenching, and not to mention the price tag that comes with having to purchase multiple cameras to monitor a small area.

Solutions integrated with business intelligence components can provide businesses with useful data which can then be used for actionable insights to spur growth and generate revenue.  

Wide-angle cameras

Businesses can achieve a lot more through a single wide-angle camera, more specifically 180 and 360-degree fisheye cameras.

The VIVOTEK MS9390-HV offers an 8MP image over 180 degrees. This is a combination of parameters that enables effective wide angle monitoring over 50m across from single camera that could rest in the palm of your hand. Integrators can reduce the overall footprint of their surveillance solution and hence the actual cost for the end user.

Real-time

For companies, having information at a later stage is of no help if action needs to be taken now. It is critical for businesses that they are in the know how, right now, in order to gain that competitive edge and ensure no revenue is lost.

Using public transportation as an example, if 100 people are travelling on a bus, but only 80 have paid, the route supervisor will receive a notification in real-time alerting to the fact that 20 commuters have an outstanding payment.  This information is not only necessary, but conveniently displayed and logged for later reference.

Alternatively, in the retail sector for example, Take the likes of VIVOTEK’s 12MP FE9191 fisheye camera with video content analysis which captures a 360-degree view when mounted on a ceiling, so businesses no longer require the installation of numerous cameras to cover a wide area

If too many people are queuing in one area, the FE9191 Fisheye sends off an immediate trigger the moment the customer count exceeds the threshold in a designated area. The floor manager can then make changes to the staffing arrangement to accommodate this. This solution helps create a more efficient work environment with satisfied customers all around.

On-board analytics

Cameras and video content analysis (VCA) software have merged, playing a critical role in keeping places secure. However, onboard analytics are being used increasingly to also enhance business intelligence for users in various verticals.

Cameras with onboarding analytics also mean more intelligence and processing within, so all important data is captured, sent or stored for post-incident retrieval and analysis, allowing companies to make smarter choices going forward.

In the retail sector for example, a mall using the VIVOTEK SC8131 Counting Camera can count how many individuals entered store A compared to store B. Based on this information, the mall can then increase store A’s rent if the number was significantly higher than store B.

How does it work? No server is required as everything takes place on the camera. The solution uses a camera with 2 sensors and artificial intelligence to accurately identify human only objects. This reports to VIVOTEK VAST2 video management software or can be integrated into any other Customer Relationship Management software, a dashboard for performance monitoring then appears showing the total amount of people who entered the mall, store A and store B. 

Cloud access

At the end of the day, companies want a quick, convenient setup, not to mention having the freedom to access their solution from any location. This feeds into the growing demand for cloud access solutions, allowing companies to remotely access their surveillance system via the cloud, anytime, anywhere.

In the past, if you wanted to install an IP surveillance system you needed several components and a server to record video. However, Cloud access has changed the game. Companies can now take a single IP surveillance camera and make it a system entirely on its own

For example, with one camera using VIVOCloud from VIVOTEK, a company can access, view and playback recorded footage via an SD card, allowing for full functionality. The result? A scalable solution that is easy to access. 

Given the current economic climate in South Africa, businesses looking for a competitive edge should consider adopting a suitable surveillance system to improve performance levels and capitalise on emerging opportunities as they happen.