This article is part of our ongoing series on the benefits of cloud-based electronic security products. Video surveillance has evolved significantly over the past few decades and has drastically changed how we live and work. Working with our global security partners, we can offer the latest technological advancement in video surveillance. Technological advances that could not have been imagined in years gone by. In this post, we look at the benefits of cloud-based video surveillance.

What is the cloud CCTV?

Cloud CCTV is CCTV which is recorded, stored, and retrieved from an off-site server. Cloud CCTV differs from traditional CCTV which is footage that is stored on a third-party server near the user. A cloud-based system offers a range of benefits including, increased scalability, centralised management and easier installation. So, it’s not hard to see why they are proving to be favourable with security managers and installers.

How does it work?

Cloud storage is a way to store your video recordings off-site and in one place, making them accessible, secure, and safe. Your IP camera will record the time and date as well as the title of the video content you wish to view, fast forward, rewind, delete, or download. A computer, phone, or tablet (if you have a network connection) can be used to login to your account and access your files.

Using an API over the Internet, the IP camera will record and upload video data to the online Cloud storage.  It is also possible to record CCTV footage using a DVR/NVR on a local system so there will be two copies of the video, one locally and one in the cloud. Recording the footage twice will help to avoid problems such as unexpected recording loss or stolen recorder hardware, and you can make sure your CCTV video data is 100% secure. 

 How do you access Cloud CCTV?

Video footage can be accessed and monitored via a secure interface 24/7 from anywhere from your PC, desktop, mobile phone, or tablet by logging in with your password. You can choose the level of access and monitoring that meets your needs. If you have more than one CCTV site, you can set up access however you wish. For instance, you can view CCTV footage from each of your sites, as well as viewing the footage from all your sites.

The great thing with Cloud-Based CCTV is that you can set up access and monitoring for video footage based on specific cameras and areas, such as Camera 1 monitoring cashier tills, Camera 4 monitoring stock rooms, and Camera 7 overseeing the entrance. Cloud footage is completely under your control.   CCTV Cloud storage can also help you protect your data and prevent users from accidentally overwriting or deleting video data if there is a concern that they may delete video data by mistake.

Benefits of the Cloud

Simple and easy to use

IP cameras are easily integrated with a CCTV system. Video footage recorded by CCTV cameras can be viewed at any time, from anywhere via a PC, tablet or mobile device. Video information can conveniently be retrieved through the cloud.

Backed-Up Video

Video footage is fully backed-up and secure thanks to a combination of on-site hardware and cloud software such as digital video recorders. This gives you access to your video footage at anytime, anywhere as well as providing a completely backed-up and secure solution.

Using software to securely store video, it is safer to transmit the video footage directly to the cloud.

Cost effective

Cloud-based platforms are more cost-effective since you can easily scale them up as your needs grown and you won’t have to invest in additional hardware or servers.

A cloud platform offers the possibility of expanding your business to cover more sites with a CCTV system, as it lowers both the long-term capital costs and the long-term technology costs of the systems.

Scalable to any size

Depending on your business needs, you can scale up or down cloud capacity. As your business grows, it is easy to add more storage to your CCTV system. We can also reduce the amount of storage required in the cloud if you are consolidating or reducing the number of business sites or surveillance cameras. Cloud computing allows multiple locations to be covered without any additional charge.  You can easily add additional sites to your cloud storage solutions once you are set up with a CCTV option.

Monatrix proudly partners with some of the best providers of cloud-based surveillance which includes Rhombus, Cisco Meraki and Avigilon. For more information regarding Cloud-Based CCTV options, contact us today at cloudbased@monatrix.com