Once upon a time, the grainy surveillance systems that operated on analog technology represented a breakthrough in security and monitoring for businesses everywhere. But times have changed, and modern video surveillance technology — including on-premises and cloud solutions — offers a number of additional advantages.

Security systems are an investment. So if an upgrade is on the horizon, it’s a good idea to explore what these new systems have to offer before making a decision. 

Advantages Video Surveillance Systems Provide

Digital on-premises and cloud surveillance systems make it much easier for businesses to monitor activity, reduce risk, and more.

Here are eight obvious (and not-so-obvious) ways digital video surveillance benefits businesses:

1. Reduce Loss, Theft, and Vandalism for Less

Cybersecurity threats grab a lot of headlines, and for good reason. But businesses should also keep an eye on their physical security. 

Digital surveillance cameras not only capture and store more video than analog systems, but the quality of the video feed is far superior as well. Digital video cameras offer high-definition clarity and wider viewing angles. This quality gives businesses the ability to clearly see what is taking place — good and bad — within and around their facility.

Clearer images make it easier to pursue charges against any individuals caught stealing or vandalizing property because you can now provide law enforcement with quality images to be used in the prosecution of suspects. As a result, you have a more effective deterrent against repeated theft. 

The improved video resolution and coverage angles can also save your company money. With greater coverage, your company will need to spend less money on cameras and infrastructure to support them.

2. Experience Easier Installation and More Effective Implementation

Digital systems can be installed more easily than analog systems, they require less equipment, and they can help your security team more effectively operate the surveillance system. 

3. Improve Storage and Accessibility

Most analog surveillance systems use tape recorders to store video footage. This decreases the amount of video that can be stored and makes it difficult to access your footage. 

Digital video surveillance systems store all the footage your cameras capture on NVR (network video recorder) systems with ample digital storage space. This means your security team will also be able to store more surveillance footage and access the data or video faster. You can also upgrade your hard drives to add additional storage with flexible retention options. 

4. Enable Remote Monitoring

This might be the most overlooked advantage of a digital surveillance system. With a highly integrated digital video system, you can monitor the activity on your surveillance feeds from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a connection to the internet.

Mobile devices, laptops, and tablets are all fair game. You can securely log in to your security system from any of these devices and view live streams or access archived footage.

5. Reduce Costs & Scale More Easily

A digital system requires less physical infrastructure to operate (think fewer wires) than an analog system. Since digital cameras produce high-quality images with wider viewing angles, you’ll need fewer cameras to cover the same space, too. And, as mentioned above, digital feeds can be compressed and stored using less space than analog video.

Digital video cameras use CAT-6 wiring and Power-Over-Ethernet (POE) technology to combine power and video transmission in one cable, which is a big improvement over coaxial and power cables. Digital cameras also require less cable for each camera. Rather than running cables all the way back to the storage device, CAT-6 cables can be run to a nearby POE switch. 

Then there's scalability. As your coverage area grows, a digital system can easily grow with your company one step at a time. Digital cameras can be added as needed and easily integrated into the network. 

6. Save Time Through Advanced Software

With a new digital surveillance system keeping a sharp eye on the activities in your business and countless hours of video captured, who is going to have the time to watch every hour of footage? 

Modern software programs can be paired with digital surveillance devices to monitor video feeds for specific behavior. If your system notices anything out of place, it will alert the security team for review. 

7. Protect Your Employees and Your Culture 

Surveillance isn’t just about catching criminal activity! 

Depending on your business, an effective surveillance system might also alert you to, for example, unsafe behavior, slipping hazards, or a lack of engagement or respect for best practices the instant a manager is out of sight.

8. Improve Productivity

All of these advantages lead to this final point: Safety and productivity go hand in hand. Your employees are more likely to remain on task, take breaks efficiently, and feel safer in the workplace knowing there is an advanced, digital surveillance system monitoring activity in the workplace on a daily basis.

If it’s time for an upgrade, and you’re not sure whether an on-premises or cloud solution would be best, click the link below to request a digital video surveillance consultation!