Video Analytics: Your Customers are Ready, Are You?

July 12, 2013 - PRLog -- Security companies (http://www.securityintegrations.com/), military agencies, and law enforcement have been using video footage for decades. In the last twenty years, however, the clarity and usefulness of that footage has increased dramatically. The ability to capture, store, and evaluate images is a cornerstone of security and is perpetually improving. Professionals are able to use high-definition cameras and “smart” software to tell the difference between colors, shapes, sizes, movements, and even faces without human intervention. The technology that unifies these principles is referred to as ‘Video Analytics.’

In the past: Closed Circuit Television (http://www.securityintegrations.com/products/cctv-new-york-closed-circuit-television-systems.php) still required a person to monitor the broadcast. Think of the old image of the security guard falling asleep in front of a dozen black and white monitors. Even with the invention of VHS and, eventually, DVDs, footage still needed to be reviewed by people: hours upon hours of scanning for the slightest details.

Today: footage from ultra HD cameras is analyzed using sophisticated software and works with a specific database of images and unique identifiers. The software makes decisions by comparing a unique identifier, like a password or the unique electronic signature on a swipe card, with an image of a specific face. The software is capable of determining if the person using the card is the person in the image database associated with that card or if it’s an impostor. This surveillance software can tell if a person is running or walking, send an alert if someone leaves a package behind, tell if someone is moving in a direction that they shouldn’t be moving in, and the difference between many types of vehicles.

As high-tech as it may sound, this kind of integrated security is quickly becoming the norm. Homeowners all over America are investing in individualized cameras and security systems that can feed right to their PCs and relay updates directly to their smartphones. Similar video analysis software and hardware can even be seen in the current generation of video game consoles. Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony are all mass-producing and mass-marketing smart cameras that can recognize movements, speed, shapes and use that input as a means of interaction with the game software. The popularization and availability of this technology is creating a populace that is more aware of “high-tech” gadgetry, which means they will expect more from surveillance.

Cutting edge Video Analytics products are more widely available and more affordable. So for the security integrators who know how to install the right cameras and software, they can offer better products and a morecomplete service. Making the connection between current technology that is available for recreation and current surveillance technology is an effective way to inform customers; convincing them that a new age of technology is here and highly functional.