Summary: An effective surveillance system protocol includes proactive service of your surveillance system.
IP video surveillance cameras are only effective when operating as designed and the network is functioning properly. There are literally hundreds of reasons why camera systems stop functioning as intended. The primary culprits are networking issues, hard drive failures, equipment malfunctions, lighting issues, and power failures.
Surveillance Systems Need Servicing–Here’s Why:
When a business invests in a new fleet of vehicles they typically invest in proactive services such as tune ups, 100,000 mile checkups, etc. The same should be true of an investment in a video surveillance system.
There are two primary types of service in the video surveillance industry.
The traditional service approach is reactionary in nature. A security installation company installs security cameras pursuant to the customer’s requests, trains them on how to use them, warranties them for a period of time, and then leaves.
If there is an event at your business and for some reason the cameras are not working properly, you call the security company, and they come out and fix the issue. The cameras should be ready for the next event, but this does not help the customer with the event that recently occurred and for some reason was not captured by the video cameras.
A different approach is a proactive service approach. Proactive service incorporates monthly or quarterly inspections of the entire system in order to maximize uptime and minimize failures.
These inspections can be performed by an existing employees or by a security professional.
We have noticed a dramatic decrease in the number of “missed events” due to networking failure or other surveillance system failures from businesses that incorporate a proactive service approach.
A more efficient surveillance system leads to improved results, fewer losses, and a greater return on your businesses investment.
