Videofied logo

Using Videofied to Secure Semi-Public Areas

/in /by

In the most recent article we took a look at the way CheckVideo systems can be used to secure semi-public areas, specifically pools. Another option, and one which Security Technology of South Texas has implemented in multiple settings from pools and gated communities to construction yards and outdoor storage areas, is Videofied. Videofied is what is known as a “video-verified” alarm system, meaning that the alerts it generates are verified through a monitoring service to determine the need for dispatch or to contact the customer. It is more about verifying that a legitimate break in has occurred and expediting a dispatch of law enforcement or security if needed.

A typical system might consist of several indoor or outdoor cameras, motion detectors, a control panel, and a box housing the primary computer controlling these devices. An alarm is optional, as some customers may wish to scare off intruders, while others may want to have the alert generated silently so as to increase the likelihood of catching the intruder.

The fact is that video-verified alarms have a considerably quicker response time on the part of authorities because they can visually identify the situation and eliminate false alarms and wasted responses. This is a system with many uses, and can be employed with or without a hard-wired internet connection via a 4G antenna. In cases where internet is available, this antenna is used as backup in case the lines were to be cut or otherwise interfered with.

When deciding between a system such as Videofied versus CheckVideo, the primary consideration is whether or not the customer has a need or desire to be able to visually check in on the property throughout the day and to have a searchable video log. This is one thing that Videofied does not do, as it is designed to essentially perform a sentry role, activating and recording only in the event of it being triggered. CheckVideo will feature a higher quality of video, as Videofied does not need the higher level of definition to simply be able to detect and confirm the presence of an intruder.

Security Technology of South Texas has installed both systems for various HOAs as well as for individual clients, and the decision of course comes down to the needs of the customer. Although Videofied is something we have covered here before and something with which we have expertise in integrating and installing, I thought a comparison between the two could be of benefit as we continue through the Summer months and the intrusions and break-ins that invariably accompany it.

Security Technology of South is proud to offer integration of this service and custom solutions for any and all security needs. Please contact us through email at admin@gostst.com on our website or via phone at  210-446-4863   24/7

CheckVideo-logo

CheckVideo: Solving Summertime Pool Trespassing

/in , /by

Many apartments, condominium communities, and neighborhoods have community pools, often attached to a gym, sauna, or other such facilities. These areas can be a major source of liability for the HOAs that maintain them, and although they are generally locked in some way with a set of posted hours, trespassing is still common. There is a reason that so many of the videos demonstrating security products feature a clip of a pool break-in being foiled, that reason being the unusually high prevalence of trespassing. While there are a number of possible ways to tackle this issue, with varying degrees of success, here we will look at a solution that we recommend and have implemented in these settings before using gear from CheckVideo.

CheckVideo is a cloud based video hosting and monitoring system using off-site cloud storage. Using one or more cameras and motion detectors, a CheckVideo system is able to function during the day as general surveillance, providing the increasingly industry standard ability to check in on the property from a mobile device, while during closing hours operating as an alarm system with the capability to implement a siren or to quietly transmit footage to a monitoring center which can dispatch police if necessary.

CheckVideo features the same kind of analytics which are commonly employed in environments such as car lots, with software able to distinguish between a human presence and an animal, shadow moving, or other false alarm material. The system highlights human faces with a digital box and pushes that video to the phone of the user. It is a combination of analytics, the accessibility of mobile device connectivity, as well as the scalability of a CheckVideo system that makes it such a good fit for semi-public areas such as pools.

Finally, a unique feature for actually searching through your recordings is available in the app. It follows a format where the search parameters “what, where, and when” can be used to narrow down your search if there is a particular event that you are trying to locate. CheckVideo allows, for instance, a search for a “person”, in the “main entrance” between the hours of “X and Y”, which is really quite a next-gen way of going about cloud-hosted video storage and monitoring.

With no servers or on-site software needed, the ability to upgrade and integrate with existing cameras, as well as its overall usability and unique features make CheckVideo an ideal solution for security issues both great and small.

Security Technology of South is proud to offer integration of this service and custom solutions for any and all security needs. Please contact us through email at admin@gostst.com on our website or via phone at  210-446-4863   24/7

cloud-based-video-surveillance

Moving Access Control Into Interior Openings In Large Complexes

/in /by

 

Technology exists in a co-evolutionary relationship with the people who use it. When technology evolves to become faster or smarter, the user follows. Innovations come to fill the gap in solving the end-users problems. Electronic access control follows this pattern as well. Where it was traditionally found surrounding the perimeter of a building and in specific high-risk areas, mostly due to cost limitations inherent in wired access control, the smart locks of today are often found deep into the interior doors of a building for applications that reach beyond simple security.

This is especially true for buildings that have more than 50 employees coming and going from the main doors each day. When large groups enter the building at the beginning of the day, RFID can be logged from a card carried by each person. It is possible to give varying levels of access to interior doors to different individuals, and of course to track movement and time spent in different areas. Interior access control gives advantages to both management and the general employee. Using wireless access control eliminates the need for maintaining sets of keys and keeping track of who has what and who may have accessed an area at some time. Employees have become increasingly use to swiping a key for access to their location. Basically, a cascading effect of adoption of interior wireless locks occurred over the last several years and in any serious installation it is almost guaranteed to be a major aspect of the project.

The same type of case can be made for K-12 schools, with the main entrance and secondary entrances being incorporated into the overall access control system. Using the correct hardware, a school can be setup to easily enter a lockdown of its entire perimeter. Once schools see these benefits, they quickly realize that incorporating the same locks into classrooms can allow for the lockdown of sections of a school to contain a crisis or protect from an external threat.

The evolution of this technology has reduced costs and improved reliability and performance, as well as the general capabilities of the systems. The differences in meeting the needs of a school versus an office, for instance, are where a security Integrator is able to come in and help the user decide between things like having real-time access to a wireless lock via a gateway in the school setting, versus perhaps going with a Wi-Fi connection in the office. This is not in real-time, but the office also has less need for the ability to go into quick lockdown to guard against an outside threat.

Variations like these in architecture allow for a mixing and matching of locks on interior and exterior doors to meet the needs of the customer. The demand for a “one-card solution” is already here, and increasingly users want and expect to be able to manage the functions of these systems through their mobile devices. As a Security Integrator, Security Technology of South Texas is prepared to build a tailor fit system for the needs of schools, places of work, car dealerships and more.

Please contact us through email at admin@gostst.com on our website or via phone at  210-446-4863   24/7