The 7 Deadly Video Camera Surveillance System Sins
(And What to do About Them)
Video may have killed the radio star, but it can breathe life back into your self storage facility. If you have outdated video surveillance equipment, poor camera placement and coverage, or worse yet, no cameras all at, you could be putting your customers and your business in jeopardy. But how do you know it’s time to upgrade?
In many ways, it makes sense to make things last as long as possible and get as much mileage out of products as you can. But at what point does not upgrading your technology put you and your business at risk? And when do you know it’s really time to upgrade your video technology and when it’s not?
Here are the seven most important signs that it’s time to upgrade the video camera system at your self storage facility:
(1) You don’t have enough cameras
This one is pretty obvious. If you can’t see critical areas like entry and exit points, 360 degree views of the office, and important equipment rooms and safes, then your system isn’t doing you much good. You’ll also want to be sure you can see all unit doors, and pinhole keypads cameras help you get an up-close-and-personal shot of everyone that enters and exits the facility. Depending on your current system, these add on’s could be relatively painless and not require new wiring. In fact, in many cases you can update all cameras to an MPX system and keep your current wiring.
(2) Your cameras don’t produce clear, recognizable images
If you can’t identify faces, vehicles, or even clothing with your cameras, then why have them at all? When upgrading, 1080p or 4k is the resolution you’re looking for. The image below shows just how much resolution maters. How much does it matter? Resolution is the difference between identifying a thief or vandal and simply knowing the crime occurred.
(3) You’re expanding your existing facility or adding a remote site
This is a no-brainer. If you’re expanding, don’t forget to expand your video system as well.
(4) You can’t access your video feed from your phone or computer
Beyond just being able to view and check your feed anytime, anywhere, MPX and IP systems from FLIR and PTI give you the added benefits of getting real time alerts if something is happening at your site. FLIR allows you to set motion detection features, so if someone is one site after hours or if someone moves near the safe, you will receive an email alert letting you know, and you can watch the offense in real time. Wouldn’t it be nice to actually do something about a break-in while it was in progress? That’s what the FLIR Cloud offers. Unlike many other systems, the FLIR Cloud is free and comes standard with all MPX and IP systems.
(5) You’re using a system that is vulnerable to hacks
If you do have a system that’s in the cloud, beware of cameras made and distributed by companies that are majority owned by the Chinese government. One of the largest manufacturers of cameras is Chinese government owned. What does that mean to you? Basically, it means that the manufacturer has back-end access to all cameras it has made and can tap into those feeds. One of the largest Chinese owned camera manufactures has also had their cloud server hacked 3 times in the past year. If you’re worried about hacks (which in today’s world are all too common), consider a FLIR system.
(6) You’re pretty sure your equipment was installed during the Reagan Administration
If the cameras still work, that’s impressive! You’ve obviously taken great care of your system; however, older technology is leaving you at risk. Consider an MPX system to get up to 1080p resolution. 1080p represents a more than 300% resolution increase over 960H, and in most cases you can keep your current wiring.
(7) And here’s the big one…..YOU DON’T HAVE VIDEO EQUIPMENT AT YOUR SITE AT ALL
Even if you have a small facility or you’re in a safe area, cameras are a must in today’s world. The meteoric rise of products like nest cam and SimpliSafe home security highlight just how important security has become in our society. Your customers want to know you care as much about the things in their unit as they do. Video is a security must and gives your self storage customers the peace of mind they need to store with you.
Now that you know when it’s time to upgrade, find out what system is right for your facility by contacting the knowledgeable and dedicated team at PTI. Give us a call at 678- 389-4233 or email us at sales@ptisecurity.com.
PTI Security Systems is the industry leader in access control and security for the self storage industry, and you can now purchase FLIR video surveillance equipment directly from PTI.
