In this blog, we will outline the many ways in which remote monitoring and surveillance cameras might serve your company.
In fact, we at Sirix are proud to help a wide range of organizations in North America protect and manage their sites remotely. We witness firsthand every benefit that remote monitoring offers to our clients on a daily basis.
So, if you’re thinking about investing in remote surveillance for your business or just want to know how it could quickly make it safer, more productive, and more cost-effective, this article will be helpful.
Let’s get right into it.
What is remote monitoring?
With remote monitoring, you can see, track, manage, and control assets, individuals, equipment, systems, and infrastructures on your site without being there physically.
For example, remote video monitoring involves strategically placing surveillance cameras on your business’s property so that you can watch video footage of your site in real time on an Internet-connected device.
Another example would be letting vehicles onto your property by controlling the gate from afar after checking the visitors’ credentials with one-way video and two-way audio.
Several technologies can be employed, such as wireless networks, security cameras, sensors, transmitters, receivers, data processing, storage in the cloud, and advanced analytics, to make remote monitoring and management possible.
When you add advanced analytics to remote camera monitoring, your business gets even more benefits.
Here they are…
Benefit 1: You get 24/7 protection against crime
Remote monitoring offers the best protection against theft, vandalism, and loitering.
Once security cameras are set up and running on your site, you can watch the video footage from any Internet-connected device at any time. You may then monitor operations from a distance or check in on your property during off-hours.
If your remote security cameras are connected to a security operations center, skilled operators will remotely monitor your location, validating alarms and doing virtual guard tours. If they notice anything unusual, they will intervene in accordance with the pre-established SOP. This way, intruders will be stopped before they cause any damage.
Benefit 2: You have a panoramic view of all your locations
By strategically placing cameras throughout your properties, remote security camera monitoring allows you to view multiple angles and locations at the same time.
When combined with an alarm system, remote monitoring can provide even greater peace of mind. You will receive immediate notifications if any of your cameras detect something out of the ordinary. You can then review the footage and intervene if necessary.
If your cameras are connected to a security operations center, the center will handle reviewing the alarms and responding appropriately to each circumstance. This can aid in the rapid and effective response to any security issues that may arise.
Benefit 3: The authorities respond faster to your calls
Criminals can be caught in the act thanks to remote CCTV monitoring and powerful analytics. When you phone police authorities and tell them you have a live video of intruders actively stealing from your property, they will usually be on the scene within minutes since they are likely to make an arrest.
Another significant advantage is that security camera remote viewing allows you to verify each alarm with cctv footage. This way, you can avoid alerting authorities when there is a false alarm. Because some cities charge for dispatching law enforcement officers in the event of a false alarm, remote monitoring can also save you money.
Benefit 4: Systems failures are detected and handled immediately
The health, functionality, and performance of all your assets, systems, and applications can be checked remotely. This is often called “uptime monitoring,” and it makes sure that your sites work as well as possible. In fact, if something out of the ordinary is found in your monitored infrastructure, you or your security team will get a notification. So, anomalies are found quickly, and problems can be fixed swiftly.
Also, processing performance and health data with analytics gives you more information about predictive maintenance. This lets you fix assets before they break, which cuts downtime by a lot.
Benefit 5: You can arm and disarm your site remotely
It is common for the same mobile application that shows live footage of your site to also have a function to arm and disarm. This means you do not have to physically be at your business’s location to arm or disarm it. It might come in handy if the last employee on premises neglected to turn on the alarm system before leaving or if subcontractors arrive on your site during surveillance hours.
If you are connected to a security operations center, the operators can also remotely arm and disarm your location as necessary.
Benefit 6: You improve employee and resident safety
Remote monitoring for businesses and home buildings greatly improves safety levels. Indeed, sensors, security cameras, and advanced analytics features can aid in the protection of your properties, employees, and residents.
For example, to enhance safety measures in condominiums, one effective solution is to install sensors that can detect potential hazards like smoke, fire, and high levels of carbon dioxide. These sensors can trigger an alarm to alert residents in case of any danger, prompting them to evacuate the building immediately.
Remote viewing security cameras on construction sites and laboratories can help to ensure that security protocols are followed and advise what the security manager should review with his staff during the next team meeting to avoid future accidents.
In that regard, you might be interested in this blog, Your Ultimate Guide on How to Choose the Best Construction Site Security Cameras.
Many other elements, such as high-pitched noises signalling a mechanical problem, water on the floor, a person laying on the ground, and others, can be monitored. Advanced analytics can also detect crowds, loitering, and specific objects.
Benefit 7: You increase operational efficiency
Remote monitoring can help you improve the effectiveness of your operations and employee productivity.
UPTIME MONITORING:
Because remote monitoring systems provide easy visibility into infrastructure performance and health, your personnel are not required to go to a site on a regular basis just to check on equipment, hardware, and other assets. Instead, data is examined and recorded, and anomalies are dealt with remotely.
CAMERA REMOTE MONITORING:
Video surveillance systems allow you to watch your employees’ activities. Knowing that they are constantly being monitored pushes employees to perform more, resulting in a faster and higher-quality service or product.
Benefit 8: You might reduce your insurance premiums
Your insurance rates could go down if you install a remote monitoring system. As stated in an article on Perle.com, According to LexisNexis, 70% of commercial property insurers believe that data from various sources, including smart devices, will drive database building and risk pools in the future. To put it another way, companies that use IoT devices and smart technology, like remote monitoring, to improve their risk management may be able to cut their insurance costs.
So, if your insurance company can see that you’ve taken steps to make your business less likely to be broken into, they may be open to lowering your monthly premiums.
Benefit 9: You get a better and cheaper alternative to physical security guards
COST
Remote monitoring costs less than hiring physical security guards. In fact, to keep your business safe, you will probably need to hire more than one security agent, which could double, triple, or even quadruple the cost. Security operators monitor cameras remotely. Therefore, a single security operator can have a panoramic view of your property at all times and respond immediately to alarms.
RELIABILITY
Physical guards may fall asleep or lose focus on the job due to weariness or boredom, putting your property at risk. With remote monitoring, security operators are always on duty, keeping watch over your property through video surveillance and alarm monitoring. This helps keep them alert and ensures the safety of your business.
COVERAGE
Using CCTV remote viewing, security operators can keep a constant eye on your entire location. Physical security guards cannot be everywhere at the same time. When they abandon their original post to make rounds, they leave a gap in your security.
EMPLOYEE SAFETY
Physical guards, while certified, do not have the same training as police officers. If they have to confront a violent intruder, they may be hurt and traumatized. On the other hand, when a crime is committed on your property, remote operators can operate from a safe location and quickly dispatch authorities.
INCIDENTS RECORDS
One thing that a guard can’t do that a camera can is record everything so that it can be looked at and studied later. If something happens, analysts can analyze the tape to determine what happened. This can aid in the prevention and elimination of liability and fraud litigation. It can also be used as evidence in the prosecution of a criminal by law enforcement.
For more information on that topic, see our blog post Remote Video Surveillance Vs. Security Guards: Two Popular Cannabis Security Services Compared.
Benefit 10: You can use voice talk-down to deter criminals
The ability to perform voice talk-downs is a substantial advantage of remote monitoring.
Voice talk-downs are vocal interventions blasted over speakers strategically placed throughout your property. They are intended to deter crime by scaring intruders away from your property by urging them to identify themselves or else the authorities will be dispatched immediately. The interventions might be pre-recorded or performed live by the remote security operators on duty at the time of the intrusion.
Taking into consideration our expertise with voice talk-down on our clients’ enterprises, we can attest that this technique has a very high success rate. Most of the time, the trespasser will leave without making a fuss, making summoning the police unnecessary.
How do voice talk-downs go?
The following steps may alter slightly from one security provider to the next, but here is how most voice-talk down interventions proceed:
STEP 1
The camera AI detects unusual behaviour (usually people or vehicles on your premises).
STEP 2
The security operator receives a live video feed of the event and analyzes it.
STEP 3
Vocal interventions, either recorded or live, are sent to your site in real time to warn the intruder to leave.
STEP 4
Sometimes the first vocal intervention fails. Then comes a second verbal warning.
STEP 5
In the rare cases when voice talk-down does not work, the security operator will adhere to the pre-established SOP. They will usually notify the authorities or the first person on the emergency contact list.
Audio Talk-Down: Its Benefits for Your Business in 5 Simple Points explains more about voice talk-down and how it can benefit your business.
Benefit 11: You get personalized audits of your site on a regular basis
Most security operations centres viewing security cameras remotely employ site analysts who evaluate each connected site on a regular basis to ensure that all equipment and infrastructure are in working condition and that no potential breach is missed.
Following each examination, they send you a complete audit of your site, flagging issues and providing the appropriate fixes.
Issues could include dirty camera lenses, cameras pointing in the wrong direction, obstacles obstructing a camera’s view, insufficient lighting, and so on. Cleaning your camera lenses with a soft cloth, altering the camera’s angle, trimming the tree branches that obscure the camera’s vision, and adding a light source are all examples of corresponding remedies.
Benefit 12: Video evidence can help you avoid lawsuits
Remote monitoring security systems might provide you with liability protection.
Video evidence can be used to support your position in a liability claim. If a worker or a third party sues your company for negligence or damages, video evidence can indicate whether or not safety standards were followed and whether or not the incident was caused by the business.
Also, surveillance monitoring discourages false claims. Unfortunately, some people fabricate fake insurance or compensation claims. Video footage can be used to verify events and avoid fraudulent claims.
Benefit 13: You are more likely to catch criminals and help bring them to justice
If a crime occurs on your property, remote surveillance cameras will provide you with high-definition documentation of the illegal action. In some cases, the evidence will help police apprehend and prosecute the criminal.
Benefit 14: You can expect quick installation and flexible deployment
The best remote monitoring security centres provide speedy installation, frequently as soon as the agreement is signed, as well as flexible solution deployment. Search for a provider that offers these two characteristics.
OPEN ARCHITECTURE
A fundamental characteristic that allows for maximum flexibility and customization is an open architecture. It integrates numerous technologies, such as alarm, video, and access control, into a fully unified system for comprehensive monitoring by linking to over 500 manufacturers.
In other words, regardless of the technology you now use for business protection, a security operations centre with an open architecture would most likely be able to remotely monitor your site without requiring any changes to your security system.
An easy and affordable approach to increase your site’s monitoring capabilities is by using cloud AI technology. With Cloud AI, you may use your existing security cameras, regardless of their brand, model, or year of manufacture, resulting in a faster solution deployment.
Benefit 15: You can rest easy
As a business owner or manager, a security camera system with remote viewing provides you with peace of mind.
Not only can you rely on the security operations center’s dedicated and trained security operators to keep an eye on your site, review alarms, and follow pre-established SOP to deter or stop criminals, but you can also access real-time video footage of your business’s premises whenever you want via any Internet-connected device.
Other related services, such as site audits sent to you on a regular basis and infrastructure uptime monitoring, allow you to sleep soundly by guaranteeing the greatest possible operation of your hardware, remote viewing cameras, and software.
You might also want to read, Top 10 Benefits of Automotive Dealership Live Video Monitoring and Construction Site Surveillance: 7 Proven Benefits of Remote Video Monitoring.
FAQs
What are the advantages of remote monitoring?
Continuous remote monitoring enables the optimization of numerous processes based on extensive data, such as employee safety protocols and increased work efficiency. Furthermore, it provides ongoing protection of assets, infrastructures, and individuals.
Why is business monitoring important?
Engaging in business monitoring processes allows you to collect as much data as possible on all aspects of your business so that you can make informed decisions about how to improve your protocols and work methods in the future. Furthermore, it protects against crime such as theft, vandalism, and loitering around the clock.
How might such monitoring benefit the company?
Remote business monitoring has several benefits for your company:
- Best continuous protection against crime
- Remote access to your site on any Internet-connected devices at all times
- Fastest response from the authorities in case of crime or accident
- Fastest system failure detection
- Remote arming and disarming of your site
- Enhanced employee safety
- Increased operational efficiency
- Reduced insurance premiums
- Voice talk-down option to deter criminals
- Regular personalized audits of your site
- Video proof in case of lawsuit
- It provides you with peace of mind
What is an example of business monitoring?
A good example of business monitoring is the use of surveillance cameras and remote live monitoring to deter crime such as theft, vandalism, and loitering.
Conclusion
So, there you go! The top 15 significant benefits of remote monitoring for your business.
Is there one benefit that means more to your business than the rest?
Tell us what you think in the section below.
Sirix security operations centre
At Sirix, we take pride in being recognized as industry leaders in physical security. With over a decade of experience, we have developed a state-of-the-art security operations center that offers a range of remote monitoring services across North America.
Our services include Remote Video Monitoring, Remote Concierge, Remote Gate Control, and Uptime Monitoring or AktivSense, among others. We recognize that businesses want dependable and effective security solutions, and our team is dedicated to delivering just that.
We’d be happy to talk with you about how our services can help protect and improve your business. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us for more information. We are always happy to answer any questions you may have and help you find the best solution for your specific needs.
