How does cloud video surveillance work?
Local storage – DVRs and NVRs
What are the advantages of cloud video surveillance?
1. Provides additional backup
Unlike an onsite recorder your footage is not vulnerable to theft or damage. By recording your footage to the cloud you have a concrete backup. In fact in some states in the US certain businesses are required by law to have cloud storage backup for their CCTV security systems. Recording to the cloud doesn’t mean that you have to lose the recorder completely and some cloud video surveillance providers allow you to record to the cloud alongside your local recorder.
Although it’s clear that cloud storage is a great backup you may be questioning whether recording to the cloud is secure?
In some ways cloud recording can be more secure than traditional local systems as it doesn’t require port-forwarding which can leave your system vulnerable to cyber attacks. Videoloft takes security very seriously and has a host of security protocols in place to make sure users’ footage is secure. Read more about Videoloft’s security protocols.
2. Access anywhere, anytime
You can access your footage from anywhere at any time as long as you have an internet connection either through wifi or your mobile network. This is beneficial because in cases where the footage is stored locally, physical access to the security system is required to see the footage. With cloud-based video surveillance, you can access your footage at anytime, from anywhere making this feature perfect for businesses with multiple sites.
3. Centralized viewing platform
If you have CCTV security systems that are on different sites it can be challenging to view all your footage in one place with traditional NVRs or DVRs, and even if it is possible it can require port-forwarding which as the point above explains can cause security problems! It’s perfect for businesses with multiple sites or locations as it allows users to view all their cameras from one single login.
Connecting your CCTV system to the cloud means that you can view the footage from all your different sites in one centralized platform, which makes monitoring much easier!
4. Makes your CCTV system proactive
Lots of people view CCTV systems as reactive security systems that just store footage. With cloud-based video surveillance you are actually enhancing your CCTV systems features and making it proactive, for example with Videoloft you can receive real-time and customizable alerts when motion is detected.
You can even choose the zones you would like Videoloft to monitor for motion detection – even if you’re using an older, legacy analogue system! Best of all, you can enable rule based alerting which means that you’ll be alerted when a specific object appears. In a nutshell, making your security cameras cloud based means you can transform them into proactive security systems that alert you to important situations.
5. Easily share video surveillance footage
With an old traditional security system getting a copy of your footage could take a long time. By connecting your camera to the cloud you can easily share footage in just a few taps, which can be really important in emergencies and with providing evidence of events.
6. Get new features for legacy CCTV systems
By connecting your cameras to the cloud you can upgrades even basic CCTV systems into intelligent ones with a host of new features such as video analytics.
7. Notifications when your security system fails
In the past, most people didn’t realise their security system wasn’t working until they needed the footage for something and realised that it hadn’t been recording. But some cloud based video surveillance providers have live camera health monitoring features, which means you can both check if your cameras are working and be alerted if your camera goes down.
8. Scalable and flexible
By choosing a cloud service provider you’ll be able to change your cloud plan as required, rather than guessing how much storage you will need with a recorder. It’s also possible to connect your existing IP and analogue cameras to the cloud, mean you can choose professional security camera brands that suit your situation at the time.
How can you get a cloud based CCTV system?
There are two ways to adopt cloud-based CCTV:
1.) You could use a company that lets you buy their cameras, software and cloud storage, altogether
You could buy specialist cloud cameras from a cloud video surveillance company – where you buy their cloud camera, and the cloud storage together. While this simplicity may initially sound appealing, this option comes with a lot of disadvantages.
For example, if you already own cameras you would likely need to buy new ones from the chosen cloud video surveillance provider.
Even if you are okay with the ‘rip and replace’ cost of buying new specialist cloud cameras, once their cameras are installed you are tied to that specific provider (at least for the life of the product) and they may charge you a premium. Being tied into a specific provider will also hinder your ability to add or diminish other features as your requirements change.
This results in not only a very expensive cloud storage solution, but one that lacks flexibility.
2.) You can connect security cameras from established brands via the Videoloft Cloud Adapter
For this option, you can connect professional IP cameras from brands like TVT, Dahua, Hikvision, Uniview, Axis, Reolink and more (find out which brands we are compatible with) with a cloud video surveillance provider like Videoloft.
You’ll need a Cloud Adapter which acts as the bridging device between your CCTV cameras and the cloud. If you would like to keep your local recorder as another backup you can do that too.
All you’ll need then is a Videoloft account and a cloud storage plan. We are affordable, especially compared to our competitors.
One great element of choosing a cloud video recording service is that you can upgrade existing (even legacy) systems to have new functionality, transforming it into a cloud video management system. For example, you may have an old IP cam that doesn’t have many features, by adding Videoloft you instantly upgrade it with new intelligent features such as motion detection and even analytics.
It takes minutes to set up and once complete all your camera’s will record to one easily accessible and secure place!
Benefits of Adopting Cloud as a Security Professional
Frequently installers have their customers ask them for a cloud storage solution for their security system; so that their footage is accessible and secure.
Interested in Videoloft for your home or Videoloft for your business? Look no further, choose your cloud plan, and create your account by getting started.
