Avoid These Three Common Video Surveillance Issues with Cloud-Based Video Network Monitoring

A financial institution’s large, distributed surveillance system can have hundreds or even thousands of security cameras, network video recorders (NVRs), and encoders spread out over many locations. The day-to-day management of so many devices can often be a challenge.

Video management software can certainly help maintain these devices by providing health-monitoring alerts, but if businesses don’t have time to manage these notifications, systems could still be vulnerable to connection problems, hard drive failures, or other issues that could impact recording.

This is where cloud-based video network monitoring services come into play. In a video network monitoring service arrangement from Convergint and March Networks, organizations can continue to record and store video locally, but the day-to-day maintenance of all devices occurs offsite. So instead of worrying about camera and NVR connections, software upgrades, and other issues, the video surveillance infrastructure is monitored daily by Convergint’s trained professionals. Issues can often be resolved remotely with cloud-based tools, or technicians can be dispatched if required.

Banks large and small turn to cloud-based video network monitoring services for many reasons, but time savings and peace of mind are some of the key motivators. Such a solution can help companies avoid many of the problems a typical security or IT manager might face in an enterprise video deployment, including lost video, out-of-date software and firmware, and costly truck rolls.

The consequences of lost video can be enormous. Consider a customer slip and fall incident. The customer may claim the bank’s floor was wet and no warning sign was posted, making the bank liable for the injury. The employees may argue otherwise but without surveillance videos, proof of what actually happened does not exist and the bank could be responsible for damages. Unfortunately, scenarios like this happen all too commonly. Lost video can happen for a variety of reasons, including a camera connection issue, a failed hard drive, or incorrect NVR retention settings, which can cause the recorder to overwrite video.

Cloud-based video network monitoring services can help avoid lost video by overseeing the configuration settings on system cameras and recorders to ensure they are correct. With this service from Convergint and March Networks, known as Insight, NVR peripherals (fans, batteries, and hard drives) are monitored, as well as all recorder and camera connections to make sure equipment is functioning properly.

With Insight’s cloud-based platform, issues that are being corrected can be seen by both the company and provider for a comprehensive issue resolution. Companies can see all system cameras and NVRs on a layered map, easily pinpoint issues, and create support tickets. Workflows are also trackable, so all parties can see when tickets open and close.

With heightened concerns about security vulnerabilities, it is essential to keep IP camera and recorder software updated. In enterprise deployments, it can take a lot of time to apply the vast amount of updates. Additionally, it is difficult to keep track of which units need patches or upgrades and which ones don’t.

With Insight, Convergint and March Networks can handle this entire process with remote software upgrades scheduled during off-peak hours, as well as notifications when new software or firmware versions become available. This helps to protect networks against vulnerabilities and also ensures that systems are running with the latest feature enhancements.

The video network monitoring service provides detailed reports on product inventory, including device model numbers, age of equipment, and warranty status to help with lifecycle management. With Insight’s web portal, all reports are easily accessible via a cloud-based web platform.

Insight’s cloud-based video network monitoring services can help avoid unnecessary truck rolls through remote issue resolution. Convergint and March Networks can restart recorders remotely, and troubleshoot other issues to locate the problem. If needed, technicians can be dispatched onsite to solve the problem and validate completion of the resolution before closing the case.

Insight’s cloud-based video network monitoring services can alleviate the burden of video surveillance device management and keep financial instutions’ video networks in optimal health.