Why Public Space CCTV must consider Wireless Technology

Boston Networks release free white paper detailing the benefits of wireless technology for

the public space, Vigilance can report.

Although public opinion on CCTV is still divided, a large majority now feel safer where Public CCTV is

in operation. Surely the Public Sector must look to emerging technologies to facilitate growth and

shape future systems.

 

The UK has more CCTV cameras per capita than any other European country and CCTV for Public

Space Surveillance in the UK has developed at a faster rate than anywhere else in the world.

So no longer is the questions, Why do we need CCTV? It’s more, ‘What is my Local Authority doing to

ensure Public Safety in this economic downturn, plagued with budget cuts?’

This is where emerging technologies present a compelling case. The benefits of IP solutions over

historic analogue systems will only be further enhanced and documented in 2013 and it is predicted

that Wireless CCTV solutions will really come to the fore.

Why Wireless?

With Wireless Public Space CCTV, long gone are the days of massive investment with depreciating

assets. The latest surveillance technologies present a wealth of cost savings, superior quality

footage, enhanced storage and review capabilities and truly scalable solutions.

Rapid Deployment and Redeployment

Wireless CCTV cameras can be deployed and redeployed quickly and efficiently, which is the polar

opposite to fixed analogue cameras that require a dig solution.

Deployment and redeployment of cameras can be configured in days. Such time savings greatly

benefit the emergency services, enabling them to target crime hot spots and monitor temporary

events that possess an element of public risk. Moreover with Wireless technologies the police and

local authorities can share services and cameras, presenting an even greater cost saving.

Migrate gradually with a Hybrid Solution

Wireless cameras can be gradually introduced and added to existing systems to create a hybrid

solution. An evolutionary approach to migration negates the high up-front costs associated with

analogue systems. Moreover there is no mass ‘rip out and replace’ required.

Image Quality

Indisputably, a wireless HD camera can deliver better image quality and higher resolution than an

analogue camera. In a fully digital wireless surveillance system, images from a network camera are

digitised once and they stay digital with no unnecessary conversions and no image degradation. In

addition, digital images are stored and retrieved much more effectively.

Audio

Wireless surveillance solutions also support two-way audio, allowing users to listen in on an areas as

well as playback a recorded audio clip to visitors or intruders remotely. Audio detection can also be

used as an event trigger, which for example can be used to direct a PTZ network camera or initiate

recording of video; all automated and managed wirelessly.

Event Surveillance

The aforementioned swift and cost effective deployment is illustration enough as to why a wireless

CCTV solution is most appropriate to monitor an event.

Advanced wireless cameras include built-in features such as video motion detection, audio detection

alarm, active tampering alarm and alarm and event management functionalities. These features

enable the surveillance solution to constantly analyse inputs to detect an event and to automatically

respond to an event.

Enhanced Storage

Efficient storage delivers obvious benefits in terms of hardware requirements. In addition smart

storage is also more flexible in video format, with wireless and IP cameras offering more than one

video compression format including include Motion JPEG, MPEG-4 Part 2 and H.264.

Eliminating risks with Edge Storage

Edge storage allows a wireless camera to record video directly to a storage device such as an

SD/SDHC card, thereby creating a more robust, reliable and flexible system.

The cameras can record video locally when the central system is not available, or continuously

record in parallel.

Scalability and Flexibility

A wireless surveillance system can change and grow, almost immediately, as situations and

requirements dictate. Cameras can be added and/or moved to the system without significant or

costly changes to the wireless infrastructure and no service interruption.

Cost Effectiveness

Wireless surveillance solutions are much less expensive alternatives than traditional coaxial and fibre

cabling for an analogue CCTV system. In addition, digital video streams can be quickly and swiftly

viewed in various locations and also seamlessly integrated in to an intelligent control room.

Management and equipment costs are also lower with the adoption of back-end application, smart

storage and open systems-based servers as opposed to proprietary hardware such as a DVR in the

case of an analogue CCTV system.

Summary

Wireless CCTV solutions offer a myriad of benefits from cost savings to smart storage and enhanced

images and will no doubt be on the agenda for many Local Authorities and should play a key role in

shaping the future of public space CCTV.