Investing in a security and surveillance system is a vast undertaking that requires extensive planning and careful consideration. With the range of options available on the market, narrowing down your choices might be a bit overwhelming. When you boil it down, there are two primary security systems that exist: local and hybrid cloud. They each have practical applications, but differ in several key areas.
The ins and outs of local security systems
Simply put, local security systems are the technological predecessor to cloud-based and hybrid cloud-based setups. They typically rely on a location-specific network that captures footage and transmits it to a locally hosted network video recorder (NVR). NVRs are much like large servers that serve to hold the footage that a camera network records. For smaller areas that don’t require wholly intensive surveillance, an NVR might seem like a reasonable selection. However, NVRs have several intrinsic design flaws that limit their effectiveness in conjunction with a local security system.
For one, they don’t allow for remote access. This means that, to review any captured footage, an administrator needs to be present to access the stored information. It greatly restricts access and doesn’t provide for multiple points of access which can greatly limit its utility. On top of that, local security systems are greatly hardware-reliant. If the NVR was to go down for any reason or experience connectivity issues, the footage being transmitted at that time would not be stored.
As such, local security systems are often referred to as reactive security systems. Instead of operating with an alert system or allowing administrators to get ahead of any security concerns, there’s a delay between the time of transmission and the point at which the footage is ready to review. This means that any information accessed from the local system is already old. While local systems are practical and have their uses, outfits like security company Verkada are far more invested in hybrid cloud-based systems that work to mitigate the risk of their more physical counterparts.
Hybrid cloud is the preferred choice
A hybrid cloud based security camera beats the outdated tech of local security systems by a not-so-slim margin. For one, the risk of data loss is greatly reduced. Since the cloud is not a physical entity, it isn’t prone to damage, theft, or many tampering efforts. This also helps circle back to the previously mentioned concept of proactive security. Verkada cameras can detect tampering, outages, and streaming downtime and issues alerts accordingly. This means that, instead of waiting for a technical issue to be sorted before reviewing footage, there are real-time notifications about system performance. This allows administrators to focus more heavily on crisis response efforts instead of maintenance.
Varkada cameras are also a more cost-effective solution, especially for multi-location projects that would have previously necessitated multiple NVR setups. Without having to pay for NVR housing across multiple sites, the data stored in the cloud is accessible from multiple access points and even remotely by authorized users. This is particularly important for school districts that are encouraging proactive security but don’t always have the greater levels of funding required for larger investments like a district-wide security initiative.
When it comes down to it, local security systems aren’t truly able to compete. With the advent of greater technology and reliance on cloud architecture and enhanced connectivity, companies like Verkada are paving the way for a more holistic approach to security and surveillance. For entities that are looking to enhance their security, upgrade an older system, or implement a new security policy, a hybrid cloud-based security system is the most logical choice. Not only does the feature richness of hybrid cloud systems make more sense in the greater scope of things, but the added benefits such as cost-effectiveness are too hard to ignore.
