A CCTV system that purely records footage without offsite monitoring won’t always be a proactive solution to potential crimes or theft within your business. You will never be able to stop a crime from taking place nor will you know when to alert authorities to catch the criminal, and even with recorded footage of the perpetrator, there is no guarantee that they will be found once they have fled the scene. Ultimately CCTV cameras alone aren’t reactive enough to prevent potential threats to your staff, premises, and assets.
Fortunately CCTV offsite monitoring is a simple and cost-effective solution to solve this problem.
Offsite monitoring is an added security measure that sends live footage to a control room located and run by an external security company. Your CCTV system is connected to the control room via an internet connection which allows a professional security team to monitor your premises and react accordingly, taking the pressure and danger of dealing with security out of your hands completely. Using a combination of CCTV footage and any other security systems on site, the monitoring team will be notified and alerted of any unusual activity on site. They will analyze the live footage to determine the necessary action to respond to the alert.
Offsite monitoring systems use specially programmed artificial intelligence which can pick up on any unusual activity. The security team is alerted via an alarm that directs the monitors to the appropriate live camera feed which triggered the initial alert.
If a threat is confirmed, the offsite monitoring team will alert the necessary emergency responders that you have appointed as well as make contact with any onsite security staff, if there is any. Offsite monitoring also comes in handy when there is no direct threat. They will be able to remotely deactivate an alarm that may have been triggered falsely or by accident.
Although onsite security guards or staff are a great way to protect your property, it can get expensive considering it’s an additional staff member that often works outside of working hours. Whether you use in-house security staff or recruit a professional security company, the salaries and bills could add up. Using offsite monitoring to assist onsite guards can greatly reduce your cost by not needing to hire additional staff.
The use of CCTV cameras and offsite monitoring can reduce the cost of insurance premiums because insurance companies may see your premises as less of a risk to insure.
CCTV cameras can be installed with speakers or lights. Offsite monitoring centres can use these additional tools to deter trespassers by alerting them that they are being watched. The remote team is highly trained to deal with break-ins a will provide a strategized response in the event of a break-in or crime. Without offsite monitoring, you may respond to a crime too late or not even know that it has taken place until you are back onsite. For these reasons, offsite monitoring is a great way to reduce crime and improve your security.
The remote control room is monitored by staff at all hours of the day, especially after hours when most crimes may take place. Onsite security staff may get tired or weary, especially when working an overnight shift, but fortunately, remote monitoring is fully functional 24/7 with multiple professionals ready to handle any emergency that might occur.
On-foot security guards can be a valuable asset when defending against dangerous situations, however, they do come with some limitations. On-the-ground security guards may not have sight or access to every part of the premises which means criminals may still get passed them or they may not be able to allocate exactly where a trespasser is. With the intelligent camera systems, the offsite monitoring team has access to all viewpoints and can be in contact with the security staff to alert them of the location of a person, if they are carrying weapons or the best response methods to proceed safely and cautiously.
False alarms are inevitable with any security system. Whether it’s a sensor beam, a CCTV camera, or an alarm system, all security measures may accidentally trip and alert you of an intruder. False alarms can be stressful and a waste of time for you, your staff, and the emergency responders that may be called out. Fortunately, having an offsite monitoring team with access to your live CCTV footage means that the stress is completely off your shoulders unless there is a serious threat. The remote professionals are able to analyze the scene to determine whether the alarm was activated falsely and can deactivate and reactivate the system directly from the control room.
Using an offsite monitoring service will only create a more secure environment for your business and staff. There are so many benefits to investing in a CCTV system accompanied by offsite monitoring. CCTV cameras are always evolving with technology and having a dedicated professional response team will only create more security on your premises.
The next step is choosing the right CCTV offsite monitoring company. We at CCTV Security Surveillance offer live CCTV monitoring to commercial and industrial sectors. Our CCTV monitoring systems along with artificial intelligence ensure proactive security solutions are in place to prevent crimes from taking place.
For more information on our offsite monitoring services call us at 086 100 2288 or email us at cctv@cctvsa.co.za.
