Security system technology has changed a lot in the past 10 years since digital cameras and networked video using internet connectivity moved to the forefront of the industry.
This post is designed to help explain much of the terminology and technology evolution in the world of business video surveillance systems, through a relatively quick look through at how technology has changed from the business owner’s perspective.
Why write this post?
We’re still often contacted by prospective clients who say they are looking for a CCTV security system. The vast majority of these prospective clients actually want digital security technology with high-resolution cameras. Many also want to monitor their facilities from the convenience of a smart phone or a desktop computer.
The problem is that many business owners, safety officers, HR execs, facilities managers (and other administrative staff who may be tasked with doing the preliminary research on business surveillance systems) aren’t familiar with how the industry now classifies and describes surveillance technology.
As a result, prospective clients end up researching CCTV systems and may not always get connected with the best system for their needs if they end up with old technology or a less-experienced (or non-local) provider.
We hope this post will help you to understand some of the ways video surveillance technology has changed over the past 25 years so that you can make better choices when creating a short-list of security system providers who can provide the service you need here in Alabama and surrounding states.
Video Security Systems for Business: From CCTV and Analog to IP Video and HD Cameras
The video security industry has adopted new lingo to explain the digital generation video camera and network technology, but many in the business world aren’t quite as far along in adopting this new way of talking about video surveillance systems, cameras and the network systems that deliver images and store the video files.
New Video Surveillance Technology Language
High-resolution digital video cameras have replaced the early generation low-resolution analog security cameras, while connectivity has moved from coaxial cable to ethernet, fiber optics (and wireless, in some cases). The cameras in new systems are now connected to servers using internet protocols for network connectivity.
- Quick Side Note: Although we can certainly help customers who truly want the more basic technology of CCTV security systems, most of our clients really want the IP video security technology and the benefits that come with it. But if you want analog CCTV, we can meet your needs.
CCTV Security Systems
CCTV refers to closed circuit television. In one sense, a digital camera system connected through a computer network is still a close-circuit system because it is not “broadcast” over the airwaves.
Brief Overview of the History of CCTV Technology
In the early days of television and video technology, CCTV was adopt to differentiate the closed system from “broadcast” television which goes out over-the-air, cable television (which itself originated from the CATV, or community antennae television mode), and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) television.
The basic technology for CCTV was first implemented by Germany in 1942 during World War II to monitor rocket launches. CCTV appeared on the scene in the US in 1949.
In the very early days of CCTV, the uses were primarily industrial operations. Eventually, large organizations and larger cities adopted video surveillance technology to reduce the labor costs of staffing physical security officers for crime prevention.
For a few decades, storage of the footage captured by surveillance cameras wasn’t economically feasible, so a security team had to be on-site to provide constant monitoring using a bank of televisions connected by coaxial cable to the various cameras. Monitoring was, of course, very expensive and labor-intensive.
Eventually, video recording systems were developed that allowed security camera footage to be stored on tape and reviewed later, if necessary. Tape reels or cartridges had limited storage capacity and had to be changed out regularly. On the plus side, the videotape could reused or used to archive footage, as appropriate.
As “switching” and monitoring technology improved, it became possible to have fewer large television monitors for reviewing live camera feeds, but businesses still needed large teams of security personnel to monitor the system.
1980s and 1990s Video Security
As video recording technology continued to improve in the 1980s, the cost of video security systems dropped enough that many smaller and medium-sized retail businesses could implement video security for theft prevention and other workplace monitoring reasons.
The Shift to Digital Video Surveillance Technology
Digital video cameras made it to the commercial marketplace by the late 1990s. As the price came down, the use of digital video for video surveillance gained wider adoption. Digital video cameras offer much improved resolution over the analog cameras.
We recently shared a blog post about the Toomer’s Corner Oak Tree arson event in Auburn, Alabama that uses actual footage from a newscast to visually demonstrate the difference between CCTV security systems and IP video security and why HD video surveillance matters when you’re investing in a video security system.
The introduction of drive-based storage systems (rather than tape) and “multiplexing” technology that allowed several cameras to be recorded simultaneously, further expanded the adoption of video surveillance systems in the 1990s.
Expanded Applications for Video Security
The increasing deployment of video surveillance technology allowed businesses to do more than simply use video for physical crime prevention. Workplace monitoring through video security was implemented for risk management (accidents, including workers compensation and third-party injuries), inventory control applications, productivity monitoring, and quality control.
IP Networking Capabilities for Video Security Systems
As briefly explained above, CCTV systems exist in a closed network. The implementation of IP-capable technology, opened the possibility of different approaches to networking the video security system through computer networks (private or over the public internet).
In other words, even though a business might use the “Internet Protocol” for networking the system, the video security system still remains “closed” within a private LAN (local area network), unless the user wants to access the system remotely through the public internet.
The “remote viewing” capabilities of IP video security solutions might be the biggest benefit of IP video vs the earlier generation CCTV security systems.
As businesses upgrade security systems today, they almost always choose to incorporate IP cameras and IP networking capabilities into their surveillance systems. In 2014, IP video surveillance cameras outsold non-IP digital cameras for the first time.
We will continue to update this post to continue our explanation of the evolution of newer IP video security system technology.
In the meantime, if you’re in the market for a video security system for your Alabama business, we are your locally-owned and proactive service provider. We’re available to serve business client accounts from Mobile to Huntsville, Tuscaloosa to Anniston and points in-between.
