Why Businesses Are Switching to AI Surveillance Software for Smarter Security

Security surveillance cameras are critical safety devices that have been used in commercial organizations for decades. However, the traditional closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera system records images and leaves the onus of detection on security guards. The latter has to constantly monitor images from scores of cameras, which may not be convenient or reliable.

This is why companies are now investing in ai surveillance software that makes their existing CCTV systems intelligent. By using artificial intelligence and video content analysis, organizations can now turn ordinary surveillance cameras into intelligence-generating systems that can monitor and alert about specific activities.

CCTVs Cameras Traditional CCTV is Mostly Reactive

The main challenge with traditional surveillance systems is detecting and reacting to events in a timely manner. After all, CCTV cameras do not guarantee safety unless operators watch every pixel on all monitors in real-time. It can be overwhelming for security personnel, particularly if an organization has ten, twenty, or more surveillance cameras to watch.

Moreover, CCTV cameras cannot do anything except record everything happening in their field of view. Thus, if a break-in occurs at night, operators will only know about it if they catch footage of an intruder, or someone accidentally walks in front of the cameras and is captured on tape.

In essence, CCTV surveillance is reactive, which means that it only responds to incidents after they occur. Meanwhile, AI-enabled CCTV cameras would take a proactive approach to security and monitoring. Artificial intelligence can monitor thousands of videos in real-time, actively “searching” for images, videos, and other data of interest.

How AI Surveillance Software Helps Monitoring

AI surveillance solutions use computer vision and artificial intelligence technologies to analyze the video imagery.

Depending on the particular application and the selected plan, the software can recognize and process objects such as:

• Unauthorized intrusion

• Intrusion and boundary crossing

• Loitering and irregular activity

• Crowding and density estimation

• Fire and smoke detection

• PPE and work safety violations

• Vehicles and license plates recognition

• Entry/exit detection

Besides, once an object of interest is identified, the AI software can provide an instant notification to draw the attention of security and response team.

Intelligent Surveillance Enables Fast Reaction

The main benefit of modern AI surveillance solutions is that they can help in detecting the problem earlier.

For example, if a person gains unauthorized access to a restricted warehouse area, traditional cameras would capture the event. However, an AI-enabled system that has been trained to trigger notifications in such cases would inform the security team about the irregularity in real-time.

As a result, in many cases, security and operational teams can react faster and minimize damage and losses.

AI Surveillance Software Expands the Capabilities of Existing Systems

When considering an upgrade to an AI-based solution, businesses often face the dilemma of whether to keep their existing CCTV cameras and video management systems.

Depending on the selected AI surveillance solution, it may be possible to retain the existing infrastructure and enhance it with advanced analytics and real-time processing capabilities.

Therefore, when selecting the solution for a particular business location, it is essential to ensure that the current IP cameras and other equipment can be integrated with the chosen AI software. Moreover, the number and positioning of the cameras, as well as the quality of the video feed, network bandwidth, and other factors, should also be taken into consideration.

More Than Just Security

Another reason for growing popularity is that video analytics software is capable of supporting operational needs in addition to security.

For instance, retailers can gain insights on people flow and density, manufacturers – track safety-related events, and warehouses – receive alerts on unauthorized entries.

This way, the existing surveillance systems can be utilized more efficiently, providing valuable information for operational purposes, and not just being used as a recording device.

Reducing the Burden of 24/7 Monitoring

Using AI surveillance is not about completely eliminating a human factor but instead about reducing the volume of work for security personnel.

Instead of having someone watch all the time and get fatigued looking at uneventful footage, computer vision can take over and be constantly aware of all the cameras’ activities.

Then, security guards can focus on the alerts and assess each situation, determining whether it requires their intervention.

This way, the round-the-clock monitoring can be handled with fewer people, thus reducing costs for businesses that have to keep track of hundreds if not thousands of cameras.

Conclusion: Make Your Business Security Smarter

While traditional CCTV systems are great at capturing and storing video content, most modern companies are in need of something more intelligent that would be able to recognize and respond to events happening in real-time. Modern AI surveillance software enables businesses to analyze video streams, identify incidents, and receive alerts in real-time.

Would you like to make your existing surveillance system do more than just record? Contact us today to learn how intelligent video surveillance can help make your business safer and more efficient.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is AI surveillance software?

AI surveillance software makes use of artificial intelligence and computer vision to interpret video content and recognize pre-set objects, behaviours or events.

2. Can AI surveillance software be used with existing CCTV cameras?

Depending on the solution, it may be possible to rely on some compatible existing cameras and systems. This will depend on the cameras, video streams and overall requirements of the selected technology.

3. What type of businesses can benefit from AI surveillance?

It can be beneficial in warehouses, factories, shops, offices, commercial spaces and other areas that require constant monitoring.

4. Will AI surveillance make security guards and personnel redundant?

Not necessarily. In fact, it may be used as an addition to a team of guards or patrol cars, streamlining and accelerating the decision-making process whilst ensuring that people are always in control of the situation.