You’ve seen the ads, probably heard colleagues talking about a new option for video surveillance. It sounds pretty good and you’re thinking, “yeah, I think I’ll explore that for my next project”. Little to no upfront cost, a “free” system design, a predictable monthly fee, and no maintenance costs make this an option that’s difficult to ignore. These large, multi-national companies, hire local sub-contractors to install your system, usually with their proprietary equipment. For one monthly fee, your camera system is installed and maintained for a specific period of time. Another benefit touted by many companies offering this relatively new video option is system monitoring. In most cases, they will know before you when a camera is down and will either notify you or simply schedule a technician to investigate and repair the problem. Some will even search video for you after an incident and send you and/or the police the appropriate video clips, saving you the time it can take to look through hours of recorded video. Many of these systems provide a combination of recording video on the edge (at the camera) and in the cloud. Therefore, no on-site DVR is required. All in all, it can be a tempting offer to consider, especially for cash-strapped entities that may need a larger system. No up-front cash layout, along with some of the other benefits can be quite appealing.
However, as with any new offering, there is always the other side of the coin. What don’t the fancy marketing pieces tell you, but you really should take into consideration? Here are a few, offered by this independent consultant:
- Over the term of the agreement, your monthly fees will likely add up to significantly more than had you purchased the system outright, even when you factor in the included maintenance & repairs
- You have no say in who the company selects as a sub-contractor for installation, maintenance or, repairs. We’ve seen some brought in from out of state.
- If the equipment installed is proprietary, it likely is not compatible with your other security systems (access control for example) and cannot integrate with them.
- If you decide that the video management system (VMS) they use is not meeting your needs, you could be faced with a difficult decision: live with the problem or be forced to purchase all new cameras (proprietary cameras may not function with another VMS).
As a consultant, my job doesn’t involve selling you a system. My task is to listen to your objectives, ask a lot of questions and find the solution that best meets your needs while eliminating as many obstacles as possible. From what I’ve seen and read, most, if not all of the benefits offered by companies providing the solution I’ve described above can be met in other ways. Ways that don’t lock you into using someone’s proprietary equipment, limit your ability to expand and integrate with other systems, and cost you far more than you need to spend. Even if you ultimately decide that the convenience provided is worth the limitations that come with it, I’d urge you to make the decision with an experienced professional (that isn’t trying to sell you something) by your side, making sure you are seeing both sides of the coin.