2011/07/29 15:38:30

How competently to select surveillance cameras

Video surveillance from discharge of things which meet generally in the Hollywood fighters at first turned into category of expensive, but effective tool for the large organizations, and now became quite available even for the small companies. In spite of the fact that video surveillance system cost not transcendental, the selected amount, naturally, wants to be spent so that any ruble (or dollar) was not spent for nothing. Select cameras which will cope with your tasks and will be entered in the minimum budget, it is quite possible – to consider five nuances enough.

The directory of video surveillance systems and projects is available on TAdviser.

1. That, where, when

First of all it is worth being defined what or whom it is necessary to watch. If you are interested only how employees in working hours behave, it is possible to save on such opportunity as the mode of night observation safely. Do you want to assign to office cameras security functions at the same time? Then not to do without night shooting. Pay attention to the minimum illumination at which shooting is possible (it is specified in luxury). The this value is lower, the better the camera is suitable for shooting in the dark. So, on the street in a full moon illumination equals about 0.1-0.3 lx – means, for shooting out of premises in the territory which is not lit in addition it is necessary to take the camera with the corresponding sensitivity.

Evident illustration of a difference between standard resolutions of cameras

By the way, about shooting on the street: if you conceived to equip with a video surveillance system not only office, but also the adjacent territory, cameras it is good to select with additional protection against a rain and snow. Temperature range in which cameras can work is important: make sure that the model which was pleasant to you is capable to worry the Russian winter, or take care of the warmed casing.

By the way, resolution of the camera depends on the fact that you chose subject to observation. The camera with the resolution from one megapixel, for example, will allow to make out everything in parts – to record numbers of cars and the person of passersby even if they are on considerable removal. Respectively, if observation is established for employees, it is possible to save on this parameter – chiefs of departments, as a rule, know the subordinates by sight so in this case the overall picture is more important.

2. Observation zone

After the subject it is necessary to select zones which will be covered by video surveillance. Let's assume, you want to use cameras for the organization of security, and want to trace cases of penetration into office. In this case it is possible to select cameras with a small viewing angle and to direct them to doors and windows so that the camera with guarantee recorded everyone who gets to the premises. If your purpose – to trace all events, and the observed territory is rather big, it will be rational to fork up such additional features as a wide angle lens, an optical zoom and an oblique turning gear. Of course, such camera will be more expensive, but you will be able to save on quantity: one such device allows to cover the big area.

3. Integration with a security system

That who wants to enter cameras in the existing security system or to create new from scratch on their basis, it will be reasonably useful to study abilities to integrate which the selected model has. Advantage, of course, behind cameras to which it is possible to connect motion sensors and microphones. Such models can (depending on other characteristics) to turn independently in the direction from where noise reaches, to be focused on a moving object, to send notifications and to take pictures at operation of sensors. Thanks to it the security service has an opportunity to react quickly to disturbing signals and to precisely define what occurs on an object: whether the sensor reacted to the violator who climbs through a fence, or on movements of a tree under a wind gust.

The security service can trace all events in the territory

A lot of things depend also on that how powerful is necessary a system and as it is going to organize observation. If you want that images from cameras were output to one monitor, make sure that the enclosed software gives such chance. Some producers give the chance to integrate the equipment into the existing software solutions – it can be very convenient when really powerful security system is necessary.

4. Information security

It is unlikely it will want to you that records of what happens in your office, fell into hands of strangers or just those to whom they did not intend. Such incident can implicate the most unpleasant – since the fact that it will be easier for malefactor to make the plan of penetration, and finishing with the fact that competitors will be able to get access to confidential information (for example, having seen the login and the password which the chief accountant not to forget, wrote on a leaflet and pasted directly on the monitor).

It is possible to protect himself from it, having selected cameras which allow to cipher data and to protect them from interception. Naturally, at the same time it is necessary to be sure that the network on which data are transferred is protected rather reliably – but it is already separate subject. It is useful when the attached software allows to differentiate access rights to the camera and records. Let's tell, in case of observation of subordinates heads of divisions can grant the rights to watching video from the camera, and here entirely to entrust control of the camera and setup to the system administrator. It helps to make secure against annoying incidents when one of users accidentally presses not that button and deletes all videoarchive.

5. Protection against encroachments

Unfortunately, video cameras as a magnet attract different irresponsible persons therefore it makes sense to locate them there where hands will not reach and stones will not reach. Other option – to select model with anti-vandal protection. And not only the camera, but also cables which to it go, differently should be protected by one movement of a knife the device can be made useless, having deprived of both power supply, and contact with the server.

Bonus will be as well duplicate system of data storage when records are stored also on your server with which the camera, and in the camera on the memory card or other carrier is connected. If the server glitches or will be stolen, you will have copy of video using which you will be able to analyze a situation and to find out the reason of malfunctions, or to set as the criminal looked.