A new study by IMS Research is showing that the fastest growing segment in the "remote monitoring" industry is the remote monitoring of video. This is one area that I'm glad to see the possibilities through technology being used in the real world. However, I do believe there is a little too much haste in some cases. The systems integration field is one of the only fields out there that's growing and advancing as quickly as it is. With the introduction of the big -boy technology companies into the mix, integrators are looking for the edge and everyone wants to offer the "next big thing". This is nothing new in the industry, it's just at a scale that I believe is larger than ever before.
Couple the "next big thing" factor with the "let's save you some effort / money" factor, and the topic of remote video monitoring will probably come up. Not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely something that should be looked at from all angels before considering. I've seen some remarkably effective consoles that monitor remote locations. Even overseas locations, monitored real time with direct communications to security responders on site. It can be done, it can be done well, but can it be done reliably? You can control the network connections on your sites, and you can require the monitoring service or monitoring site to meet specific communications needs as well. But even the companies that supply most of the communications equipment can't control the multiple networks the data has to travel over to get from point A to point B. Now I know - I know, network providers have come a long way. They have secured agreements to provide redundant networks and back up data routes, so the user hardly ever experiences service problems. But in a security video situation, where two critical factors of the remote monitoring equation rest on network reliability (video feed and communication with local responders), there is a lot that can go wrong.
How many times has part of your network been offline, or you can't connect to a remote server? No big deal, just wait a few minutes - but when your dealing with an active shooter situation, or trying to monitor a safety issue - a few minutes can spell disaster. I'm not saying remote video monitoring is a bad idea, it's perfect for some situations - just make sure you're not putting all your eggs in one basket.
