For most security professionals, video surveillance is most commonly associated with monitoring facilities, deterring unwanted activity and providing evidence when an incident occurs. However, modern video systems can do much more than document what happened. Now that video analytics and artificial intelligence are a part of the equation, the same devices traditionally used for surveillance can also provide insights into how people move through a space, how facilities are being used and where operational bottlenecks may be developing. This turns video footage into more than just a record of past events but also a source of operational intelligence that can [...]

Today, many security leaders are asked to perform a delicate balancing act of expanding the capabilities of their video deployments while reducing the complexity of on-site infrastructure. While this may sound unrealistic, direct-to-cloud surveillance has emerged as an approach that can help organizations achieve these goals, by allowing video data to be securely transmitted to the cloud without relying on traditional on-premises recording hardware. For systems integrators, moving to a direct-to-cloud architecture involves more than selecting compatible cameras. Successful deployments require careful planning around network performance, cybersecurity, storage strategies, and customer expectations. Understanding these considerations early can help integrators deliver [...]