3 Ways IP Surveillance Can Bolster Student and Employee Safety

As a leader, it's your job to not only guide your employees or students in their individual objectives, but also to protect their interests and quality of life, so that they can better contribute to larger organizational goals. Part of protecting quality of life is, of course, protecting safety by implementing the best security solutions.

In the past, the best way to ensure safety has been through simple lock mechanisms and/or door searches. Today, there's a digital solution to old, analog closed circuit television options, and interest is growing. A Transparency Market Research report reveals that the video surveillance market is expected to reach $42.81 billion by 2019, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.1% from 2013 to 2019. By system, the IP-based surveillance market is expected to grow at an even higher CAGR of 24.2% between 2013 and 2019, fueled by a need for better video quality.

IP surveillance boasts all sorts of business benefits, so the decision about whether or not you should begin to implement this solution isn't so much a decision as it is an opportunity to plan. How and when will you implement, and how will you use the surveillance to keep employees or students safe?

3 Ways IP Surveillance Can Contribute to Safety 

To tease out some of the ways you might use IP surveillance to bolster safety (as opposed to using it for preventing theft, recognizing business errors, or the like), we're going to share some simple examples.

1. Restricted Area Awareness

If your facility had one region that was off limits to anyone without the credentials to work there, such as a lab environment, for example, you could enhance employee or student safety through adding a camera to that area.

In the past, having a camera in a restricted area would only allow you to review a tape after the occurrence of an event or breach — not a great improvement to safety, as it wouldn't stop a breach in progress. With IP surveillance, though, you could receive an alert when there's motion in the camera view, giving your security team the opportunity to take action.

Recommended Read: Is IP Video Surveillance Right For Your Small Business?

2. Video Dependent Building Access

Even if you have a lock system that requires credentials, there's no guarantee those credentials can't be stolen or purchased by someone seeking to harm your students or employees. A video surveillance solution that allows you to electronically release a lock when the party is approved by the person monitoring security could add an extra layer of protection.

This extends to verification of a visitor's purpose on your premises, as well. Imagine, for example, if you had the power to verify an expected tracking number before a delivery person were able to enter your package dropoff area — by asking to look at the package over video in real time. That's a safety precaution worth taking.

3. Pattern Recognition

More advanced IP surveillance solutions will allow you to use your system to identify patterns in video recordings. This is obviously beneficial in the case of theft; rather than having to search through hours of tape, you could use a find and replace type of function to identify the time of theft, for example. But how could pattern recognition help protect your employees' and students' safety?

You could predict the occurrence of an event using information gleaned from your IP surveillance solution. For example, what if an employee were creating a significant security threat on premises, planning to act later? (It sounds grim, but healthy suspicion is beneficial in the case of safety!) Your system could detect that individual's presence and actions if repeated, alerting you to a potential plot. There are various other ways pattern recognition could protect safety as well — but stopping a physical attack before it happens is about the best measure of safety your company or school could ask for.

IP video surveillance can help you predict an event with pattern recognition. Click to tweet 

Finding a Starting Point

Now that you know how IP surveillance can protect both your safety and your business interests, it's time to start your search for the right solution. Think about what's realistic from an expense standpoint, and what's most beneficial from a safety standpoint. You'll likely find that the benefits of a full-blown solution significantly outweigh the costs, but if you really want to start small, consider testing out just a few cameras for the initial migration, and, of course, consulting with a security partner.