Viewpoint: Public agencies buying more surveillance gear (with related video)

In the wake of the Boston marathon bombing, government agencies on all levels have turned towards upgrading and/or purchasing additional video surveillance equipment. Part of what allowed Boston-area law enforcement personnel the ability to identify the perpetrators was the high-definition quality recordings of the surveillance cameras that were present at the scene of the bombing.

The cameras used were IP surveillance cameras (high-definition digital cameras) which record video at high resolution rates, versus older analog surveillance cameras (lower resolution, non-digital). The difference in clarity between an analog surveillance camera and an IP camera is similar to the difference in quality between older VHS video and Blu-ray high-definition quality.

Today, many municipalities find themselves still using older analog security systems that have been in place for quite some time due to cost constraints. As private sector organizations and agencies have already begun to adopt IP-based security technology at a rapid rate, many in the public sector find themselves behind the technology curve.

Governments are now putting more focus on cost-effective IP-based security solutions that allow for scalable, sustainable, high-quality video surveillance that can be monitored and played back in a mobile setting.

Today’s IP-based technology allows for law enforcement personnel to be able to access live, high-definition streaming video surveillance feeds, or archive video that can be played back on mobile hand-held devices such as smart phones and tablet devices. This gives real-time situational awareness to those responsible for maintaining security.

Technology has evolved and the price for IP-based security products has fallen dramatically. These two trends have given government agencies the ability to upgrade older analog systems, to much higher quality IP-based, high-definition products, in a cost-effective manner.

Steve Cina is director of marketing of IPVideo Corp. He has been with the company for five years and is a security and technology professional. 

IPVideo is headquartered in Bay Shore, N.Y. The company has developed and implemented Fusion Center Solutions, Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) solutions and Video Management Systems (VMS). Clients include the U.S. Navy, Department of Defense, energy provider ConEd, Brookhaven National Labs and more than 200 school districts. The company’s offerings empower organizations to proactively mitigate security risks while maximizing return on investment.
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See a demonstration of IPVideo's surveillance products here.