One of the things I see as a problem when it comes to security cameras is that people don’t slow down and think through the information they receive before purchasing. Electronics are not the type of thing that should be purchased on impulse. They might work for a hamburger, but hamburgers don’t require technical support.
Solutions. Not Gimmicks
I just spoke with a customer this morning that had received a lot of information from someone online that was recommending the purchase vandal dome cameras for his installation. They were going on about how their cameras could withstand a blow from a hammer or a baseball bat. Everything sounded great and he had been interested until I asked him a simple question. What happens to a vandal dome camera if someone places a sticker on it or sprays some paint on it? The look on his face was priceless. In 10 seconds he was no longer interested in paying more money for a gimmick. I am not saying that vandal dome cameras do not have a place in the marketplace. They are used in prisons and other areas so that they hold up better, but most businesses do not need a vandal dome camera. If someone is interested in taking the camera out, there are many easier ways than smashing it.
Another gimmick that has been sold a lot traditionally has been the Pan Tilt Zoom Camera or PTZ. These cameras allow the user to move the camera around and zoom in when they want. They were designed for use by loss prevention officers and work great in situations where a guard is actively monitoring and using the cameras. The problem today is that most people don’t have people in those positions. Most camera users look at the footage passively once something has already happened. This makes the PTZ camera a gross overspend. I encourage clients to purchase 3 different fixed cameras and blanket the intended area in coverage instead.
Lately, I have seen a spike in people that are using the many wireless solution cameras provided by Nest, Arlo, Ring, and even Blink XT, (a company owned by Amazon.) Many of these cameras will integrate with Amazon Alexa and record to the cloud. On the surface, they seem like a great solution but buyer beware. When you buy these inexpensive cameras and place them throughout your home or business, you are giving video over to a third party. That information will be backed up on a cloud server somewhere connected to you forever. The fact that most of my clients put up cameras to protect themselves from liability makes this type of solution problematic in my eyes. If you had a dash cam in your car and accidentally ran a stop sign, would you volunteer the footage to the police officer? We put up cameras to protect ourselves, not to increase our risk or provide additional information to third parties or even the government. When something becomes inexpensive, easy to install, and easy to set up, it usually easier to hack.
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