I think that most of us agree that the success of a project, to a great extent, is defined by the level in which we meet the client’s expectations. Yes, I know that there are financial goals for a project as well, but if a project winds up not being as profitable as projected, it’s […]
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Some Corners a Security Installation Shouldn’t Cut
Security system installations are rarely done in a vacuum, although many integrators would tell you otherwise. Often the emphasis is on getting in and out quickly — after all, time is money, right? Unfortunately, as many learn the hard way, that axiom cuts both ways. Sure, it’s more profitable to complete a job quickly than […]
Problems in Selecting Surveillance Monitors
The consumer market drives demands for 16:9 monitors, but there are still times when a 4:3 monitor is a better fit. As people get more acclimated to technology change in their personal life, it often spills over into their professional life. While this is generally a good thing, we’re seeing one area where the change […]
Choosing an Integrator: Small vs. Large
At the end of a competitive bid process, our deliverable is a bid analysis report. We look at a number of factors, with the ultimate goal of making a vendor recommendation to our client. We’re often putting our own reputation on the line when we do this, as our client expects us to be responsible […]
5 Uses of CCTV That Could Help You Get Budget Signoff
Maybe it’s because I still look at the money my clients spend as if it were my own. Or maybe I’m just cheap. Regardless, I have trouble getting past the bang-for-the-buck analysis when looking at the requirements of a particular project, and I’m not sure that’s such a bad thing. Modern electronic security systems come […]
Protecting Your Video Surveillance From Leaks
While there are a number of opinions and methods as to the best ways to capture and manage video images for investigation and evidence, we tend to focus on the technical aspects. What’s the best resolution, frame rate, compression method, or retention time for a given application? How will we get images off of the […]
Keeping Surveillance Networks Secure
The bad guys aren’t supposed to be able to hack a video surveillance system, period. Recent headlines about a casino scam in Melbourne brought the consequences of an insecure security system front and center as scammers allegedly walked off with $32 million after using the casino’s surveillance system to cheat at cards. While we may never know […]
6 Tips to Selecting the Right Security Camera
As we move toward more advanced video surveillance equipment, it’s often hard to resist finding high-tech solutions to low-tech problems. For example, if you can use image stabilization, why worry about camera vibration? While it’s true that modern cameras can often get you good images under lousy conditions, improving conditions usually improves the image quality dramatically. […]
Hacking Surveillance Cameras in Casinos
A high roller and his accomplice scammed a casino in Melbourne, Australia, by hacking into the surveillance system to cheat (and win) at a series of card games in his suite. The Herald Sun in Melbourne reported that the gambler was able to use information from security cameras about his opponent’s cards to scam the […]
The Morphing Integrator
I have noticed, and I’m sure most will agree, that over the past 20 years the electronic security industry has morphed. And, while change is good, and the whole should, in theory, be greater than the sum of its parts, in practice we’re clearly seeing gaps that I don’t believe are getting closer to being […]
