By Neal Bellamy, IT Director at Kenton Brothers
Cloud-based video has been a thing since I entered the security business in 2011. Remember that IP Cameras have only been around since 2008, so the industry went from coax, analog cameras with DVR that might or might not have a network port to cloud video in a relatively short 3 years. Since then, several companies have been chasing the cloud video dream. I think one company, Verkada, has finally gotten there.
I want to spend most of my time talking about the features of the Verkada line, but to appreciate how they’ve overcome the obstacles, you have to know where they came from. Cloud video had three main issues: where to store the video, the bandwidth from the camera to the internet and keep the pricing competitive.
Verkada has chosen to store the video data on the camera, which helps reduce the amount of internet bandwidth required. Even with the additional expense, Verkada keeps camera pricing competitive.
Verkada Features
Verkada can be accessed through a website, or with a mobile app (Apple and Android), so it has all the bases covered.
When accessing cameras from within the same physical location as the cameras, no internet access is needed. Verkada has a simple to use interface. Reviewing video is as simple as selecting the camera you want to view and dragging your mouse through the day.
When exporting video, it is saved to the cloud and ready to be shared. The cameras are interfaced with Google Maps, which is great for multiple offices/campuses. You can upload a map to show where each camera is located in your office.
Sharing your cameras has never been easier.
You can select your camera site or floorplan, select how long you want to give someone access, enter an email or text number, and hit send. But Verkada is more than a basic camera system, each camera has built-in analytics.
Every camera automatically detects and classifies people, cars, and trucks. Then it detects colors for shirts, pants, etc, and even has filters like “appears to be male”, “appears to be female” or “has a backpack.” This makes searching for video even easier. If you know that you’re looking for a person in a red shirt, it reduces the search time from hours to seconds.
How about facial recognition?
Yes, Verkada has that as well. The system will automatically create a database for everyone it recognizes. You can select a person’s profile and see every camera that captured their movement.
There are even more analytics like heat mapping and crowd detection. Most analytics can be set up for email and text notifications. People/vehicles after hours, a person of interest, too many people in an area as well as cameras offline.
In this industry, seeing is believing. Lucky for us, Verkada does a weekly demo of the system. If you’re interested, you can go here and sign up for a demo. (It’s linked to Kenton Brothers who you already trust with your security needs.) See the demo, get a free Yeti cup, and let us know what you think!
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