One of the ways installers can secure projects and gain the trust of their clients is by understanding the storage needs of customers who, depending on the market they operate in, have different necessities and objectives. In this article, we will examine some of the storage needs prevailing in various markets.
Urban Surveillance
One of the biggest challenges in urban surveillance and law enforcement is the widespread availability of video data generated by cameras installed in various locations such as street corners, buildings, manholes, intake areas, interview rooms in prisons, and cameras worn by police officers. In such environments, an efficient storage solution is required to enable quick and direct access to video, allowing police officers to gather evidence rapidly for past and present cases and facilitate their video management process.
Retail
For retailers, the role of video has shifted from securing assets to providing business intelligence and customer analytics. The data generated by cameras requires efficient storage solutions. The integration of analytics in key retail applications leads to an explosion of data, and having smart storage systems helps integrate data generated from various sources into a broad infrastructure.
Transportation
Similar to the sectors mentioned earlier, transportation operators also face the creation of vast amounts of video data. With the numerous cameras continuously recording video during transportation, transportation-related data is considered highly complex. Travel exchange centers require high-performance storage solutions capable of handling high-resolution video streams that are seamlessly integrated with real-time analytics. These travel exchange centers, or transportation hubs, are central areas where most public transport trips originate and are distributed to other regions. A storage solution that meets these needs allows IT and security managers to easily use existing data to move from insight to action.
Education
Given the increasing violent behaviors observed in universities/schools, video surveillance has become more critical than ever. Having a storage solution that guarantees quick access to video during emergencies is vital. One common issue in educational institutions’ security and surveillance is integrating recorded video from across university/school campuses. Regardless of where your videos are recorded, what matters is having reliable storage. Recorded videos can be captured by fixed cameras monitoring surrounding areas and building entrances or through body-worn cameras on officers present on campus.
The Importance of Installer Expertise
In these situations, installers who have the necessary knowledge of storage systems play a vital role in meeting user needs. Each storage system vendor claims to specialize in video storage capabilities, but when it comes to large-scale and performance-oriented spaces with differing memory capacities, the challenge for customers is finding a professional installer who understands how to plan a storage solution tailored to individual user needs.
For example, in large-scale projects, several factors can affect the efficiency of the storage system. Network infrastructure must be properly installed and supported by access points, convergence, and carefully designed core layers, along with high-level cables to ensure reliable transmission from edge devices to storage systems. After that, the installer must be equipped with the knowledge to design and implement a project that aligns with the users’ needs and budget. In selecting an appropriate storage solution, the personal preferences of the installer are irrelevant. Factors such as the physical structure of the client’s organization, the type and size of the project, and the user’s needs and goals all influence the choice of a suitable storage solution.
One of the biggest concerns for small and medium-sized businesses is the decision to invest in storage systems or store everything in the cloud. Installers must explain the pros and cons of each solution to their clients.
Source: a&s Magazine