The way a central monitoring station monitors video is a bit more complex than having an operator sit and stare at a live video feed for hours on end – although, there are some central station monitoring companies that do that. To be more efficient, most central monitoring stations use video platforms to send signals to the monitoring station for video verification. Using platforms such as Alarm.com, I-View Now and Optex Bridge powered by CHeKT provide an efficient, cost effective way for third-party alarm monitoring companies to monitor video.
How it Works
Let’s say your business has cameras set up throughout your building, and an intruder is attempting to break in. The camera captures the intruder on “tape” and sends the footage to a video platform. The video platform automatically evaluates the video, and will send a temporary link to the central station for an operator to open and view. The clip is usually 10 seconds before the event, the event, and ten seconds after. This clip is used to verify alarms and whether dispatch is needed.
Why Use Video Platforms
Video platforms reduce the cost for both the business that is being monitored, and the monitoring center. Since the platform takes care of monitoring video, the central station doesn’t need to employ a dedicated employee to watch video all day. There are central monitoring stations that do that, but in most cases, it is an inefficient, and less cost effective way to go about monitoring video.
The platform also conveniently trims the clip down, so you don’t have to go through hours upon hours of footage to find the event. And it protects your company’s privacy. Since only the event video footage is shared with the central station, and is only temporarily available, nobody can access the footage who isn’t authorized.
Do Video Platforms Work for Residence?
One thing that makes video platforms great for residential customers is that most platforms have mobile apps the customer can use. You don’t have to have a large camera system with multiple cameras to take advantage of the services a platform offers. Residence also don’t have to worry about storing video like a commercial business does.
The video platform Alarm.com can work as an entire ecosystem for your smart home. It not only can send signals to a central station during an event, but it can also be used to control smart devices in your home. Through the app, you can arm and disarm your system, view the live camera feed from your system, turn smart lights on and off, and control your home’s thermostat.
AvantGuard integrates with both Alarm.com and I-View Now into our central station software to provide you with the best monitoring services possible. These integrations provide us the tools to easily connect with your system, get speedy video verification, and reduce false alarms. Reach out to AvantGuard for more information on our monitoring services, and how we can protect your home or business.
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