Security and Surveillance Industry News

Much to the delight of Home and Business Owners, Modern Architects are designing buildings with lots of beautiful glass which let in natural lighting. A home or office with large windows and glass openings can provide the feeling of bringing the outdoors in while presenting you with views that will certainly add to the ambiance of any environment.

Unfortunately, burglars love your windows as well. Rather than try and pound through a door or pick a lock, a burglar interested in a quick in-and-out will simply smash your window and grab what they want. With statistics showing that up to 25% of break-ins occur through windows, how do you protect yourself?

Don’t throw up some ugly Wrought Iron Grates or install expensive Roll-down Storm Shutters. There are actually several un-obtrusive ways to protect your glass openings that will still let the light shine through!

If your protection plan includes an Electronic Security Alarm System, you can simply attach a shock or vibration sensor to the glass or the window frame. Shock sensors react to the vibration or bending of the glass that occurs when a window is smashed or broken. Depending on the sensitivity and the technology employed, a shock/vibration sensor can cover up to 10′ of glass. Since they can be seen from the outside, they provide an exceptional visible deterrent and they can offer 24-hour protection for hard to cover skylights, storefront or bathroom windows.

If you are trying to protect multiple panes of glass, each panel should have its own shock/vibration sensor. You should also know that shock/vibration sensors can cause false alarms from loud noises, close lightning strikes, or from the vibration caused by large trucks or machinery rolling past.

Acoustical glass break detectors offer another flexible alternative to protect your windows. Acoustical Glass break detectors “listen” for the sound of breaking glass. By breaking thousands of pieces of glass, security engineers have recorded the entire high frequency spectrum of the sound associated with breaking glass.

Whether it is solid plate, wired, laminated or tempered glass that shatters on impact, the sound associated with the glass breaking will fall within a known frequency across the audio band and cause an alarm. Acoustical Glass Break Detectors offer ranges up to a 30′ radius which means a single detector can sometimes protect an entire room, which can make them a cost effective alternative to the Shock/Vibration Sensors.

Since Acoustical Glass Break Detectors are listening devices, the effective range can be greatly reduced by blinds, drapes and other window coverings. Careful placement and full testing should be considered standard installation procedure.

Many manufacturers offer combination glass break, reed switch window contacts to help protect single windows from being opened or broken. If you require 100% perimeter protection, you should consider a combination glass break, window contact for each window that is accessible.

Remember that acoustical glass break alarms are prone to false alarms that can be triggered by sudden loud noises or certain high frequency sounds. Some manufacturers have answered the false alarm problem by creating “dual technology” detectors. These detectors require that a secondary event occurs simultaneously with the sound of breaking glass in order to cause an alarm.

The most common secondary technology is a shock wave sensor. When a pane of glass is broken in its frame, there is a low pressure shock wave that occurs. The low pressure shock wave and the high frequency sound of breaking glass will occur simultaneously. In order to cause and alarm, both events need to occur within milliseconds.

Now, these electronic means of protection can only be utilized if you have a security alarm system installed in your home or business. As they do not prevent the breaking of the window, the sole intention of the glass break detectors is to set off a loud audible alarm in the hopes of scaring off intruders after they have gained entry.

In theory, this works great and glass break detectors have proven to be an invaluable resource in reducing the losses due to theft. But how do I keep the Burglars Out?

According to the FBI, the average burglar will give up trying to forcibly enter your home after 4-minutes.

Modern Security Laminates can turn your ordinary windows into Burglary Resistant Barriers. These polyester laminates are a thin as a piece of paper and they roll onto existing windows like wallpaper, yet they can provide you with an impenetrable barrier to smash and grab burglaries.

In addition to burglary protection, security laminates offer excellent protection from flying glass during hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes, all while blocking up to 99% of the suns harmful ultraviolet rays.

You can have these security laminates professionally installed, or you can order pre-cut do-it yourself kits. It takes about 10-minutes to install the laminate on an average size window, and it will provide a lifetime of protection.

I was browsing the web today and I came upon a really cool new web site called CrimeUSA. It is the first web site totally dedicated to the study of crime as an individual and social phenomenon.

Crime is what drives the security and surveillance industry. Without crime, there would be no need for burglar alarms or access control systems and the need for video surveillance systems would be greatly reduced. Without crime, hundreds of thousands if not millions of people all across the world would need to find new employment.

That is why I found CrimeUSA to be so intriguing. By studying and documenting crime statistics in American society including the frequency and types of violations of the law, CrimeUSA is hoping to offer an insight into the criminal mind and the society that fosters it.

There are many theoretical perspectives used in the study of criminology to explain how an individual with the inherent ability to choose between right and wrong will sometimes choose an illegitimate and illegal path over a more righteous and legal course.

Approximately 13 million people are victims of crime every year in the United States, and of that 2 million are victims of violent crimes.

In 2005 the total spent by law enforcement in the USA for Police, Judicial and Corrections Departments exceeded 200 hundred million dollars and their were over 7 million people under correctional jurisdiction. When you factor in the socioeconomic cost of 7 million people being incarcerated; 7 million families without fathers, wives, sons, daughters or brothers and 7 million victims of crime, the costs of crime to American society is truly monumental.

Why are some people able to flourish under the rules and laws of society while others are doomed to a life of committing crimes and then living with the consequences? As humans, will we ever understand society and its influence on human behavior? Can we ever know why people act the way they do? What values do criminals hold in common?

Are all criminals insane, or has the moral fabric of American society degraded to the point that it is now ethically and socially acceptable to be a criminal? Some would argue that our current culture even rewards criminal behavior because the benefits far outweigh the consequences.

Even though we don’t have all the answers, it all makes for very interesting conversation.

The advent of Closed Circuit Television Systems (CCTV) has definitely had an impact on modern society. Just about everywhere you go, you are probably being viewed or recorded onto a Video Surveillance System.

Whether it is at Work, a Bank, or a Convenience Store, the average person is Caught on Tape 2 or 3 times every day. The proliferation of CCTV Systems has been a boon to Law Enforcement Personnel who now have access to a wealth of information which is being recorded on a very large number of privately owned and managed Video Surveillance Systems.

A typical Crime Scene Investigation will involve the collection and review of Video “Tapes” from several locations surrounding the Scene of the Crime. Video from Hotel Lobbies, Gas Stations, ATM’s and Traffic Cameras can all contribute valuable evidence to the investigation.

From Boise to Beijing, hundreds of thousands of video clips have been used in Court Cases to help convict criminals, or at least place them at the Scene of the Crime.

During the bombings of the London Mass Transit System, video recorded from closed circuit television systems played a major role in the investigation that directly led to the arrest of many of the alleged terrorists.

With some of the top of the line CCTV Cameras currently being installed, you can zoom in and read a newspaper from more than a mile away. Many modern cameras can see in total darkness, while remaining completely discreet.

Because modern CCTV cameras can provide some “super-human” abilities, it is no wonder that some people feel that their civil liberties are being violated since they are constantly under surveillance in public areas.

Television shows such as CSI, 24-Hours and my personal favorite, Law & Order have all contributed to societies misunderstanding of the capabilities of current CCTV Technology.

Believe me, with today’s technology there really is no way to take a wide angle, fuzzily recorded image of someone standing ½ mile away and zoom in 20 times, enhance the video and get a perfect face shot.

In a few years, Super High Resolution Megapixel Digital Cameras may change everything, but for now, most high end Digital Recording Systems are stuck with image resolutions less than 720 x 480 pixels. A 720 x 480 image file simply does not provide the clarity required to digitally zoom in more than 3 or 4 times and still have a usable picture. The closer you zoom-in, the more pixilated the image becomes. That is a fact.

The limiting factor is not the cameras, as some of the newer digital cameras can provide images up to 10 mega-pixels or higher. The problem lies in the processing speed of the computers and compression formats available. When you are digitally recording an image, higher quality equals more pixels. The more pixels you record, the larger the file size. The larger the file size, the more processing speed is required to capture the image.

Manufactures currently use some type of video compression to make the file size smaller and more manageable so that they can be recorded onto computers. The speed of current computer processors and the existing compression technology simply is not fast enough to deal with the added load of meg-pixel cameras coupled with the recording of real time video on multiple cameras onto the same computer although newer technologies such as H.264 are showing some promise.

Never fear, nothing will stop the genesis of progress. After 9-11 Video Security Technology jumped in many new directions and some very new and interesting applications have emerged. Many are still in the design stages, while others are already on the market, but one thing is for certain. The use of Video Security Systems to monitor your activities is only beginning.

One of the universally limiting factors of CCTV was that there always needed to be someone manning and controlling the cameras to make it effect for anything other than forensic investigations.

Now you can purchase software based video control systems that utilize complex algorithms to monitor behavior and react accordingly. Real Time Video Intelligence and Analysis is one of latest trends to hit the industry.

Intelligent Video Systems can respond to certain behavior and automatically generate alarms to alert security or even dispatch an emergency response team. A simple example would include a series of cameras that are deployed along a fence line. People and vehicles can move on the non-secure side of the fence at any time. If a person or a vehicle should stop to long or loiter in one place, the camera system could generate an alarm to alert security. If a person tried to climb the fence, the system is intelligent enough to immediately dispatch a response team.

Normal behavior in a parking structure at the Mall is for a person to park their car and then walk to the elevators. If a person is moving from car to car, or staggering around the lot, the system will immediately call attention to the situation and alert Security. You can see how this use of technology could possibly prevent vehicle burglaries or even assaults.

Although most of this technology is being driven in response to terrorism, the uses and applications in commercial and retail environments are endless. From catching shoplifters to alerting grocery store of the potentially dangerous spills on aisle 5, this technology is headed to a store near you.

Believe it or not, a customer called our technical support line the other day and insisted that his Dummy Camera was not working. This was a real person with a real issue, which begs the question. How smart are Dummy Cameras?

Closed Circuit Television Systems (CCTV) offer a very effective, highly visible deterrent to crime. The site of a Security Camera is sometimes enough to send would be criminals scurrying off to look for an easier location to rip-off.

So is a Dummy Camera as effective at preventing crime as a real Security Camera? Used in the correct application, the answer is yes. A high quality Dummy Camera installed in a noticeable location can offer an effective deterrent to crime.

Now before you run out and buy some Dummy Cameras and place them all over your building, there are some very important issues that you might want to take into consideration.

Consider the fact that, not only do CCTV Cameras provide a deterrent; the video recordings from CCTV systems can provide indisputable evidence of any number of illegal activities including robbery, shoplifting, muggings, assaults or even murder.

Video from a Dummy Camera has never been presented as evidence in a Court of Law. A Dummy Camera can not help you solve a crime after it has occurred and I can assure you that no one has ever caught a shoplifter with a Dummy Camera.

Another very important consideration that is often overlooked with Dummy Cameras relates to personal liability and lawsuits. There is something that lawyers like to call “Implied Security”. This simply means that if anyone, including your employees, customers, tenants or even just a passer by, see a Security Camera, they can have a reasonable expectation that the area is secure and that someone is watching that camera.

For example, if a woman was raped in your parking lot, surrounded by Dummy Cameras, you could be held partially liable. This is of course, if the woman felt reasonably sure that she was safe in your parking lot because of the Security Cameras.

Beware, that Implied Security can apply to Broken Cameras as well as Dummy Cameras. If you have a CCTV Security System which includes some broken down cameras, you might want to get them fixed.

As an inexpensive theft deterrent, a Dummy Camera can be a wise investment, but it will never provide you with the protection and peace of mind that are an inherent benefit of owning a complete CCTV system.

Watch for my future post; I have cut the wire three times and it is still too short and Where is the “Any” key on my keyboard.

So you are considering the purchase of a Security Alarm System for your home or business. For some, the on-going monthly expense associated with Alarm System Monitoring is one of the major factors taken into consideration when choosing a vendor.

With monitoring fees ranging anywhere from $ 25.00 to well over $ 40.00 per month, what are you getting for your money? Let’s take a closer look at the monitoring services offered by most alarm companies.

In its simplest form, a Burglar Alarm System utilizes a control panel, an arming station and a combination of perimeter and interior protection to provide a deterrent shield to protect your most valuable assets. When an unauthorized entry is detected by a perimeter or interior sensor the system will initiate an alarm.

Similar to a facsimile machine, every Security Alarm Panel that is capable of being monitored uses an industry standard Digital Communication Format. The panel uses this digital language to communicate with an Alarm Receiver at the Central Monitoring Facility using standard or cellular telephone lines.

If an alarm occurs at your premises, the alarm panel will immediately utilize your telephone line to send a digital signal to the Central Station. A unique account number is programmed into your alarm panel to allow it to identify itself to the Alarm Receiver.

The Alarm Panel will transmit the account number and a 3 or 4 digit event code to the Alarm Receiver. The Alarm Receiver will interpret the digital signals and immediately pass the information along to a large network of computers which are manned 24×7 by Central Station Operators.

The Central Station Operator is provided with the call list information that you have provided to the alarm company during the registration process. The Central Station Operator that receives the alarm signals immediately tries to verify that the alarm is real.

Depending on the type of alarm, the Central Station Operator will first call the premises to try and contact the alarm user. If the user answers the phone, they are asked to provide a unique pass-code that identifies them as an authorized user. If they can provide the correct pass-code, the alarm is logged, but authorities are not dispatched.

If no one answers the phone, or if the person answering the phone cannot provide the correct password, the authorities are dispatched to the scene immediately. After the authorities are dispatched, the Central Station Operator will attempt to reach a call list of individuals who can meet the authorities at the site to let them in to investigate the cause of the alarm.

There are a couple of circumstances, where the Central Station Operator will not call your premises and try to verify the alarm. The special circumstances include Fire Alarms and Panic Alarms.

A fire can quickly get out of control and completely consume your home or business in a matter of minutes. Therefore, if your Fire Alarm is going off, the 1st order of business for the Operator is to dispatch the Fire Department. You cannot call and ask the dispatcher stop the Fire Department. Once the trucks roll, they will not stop.

If your panic alarm goes off, be forewarned, the police department takes panic alarms very seriously. No one from the central station will call your house to try and verify the alarm. Usually a 911 dispatcher will call your house after there is a large posse of Police Officers outside your door. Don’t be surprised if you are asked to come out with your hands up and you find several guns in your face.

Now, that is what you can expect from your $ 29.00 monthly fee, although many Central Stations will charge more for “optional” services such as Code Changes, Opening & Closing Reports, Alarm System Partitioning and Fire, Panic or Medical Alarm Monitoring Services.

Before you make that purchasing decision, have each alarm company that you are getting bids from outline exactly which monitoring services are included in the base price and which services are optional. Then you can factor in the monthly monitoring and management fees into any purchasing decision.

Back in the good old days, when I had to walk to school in the snow, uphill both ways, misunderstandings between students at school were usually handled with a good old fashioned fist fight.

O.K. since I grew up in a West Texas border town, fist fights sometimes escalated into knife fights or even gang fights, but no one ever brought a gun to school to indiscriminately shoot faculty or students.

What is happening in the world today? Perhaps it is the prevalence of violence on Television or Video Games. Maybe it is the escalating use of Psychotropic Medications to treat so-called Mental Illness or could it possibly have to do with the fact that you can’t beat the crap out of your kids when they get out of line.

Whatever the reason, it is getting downright scary for some people to send their kids off to school these days without fear that some nutcase is going to do them some harm.

So what can Schools do to protect our children, while still providing a friendly environment that fosters open communication and learning?

Obviously the addition of armed security officers that patrol the hallways could go a long way to providing safety and security to students. In fact, many Inner City Schools already employee “school resource officers”, many of whom are real Police Officers.

Some Police Departments have recently taken it upon themselves to provide certified law enforcement officers who are permanently assigned to a school or a set of schools.

These officers act as comprehensive resources for his/her school and they will typically be enlisted to perform quite a few vital functions in the school including law enforcement, teaching law enforcement courses and even counseling troubled students.

If you would like more information on School Resource Officers, check out the National Association of School Resource Officers. They are a not for profit organization for school based law enforcement officers.

Even if they already have a School Resource Officer, every school should have a comprehensive Safety and Security Plan.

Every school safety and security plan should include Access Control policies and procedures. Each entrance to the school should be constantly monitored and, when possible the doors and windows should remain locked.

Without exception, every Visitor should be required to check in with the Central Office and show proper identification before they are issued a visitors badge. They should wear the visitors badge at all times.

School personnel should be knowledgeable and well trained in the Schools Access Control Policies and should not be afraid to confront an unknown person to ask for identification. Any strangers should be reported to the proper authorities immediately.

Depending on the size of the school, consideration should be given to the installation of an electronic access control system. This type of system can allow a large school to limit access to authorized personnel only, while ensuring that all visitors enter through the main office corridor.

In many school districts, Closed Circuit Television Systems (CCTV) are being deployed with great success. With some large urban high schools having upwards of 4,000 students, it would prove very difficult even for a full time School Resource Officer to monitor the school grounds or enforce the school policies without a little bit of electronic help.

A properly installed and configured CCTV system can allow a School Resource Officer to have his eyes on many parts of the campus simultaneously. In addition, a CCTV system can prove invaluable in the investigations of any crimes or infractions of school policy that have occurred.

Schools in very high risk areas have even gone as far as installing walk-through Metal Detectors at every public entrance. Others choose to deploy them only at special functions or sporting events. At a minimum, schools should have access to at least one hand held metal detector for emergency situations.

Regardless of their size or location, each and every school should have a well prepared emergency crisis plan in place. Key staff members should be thoroughly trained in emergency preparedness and crisis management.

Crisis drills should be performed with all staff, students and emergency management personnel. One of the key benefits of having emergency drills is that Police, Fire and Emergency Responders get to meet key staff members of the school and they can become familiar with the school grounds before having to respond to an actual emergency situation.

Above all else, communication may hold the key to preventing school violence. Parents should get involved in safety planning at their local schools. Open forums should be formed to discuss security. Ask students and parents to share any concerns they have about school safety. Encourage staff and students to report suspicious activity or people to the appropriate authorities.

Beyond anything that happens at school, the best advice to possibly preventing a tragedy is simply to talk to your children and get involved in their lives. Make them put away that Play Station and ask them how their day went. Don’t just ask, but actually sit down and listen. Getting caught up in your child’s life may sound torturous, but it can actually be very fun and interesting and is quite possibly the best way to prevent a crisis before it happens.

It’s that time of year again, and in Utah the snow is beginning to fly. Dreams of pristine and untouched vertical powder runs begin to fill my mind. The change in seasons always stimulates me.

To kill the seemingly endless time between the 1st snow and opening day, I have no choice but give in to an overwhelming urge to start planning an annual ski pilgrimage to some remote and magnificent location.

Like an avalanche, my urges are somewhat unpredictable and once they start, they are always unstoppable. Last year it was the wilds of Wyoming’s Grand Teton Mountains. This year, the ranges of southern Colorado might just do the trick. I really enjoy living in the Intermountain West.

You might be asking yourself, what does all of this have to do with security systems? To put it simply, I can go skiing for a week without worry because I enjoy the piece of mind and freedom that my security systems provide.

I am confident and assured because I know that my security systems are on-guard and I am free to go on vacation completely liberated from the anxiety or worry. I appreciate the fact that my office and its contents are safe from intrusions and I am comforted to know that I can use my laptop computer to check in on my employees or my home from just about anywhere on the planet.

I tell you, living the connected life in 2008 is pretty darn cool. I can arm or disarm my home alarm from anywhere. If I am out of town and my kids are not home on time, my security system will call me to alert me that they are late. Our teenage children wouldn’t exactly throw a wild party knowing that we could be watching them on live cameras from our hotel room.

My home security system even allows me to turn on or off lights and appliances through a telephone interface. Last year on my way back from Wyoming, I called the house and turned on the Jacuzzi so that it was all toasty and warmed up when we arrived. Pretty nice after a week of hard skiing and a long 6 hour drive.

As for my business; since I have a comprehensive security system at the office I don’t need to worry that a preoccupied employee hurriedly planning his Friday night, is going to walk away and leave the security system un-armed. It automatically arms itself.

Wondering if that large shipment arrived in time to restock your inventory? Got that covered with the warehouse camera. Concerned if the sidewalks got cleared after the last big snow? Call up the outside pan tilt camera and have a look. Want to know if you employees arrived on time or left early. It is as simple as checking the entry logs from the access control system.

After reading this, you probably think that I have some enormous state of the art security system that costs tens of thousands of dollars. The truth is that every one of the features I described is available as a low cost option on just about every security system offered on the market.

Security systems these days are extremely sophisticated, yet simple to use. Although the basic features of modern security alarm systems meet most people’s needs, there are some simple options and upgrades that can make your system really cool and much more useful than a simple burglar alarm.

Many of these advanced features are built right into the control panel and only require some programming changes to enable them. Other options might require the addition of some hardware, software, wiring, relays or even an increase in your monthly monitoring fees.

The great Benjamin Franklin once said, “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of”. It seems that the closer we get to the end of this race we call life, time becomes increasingly valuable. If you are like me, somewhere in the middle of the race with very little free time, you probably don’t want to spend your vacation time worrying about things at home or in the office.

Especially if you would rather be dreaming of first tracks……..

America, the land of the free; many generations have often used this statement to describe the United States and the all of the freedoms provided to its citizens. Freedoms that we largely have the benefit of due to the greatest document ever created, The Constitution of the United States.

Afforded to us by the 2nd amendment, one of the basic freedoms that we currently enjoy is the right to bear Arms. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”.

In the post 9-11 period, how many of our civil liberties have been eroded in the name of national security? Are Americans completely willing to trade warrant-less phone taps, illegal searches and state sponsored torture for a little homeland security?

Answer the questions truthfully and then think about how unalienable our rights and freedoms actually are. I mention this because there is a growing contingent of people and government agencies that would like nothing more than to take away your right to bear Arms.

One of the tools that these organizations use to justify their desire to take away your guns is to publish statistics. Of course statistics that show a direct correlation between gun ownership and accidental shootings of children can be very powerful lobbying tool.

According to researchers in a study conducted by RAND-UCLA, over 35% of homes in America with school age children have at least one firearm. Over 60% report that those firearms are kept unlocked and about 10% keep them loaded with ammunition.

According the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the rate of firearm deaths among American children under age 15 is almost 12 times higher than in 25 other industrialized countries combined!

Between 1979 and 1997 there were over 30,000 accidental gun deaths in this Country and it is estimated that for every person killed by a handgun, four more are injured. This is equivalent to 36 accidental shootings and 9 deaths every day.

Since all of the findings indicate that accidental death by shooting is directly associated with gun availability, these are pretty strong statistics to help support the anti-gun lobbies stance.

We all know that children are intensely curious and most of them are fascinated by handguns. Sometimes even kids who have been raised around guns cannot resist the temptation of playing with a firearm or showing it off to friends.

The late George Bernard Shaw once said “Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.” He meant that Liberty and freedom come at a cost. That cost is responsibility.

If we want to keep our right to bear arms, then we must all become responsible gun owners. Lock up your handguns with trigger guards or one of the innovative new Biometric Fingerprint Safes so kids can’t get to them. There are models to suite any application and most of them open within 1-second to allow quick access to your handgun when you need it.

If you don’t have a secure gun storage safe, never keep a loaded gun and always store your ammunition separately from your guns. Do not let your child become a statistic.

Let me just preface this article by pointing out the fact that Professional Grade Security Equipment is not inexpensive. Never has been, probably never will be.

It can cost a lot of money to properly secure a home or business. It is not at all unusual for homeowners to invest thousands of dollars in their Security Systems. So just how do companies afford to give them away? I can tell you how it happened in my little slice of the world.

Many years ago, some associates and I were on the forefront of a new and emerging business model in the Security Industry. We discovered that there were companies willing to pay really good money for alarm system monitoring contracts.

At that point in time, we were in the business of selling Security Alarm Systems to homeowners and small businesses. We were charging about $ 1,000.00 for equipment and installation for the average sized home.

Without giving away my age, we are speaking in 1990 dollars, so you might need to adjust for inflation to get the real picture. I will say it again, Security Systems are not cheap.

In addition to the cost of the installation, our customers were required to sign a 3-year contract for our alarm monitoring service. At that time, we were offering the monitoring service at $ 19.95 a month.

A now defunct company out of Texas approached us with a proposition. If we sent our monitored accounts to their central station and had our customers sign their 36-month monitoring contract, they were willing to pay us 30 times the monthly fee.

The proverbial light went off! We were in a highly competitive market in which about a dozen companies struggled for market share. All of our competitors were charging fees that were pretty close to the same, which made it difficult to gain a competitive advantage.

We reasoned that with our new found Texas connection, we could offer our basic Security System Package at $ 299.00 for installation and $ 24.95 a month for monitoring and still earn the same amount of money on each system. Affordable Security!

Suddenly we were 1/3 the price of our competition and of course being young, assertive and totally oblivious to the future, we immediately embarked on an aggressive new marketing strategy. Radio and television ads, mass marketing campaigns, bulk mailers, boiler rooms and door knockers replaced our phone book advertising.

We go from 6 or 7 installations a week to well over 40. The money was great and the closing ratio was phenomenal. Orders were rolling in as quickly as we could set appointments.

Our competitors catch on quickly and get their own Texas connection. They call us out and drop their price to $ 199.00; we fire back and drop ours to $ 99.00. The war is on.

We rent a display booth at the local Parade of Homes. A giant sign coaxes visitors to sign up for a drawing for a free home security system. Hard candy and cold water to close the deal and we received over a thousand entry forms in a little over a week.

Well let me tell you, that was one heck of a drawing. All the winner had to do to claim their prize was commit to a 3-year monitoring agreement at $ 29.95 per month.

Over the next few weeks, we discovered that we could give away a free “basic” security system to everyone who entered our drawing and still make money.

The rest as they say, Is History.

Video systems are becoming a part of our everyday lives. When Video Surveillance Systems first hit the market in the mid 80’s, they immediately made a major impact on crime prevention and the way crimes are investigated. Early Video Systems required a hardwired connection between the camera and the recording system. Recent innovations in wireless video transmission are changing that requirement.

Wireless camera systems are popping up all over the place to satisfy a range of consumer requirements. From wireless baby monitors to high-end high-definition wireless broadcast systems, wireless video systems are available in a wide range of prices, features and functions. Most modern, consumer grade Wireless Video Systems will fall into one of the following frequencies; 900 MHz, 2.4 GHZ or 5.8 GHz. Almost all of the affordable consumer grade wireless cameras on the market fall into the 2.4 GHz range.

Every wireless video system consists of a camera, a transmitter, a receiver, an antenna and a power supply. Transmission ranges can vary greatly depending on the frequency, the antenna and the rated power output.

With the exception of higher end, high power broadcast quality systems; most wireless video systems do not require a license from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to operate. No matter what frequency you plan on using, if you are installing a high powered installation, especially near a highway or an airport, you should secure the appropriate FCC license.

For the best results and the longest range, most wireless video transmission systems require a clear line of site between the transmitter and the receiver to operate consistently. Wireless video signals do not penetrate very well through glass, walls, concrete, trees, steel or other obstructions.

In addition, other RF signals around the same frequency can cause interference. In the 2.4 GHz range popular with most security applications, interference can be caused by cordless phones, microwave ovens, local television broadcasts, computer monitors, power supplies or wireless LAN/WANs.

Many interference problems can be solved by re-locating the transmitters or receivers.
2.4 GHz Analog RF vs. 2.4 GHz Digital IP Wireless Video Systems

Since 90% of consumer grade wireless video systems fall into the 2.4 GHz category, we will discuss the features, limitations and benefits of this technology.

The entire 2.4 GHZ bandwidth allocated for consumer use is from 2,412 MHz to 2,462 MHz. As per the FCC standards, there are 11 possible channels which are 22 MHz wide with a 5 MHz spacing interval between each.

In order to allow multiple cameras on the same system, residential, consumer grade 2.4 GHz analog video transmitters such as a wireless baby monitor or a front door camera require fixed frequency, non-overlapping channels to reduce interference.

These 2.4 GHz analog wireless cameras are some of the most popular video surveillance systems for consumers and end users, yet very few Professional Security providers will offer these wireless cameras.

At best, Professional Security Installers consider the 2.4 GHz Analog Video Systems as low-end residential solutions which are notoriously unreliable. These Analog 2.4 GHz cameras are easily identified by their price tag which is usually in the $ 69.00 to $ 140.00 range per camera.

If you take away the benefit of their low cost, there are several inherent limitations to Analog 2.4 GHz video transmission including:

In the 2.4 GHz range, there are only 4 available non-overlapping channels. This limits these systems to a total of 4-cameras, each of which is tuned to a different pre-defined frequency. Each of these fixed frequencies is capable of transmitting about 11 mega-bits per second of data (Mbps).

Because the Analog 2.4 GHz Wireless Video Transmitters are on fixed frequencies, they are especially susceptible to interference from outside sources. A typical transmission range for an Analog 2.4 GHz Wireless Video Link is about 300 to 500 feet when installed outdoors with a clear line of site. The relative transmission distance is greatly reduced when installed indoors with some lower end analog systems typically providing about 10-30 feet.

Since these cameras are transmitted on a fixed, un-secured open frequency, the signal is easily intercepted and can be seen by anyone with a 2.4 GHz 4-channel receiver. A Voyeur or a Burglar could simply drive around a neighborhood with a receiver and see inside your home.

If you currently have one of these systems installed in your home or office, perhaps a burglar is watching you right now.

Soon I will post n article on the benefits of a wireless internet security camera system.