An open and standards-based system is essential. Video intelligent analysis cannot be a closed technology. To achieve optimal performance, the system must be compatible with commercial network and video devices.
For video intelligent analysis, real-time monitoring and immediate alerts are very important. Faced with potential and imminent security threats, there is no time to review tapes after the fact. The intelligent analysis system must detect signs of threats immediately and alert the appropriate personnel to take action to prevent incidents.
Due to cost considerations, most video intelligent analysis systems only support one or two limited detection modes for each camera. It is not sufficient for a flexible system to be limited to one or two detection modes, as this does not meet today’s societal needs. Most enterprise-level organizations, whether public or private, require multiple types of security threats to be detected at a single location, as well as many different threats at other locations.
Environmental conditions are another key factor for successfully deploying a video intelligent analysis system. The analysis system must operate indoors, outdoors, during the day, at night, under artificial lighting, bright sunlight, and in harsh and variable climate conditions. It must also have the capability to correct background interferences, such as swaying leaves, moving or stationary object shadows, light variations, and unpredictable weather factors like clouds, rain, snow, hail, and wind.
Modern video intelligent analysis systems are more advanced than before, with stricter accuracy requirements. Almost every vendor of video intelligent analysis claims that their system "has the highest accuracy in the industry, with detection accuracy (POD) above 95% and a very low false alarm rate (FAR/NAR)." Sounds appealing? The question is, under what environmental conditions was this measured? Was it in an ideal indoor environment with controlled lighting and no weather influence? Will it have the same accuracy outdoors in inclement weather? Different environments can affect the outcomes of video intelligent analysis.
Similarly, each vendor claims that their system is scalable, allowing you to add one camera at a time, gradually expanding the system from ten cameras to ten thousand. Is it really that good? What will it cost? In this context, the capacity of the intelligent analysis software may far exceed the supported hardware.
In a typical system configuration, each surveillance camera transmits video to a central server, where analysis software identifies any security breaches or suspicious behaviors. However, they do not tell you that traditional servers can support a maximum of 16 cameras. So, when you add a 17th camera, you must purchase an entirely new server. You could easily exceed your budget when forced to add costs for a new camera, a new video encoder, and related networking equipment.
Most customers have a cost-benefit threshold; when they add the 17th camera, they also typically add 4 or 5 more, thereby justifying the cost of a new server. Financially, this is a sound business concept. But from a security standpoint, compromises made to achieve cost-effectiveness can be risky.
Since all video intelligent analysis systems are scalable, the question is, can you afford it? If the cost of adding a single camera at different expansion stages becomes burdensome, then scaling the system will be very difficult. When considering budgets and scalability, it is crucial to treat the camera-to-server processing ratio as a significant factor, ensuring the most effective system expansion at the lowest possible cost in the future.
Choosing the right camera is just as important as selecting the correct video intelligent analysis system. Your system must support a full range of camera technologies available on the market, including analog, digital, IP, thermal, etc., which means it should integrate with existing surveillance systems. You do not need to install high-end cameras at all locations since not every area requires it. You can optimize camera costs within an affordable price range based on the specific environment of each location; otherwise, video intelligent analysis may burden you with excessive costs.
Given the high turnover rate of personnel in security departments each year, training time and costs often impose a heavy burden on the department. It is vital to find a system that is intuitive, easy to use, and can be quickly learned.
Before looking for the most suitable system, you should first understand your specific security needs, which is the most efficient solution. Video intelligent analysis covers many areas: perimeter security, intrusion detection, graffiti and vandalism, personal safety, building security, detection of moving or stolen targets, unattended package or luggage detection, violations of parking regulations, proximity of vehicles, crowd dynamics, etc., with an increasing number of analysis items. Reassess your current security policies and clearly understand your existing surveillance systems. Personally inspect the devices where video analysis will be used; survey existing properties and mark security weaknesses on a blueprint.
蘊藏許多助人的知識與智慧。