Solution Topics

IP Video Surveillance and Shopping Malls

Topic: Shopping Malls

Everyone loves a good shopping mall. All the best stores, movie theatres, restaurants and more, all gathered together in the same place. With so much variety, open space and large masses of people, however, the threat of crime is high in a shopping mall. Theft, vandalism, even worse is possible when you get that many people together in a single place. Every mall needs an efficient and effective security system and an IP video surveillance network is a vital element to proper security.

Uses of IP Video Surveillance Networks in Shopping Malls

There are many reasons for the utilization of video surveillance in a shopping mall. First and foremost amongst these would be to prevent theft, or at a minimum identify it when it occurs and deal with the problem promptly. This protects not only the stores which occupy the mall, but the customers as well.

With any shopping mall comes not only a lot of customers but a lot of employees as well. It takes a lot of people to keep something as big as a shopping mall running smoothly and efficiently. In order to maintain proper functionality of your mall, it is important to be able to check up on your employees. An IP video surveillance system allows you to monitor your employees and ensure they are working to their full potential and not causing problems for the mall.

Should a crime occur in the mall, whether it be a theft, an assault, vandalism or something else, video footage recorded from your surveillance system can be used in the investigation. Video surveillance footage can prove crucial to a police investigation, helping bring perpetrators to justice.

Why an IP Video Surveillance System?

There are many advantages to using an IP (Internet Protocol) video surveillance system. One of these advantages is clarity of image. Unlike traditional CCTV (Closed Circuit TeleVision) cameras, an IP camera takes a digital image which can be of much greater resolution than an analog video feed.

IP video surveillance systems are also very easy to install. The cameras are generally fairly small, and can be placed in numerous places. With wireless IP cameras, they can be placed almost anywhere, since no cabled network connection is needed. You can place as many or as few cameras as needed, and the surveillance network is easily upgraded whenever it is required.

Because of IP cameras built in web servers, they are also the best for use in remote monitoring. Video feeds can be sent either to a LAN (Local Area Network) or to the Internet, allowing for easy access to video feeds no matter where you happen to be. You can even pick up video images from your surveillance network on your cell phone!

Considerations for Installing an IP Video Surveillance System

It is important that when you install an IP video surveillance system in your shopping mall that cameras are placed well. No matter how good the camera, if they are misplaced they will be of little or no use to you. Before purchasing equipment, you should do a thorough overview of the facility to decide exactly how large of a system you are going to need.

Entrances and exits are of prime importance: you want to make sure these are covered. Large areas where people often gather such as food courts and plazas should also be covered. Ideally, all walkways, corridors, etc. should be covered as well. Depending on your relationship with store owners, you may also provide in store security a well or they might provide it for themselves. This is for you and the store owner to discuss.