Oct 15, 2015

Technology continues to advance, and society keeps finding new ways to make work easier and combine the best parts of tech with our daily lives. The Internet of Things, the connected web that facilitates remote management capabilities for objects and appliances, provides a way for people to interact with each other and with the world around them. Along with the advances that allow us to connect the disparate parts of daily living, companies and government organizations strive to create a "smart city."

In fact, the Obama administration recently announced a new initiative that will invest more than $160 million in research toward making cities smarter and safer. Some challenges that the President's office wants to address are things like making sure crimes are being solved, fostering economic growth and reducing traffic congestion.

"Advances in science and technology have the potential to accelerate these efforts," the announcement stated. "An emerging community of civic leaders, data scientists, technologists and companies are joining forces to build "Smart Cities" [...] by harnessing the growing data revolution, low-cost sensors and research collaborations, and doing so securely to protect safety and privacy."

In other words, it's important for technology and infrastructure to come together to create a more intelligent city – one in which public security is improved.

Video surveillance systems
The Obama administration's goals in regard to the smart cities project can be achieved by implementing effective wireless video surveillance solutions. Security Info Watch contributor Ron Grinfeld reported video surveillance systems are helping cities become smarter while at the same time augmenting public safety efforts.

"Security and safety are two crucial factors and direct influencers on the quality of living within the city and its surroundings," Grinfeld wrote. "Making a city safer and more secure directly contributes to its 'smartness' and ability to have its agencies efficiently execute their responsibilities to secure the metropolitan area and enhance public safety."

When city authorities invest in camera networks that allow them to keep an eye over their entire jurisdiction, it can strengthen public safety strategies and positively impact the way safety authorities interact with each other and with their communities. Implementing wireless video solutions throughout a city can strengthen these efforts.

For example, with wireless video technology, emergency response teams can get to accident scenes more quickly and administer care to people who need it. In addition, criminals can be apprehended with greater alacrity if they are being surveilled from, for instance, a street camera.

The video surveillance market continues to grow as companies and communities realize the potential of having a system like this in place. According to a recent report published by MarketsandMarkets, the video surveillance storage market is projected to reach a global worth of $18.28 billion by 2020, growing at a compound annual rate of 22.41 percent from 2015 to 2020. This correlates with the rise in adoption of surveillance systems. As cities strive to become smarter and safer, these kinds of solutions are helping achieve those goals and reap the benefits of better security.

Where does mesh come in?
Implementing a mesh solution along with a wireless surveillance system is one of the best ways to ensure network strength and make sure data is easily transmitted from cameras to the central command station. Mesh networks are resilient and self-healing, meaning if any node were to go offline, the network would automatically reroute data through another point, effectively closing the gap. Using this kind of technology, cities can become smarter, strengthening public safety efforts in the long run.

Contact the video surveillance experts at Firetide today for an assessment and more information about our mesh networking technology.