Jun 09, 2015

In recent years, the global market for video surveillance has seen considerable growth. IP storage for surveillance and other enterprise-level technologies have been adopted more quickly as organizations work to protect their personnel, office locations and physical assets.

In fact, market analyst IHS predicted that the global IP storage market for video surveillance will reach an estimated $2.5 billion by 2017, a considerable increase from 2012′s value of $1.5 billion. Researchers noted that this market growth came as a result of a number of factors, including the ability to improve working conditions and comply with industry regulations.

“Among the reasons behind this strong growth is end users placing greater value on video surveillance data because of video’s increasing use for business intelligence applications and as evidence to defend against lawsuits,” noted SDM Magazine.

As organizations look to adopt this type of surveillance technology, one question often arises: Wired or wireless? In many cases, groups are turning to wireless mesh solutions to underpin their surveillance systems, due to the cost benefits, ease of installation and ability to expand as needed.

When examining wireless mesh solutions, there are a few items to consider to be sure that the technology being adopted will best suit the organization and its needs. Let’s take a look at a few of the questions to ask when selecting a wireless mesh solution:

Is the solution easy to deploy?
One of the main advantages of leveraging wireless mesh technology is its ease of use. As opposed to wired systems which require trenches to be dug and wires ran to each camera, a wireless mesh solution includes wireless nodes to establish the underlying network, which is much simpler to install.

SDM Magazine noted that especially in situations where the surveillance system is temporary, it is imperative to ensure that the wireless mesh network is easily deployed. As teams may only have a short time to establish the network and set up the cameras, the mesh nodes should not be complicated to install. This will ensure the deployment process goes smoothly, and the team can quickly establish the network for their temporary surveillance needs.

Is the video feed clear?
Another main consideration to make concerns the performance of the video feed. A blurry or grainy feed will do little when it comes to identifying a suspect or protecting a victim. Therefore, it is important that decision-makers ensure that the system has the bandwidth support in place to ensure the optimal performance of the video feed.

Streaming video requires considerable bandwidth in order to perform properly. Multiple input, multiple output wireless mesh networks typically have a fiber-equivalent throughput of up to 300Mbps outdoors with just under one millisecond of latency, SDM Magazine noted.

Are video feeds secure?
Oftentimes, wireless mesh-supported surveillance is utilized by law enforcement or other organizations that must ensure that unauthorized, prying eyes are unable to access the video feeds. In this way, security is paramount to offer protected access to those with the proper credentials.

Decision-makers should take a look at the encryption offered by the solution, and ensure that the protection is end-to-end. SDM Magazine noted that encapsulation schemes can also be added for an extra layer of safety, as this technology ensures that only the mesh nodes can view and utilize encapsulated data packets.

Can the network be expanded as needed?
Decision-makers should also plan for future growth, and ensure that the solution they select can be expanded as their needs change. This is especially important for organizations planning new construction or an expansion of their current location. In these situations, wireless mesh technology is ideal.

“Wireless mesh as the advantage of allowing capacity growth without impacting overall throughput on the network, or requiring a redesign of the network,” SDM Magazine noted.

Does the provider have everything the organization needs?
When installing a wireless mesh solution, it’s important to have a unified network setup, as opposed to one created with bits and pieces from different vendors. Therefore, it’s imperative that decision-makers ensure that the provider they select has everything they need, now and in the future.

Firetide is a leader in the wireless mesh industry, and offers solutions to meet a whole host of needs. Whether an organization is operating in law enforcement, transportation or the industrial sector, Firetide has technology specifically created to meet the demands of these industries.

To find out more about how a Firetide wireless mesh solution could benefit your company, contact one of our representatives today.