Using Security Cameras to enhance your business

Even monitor your inventory with a PTZ Camera & DVR or MegaPixel IP Camera and NVR

   Security cameras aren’t just for providing security anymore.  Granted the main purpose of the security cameras are still to provide security, but now security cameras can do so much more.  As business owners, we can now have availability and access to our inventory, employees and more, right on our Windows Mobile PDA phone, Blackberry PDA phones, Java enabled cell phones and even iPhones.  None of us want to monitor our cameras 24/7…but that isn’t what security cameras are about.  It’s about the access to the information, so that you can make better decisions about staffing, security, inventory and more.  To the left is an example of an application where our Alnet Systems DVR Cards can be used with one of our PTZ (Pan/Tilt/Zoom) Cameras that can provide remote viewing and control right from a PDA phone.  Otherwise, you can also use a MegaPixel IP Camera like our Arecont Vision MegaPixel Cameras to provide the ability to digitally zoom in from your PDA phone as well.

   Security cameras can go well beyond even those benefits, providing added benefits to your business by DRIVING NEW BUSINESS into your establishment.  More and more of our customers are beginning to use their cameras to generate added revenue, by providing customers with views of their cameras. 

Let your clients view their children or vehicles securely

While this might not work for every business, more and more industries are finding ways to provide their customers with added benefits, that help them remember their experience and continuing to patronize their businesses.  We have seen automotive repair shops install cameras to allow customers to watch their vehicles, both while waiting in the waiting room, as well as watching their vehicles over the internet from their offices.  But automotive repair shops aren’t the only ones.  We also have customers who own day care facilities, who provide secure remote login to their parents, letting them watch their children on their PDA phones or computers remotely over the internet.

Windows 7 Compatible DVRs and DVR Cards

Windows 7 DVR Cards

   With the release of the Windows 7 operating system, we have already received many emails and phone calls in regards to support for this new operating system with our DVR Cards.  Our Alnet PC-based DVR Cards do support the 32-Bit Version of the Windows 7 Operating system.  Support for the 64-Bit versions of Vista and Windows 7 are under-development and should have compatible drivers by early 2010.  Check out our full line of Windows 7 supported PC-Based Security Camera DVR Cards here.

   Our Standalone DVRs also support Windows Vista 32 and 64 bit as well as Windows 7 32-Bit and 64-Bit operating systems, as they simply use a standard Internet explorer web browser for remote viewing capabilities.

No neighborhood is really safe anymore

One by-product of increased unemployment has always been increased crime.  Unfortunately, this increased crime doesn’t just stay in isolated pockets, but rather spreads itself across all areas, towns and locales.  An article I saw this evening in the Naperville Sun reminded me of just how close to home this can hit.  It seems that just 2 days ago, 3 men committed an armed robbery of a 23 year old waiter at a local restaurant.

The fact that 3 grown men had nothing better to do than steal tips from a waiter is a sad commentary on the regression of humanity in general.  I hope these perpetrators find themselves on the inside of a cell sometime soon.

Business owners, don’t wait to react to crime…be proactive to help prevent crime and protect your employees with security cameras.  Good security camera video coverage of your parking lots can help protect your employees by helping to deter theft, robberies and vandalism as well as providing better security for your employees.

Stay safe

Camera to watch family in a retirement home

This hidden alarm clock DVR camera can help protect your loved ones

We hear about it in the news more often than we would like.  Every day our family members who are in retirement homes are vulnerable to theft, vandalism, destruction of property or even abuse.  In a retirement home or assisted living facility, there are not many options to provide protection for your loved-ones, because you are limited in what you can do to install cameras as you do not have the ability to wire cameras through the walls or ceiling or install a bulky DVR recorder.  But now, we have introduced an affordable and compact solution that will allow you to provide adequate protection with audio and video recording. 

   Our new ALC-DVR32 Hidden Covert Alarm Clock Hidden DVR camera is a great choice.  This functional AM/FM Alarm Clock looks and acts exactly like a normal alarm clock, but hidden inside is a complete camera, microphone and DVR.  The camera and DVR are motion sensing, so that the alarm clock will only record video when something is happening.  The included 4GB SD card (upgradeable to 32GB) can provide days worth of recording in motion detection mode.

This Alarm Clock covert camera can help to protect your loved ones from abuse and theft in their retirement home or assisted-living facility.

AV8360 & AV8365 Arecont Vision – 360 Degree View Panoramic IP Security Cameras

The AV8360 (MJPEG) and AV8365 (H.264) 360 Degree Arecont Vision MegaPixel IP Security Cameras are one of the best security cameras for covering the inside of a building.  Whether you have a gas station, office, doctor’s office or retail store, the AV-8360 or AV-8365 with Recessed Dome trim ring is a great choice.  This camera covers a full overlapping 360 degree field of view with 4 x 2 MegaPixel image sensors with built-in 4mm lenses.

   Using one of these cameras, you can cover an entire room with a single camera, and still have higher resolution coverage than you can with 10 analog cameras.  Simply plug the camera into a standard PoE switch with a single CAT-5 cable, and the camera will get power from the PoE switch and communicate with a PC running NVR software over the network, such as our Alnet Systems Netstation NVR Software.  The AV8360 and AV8365 cameras show up as 4 seperate cameras in the Alnet Software, but will only occupy a single License.  This means that you can connect the AV8360 or AV8365 camera, as well as 3 other cameras using just a 4-camera license in the Alnet software.  The Alnet Netstation NVR IP Camera software will also allow you to view the AV8360 or AV8365 cameras over the internet from a PDA Phone, WM5, WM6 Smartphone, Blackberry PDA phone, Android Phone and even iPhones (Coming Soon).  Learn More about the Alnet Systems PDA Remote Viewing.

   Below we have attached several pictures from the Arecont Vision AV8360 camera installed in our own Security Camera showroom in Naperville, IL.  Click on the images to view the Full Sized image.

AV8360-3 360 Degree Camera

AV8360 (MJPEG) – AV8365 (H.264)

H.264 or MJPEG AV8360 and AV8365

AV8365 and AV8360 Cameras