Investing in a video surveillance system without analytics is, well, short-sighted. Analytics have come a long way and are now available in many commercial video surveillance systems.

“Analytics give businesses more control and allows them to be proactive,” says Mike Markham, Commenco’s Director of Commercial and Industrial Technologies. “The analytics are just about as important now as the cameras themselves, and comprehensive systems are more affordable than they used to be.”

Your security staff may have eagle eyes, but they’re still no match for surveillance analytics. Software is far more accurate at detecting, identifying, and generally making sense of what cameras see without the risk of human errors and distractions. Plus, analytics work round the clock, continuously monitoring activity, analyzing imagery, and immediately making that information useful to your business.

Sophisticated recognition and detection capabilities break through irrelevant, visual noise to quickly identify individuals and pick up on even subtle patterns of suspicious activity. License plates can be documented from far away, and motion detection in sensitive spaces or after hours can trigger alerts. Even specific clothing and other objects, like backpacks and weapons, can be defined for detection and immediate notification.

Beyond security, video surveillance analytics can also help you do business better. It can put your video recordings under a microscope to track valuable information about staff and customer flows, revealing opportunities for smarter scheduling, better inventory positioning, and other efficiency adjustments.

“Surveillance analytics will continue to evolve rapidly to protect businesses and improve operational strategies,” says Markham. “Intelligent systems are powerful, modern tools most businesses will want in their toolbox.”