Businesses face many different costs, but an area that is sometimes overlooked relates to CCTV data storage. In traditional setups, companies not only need to invest in the necessary CCTV systems, but they also need to store the data securely and ensure it can be retrieved when necessary. All of the associated costs can easily stack up.
A key way in which many businesses are aiming to reduce these costs is by moving to a remote video surveillance system, powered by cloud technology. According to Rackspace, as many as 88 percent of UK and US companies that make use of cloud services have saved money doing so, and this can apply to cloud-based CCTV too.
Here, we take a closer look at some of the main ways that moving your CCTV to cloud storage can save you money.
Equipment Costs
As an article for Techopedia points out, one of the main ways cloud services can save businesses money is through replacing the need to purchase and set up or install IT architecture, such as hardware in server rooms. The replacement is a scalable service, which can usually be adapted to suit your own specific needs.
Often, this will mean paying for storage space and specific features, rather than paying for storage devices that need to be maintained. An advantage here is the fact that storage space can be easily expanded if demands change.
In addition, cloud-based services are usually more future-proof, because performance updates and technical enhancements can be applied continuously by the cloud service provider and then automatically made available to users. This helps to either eliminate or greatly reduce the need for equipment to be upgraded within the workplace.
Office Space
Another way that moving your CCTV to cloud storage could help to save you money is by reducing demands for office space. As previously stated, with more traditional systems, storage devices usually need to be kept safe and secure, and there may even need to be a need for a backup location, situated off-site, in order to protect against disaster.
All of this can take up valuable space in your office or work premises. However, by shifting towards a remote video surveillance system, utilising cloud technology, you can completely eradicate the need for this space.
This is significant, because office space is among the largest expenses for many businesses and any opportunity to save space can be beneficial. Without the need to maintain much of the hardware associated with traditional CCTV systems, you are free to use the space for other purposes, or downsize your work premises, saving on rent costs.
Staffing Costs
The decision to move your CCTV data storage to the cloud also has the knock-on effect of reducing staffing costs and this occurs for a number of reasons. Perhaps the most obvious is the fact that the data is being held off-site and managed by a cloud service provider, meaning your own requirements for CCTV data management will decline.
This could give you the ability to operate with a smaller IT team, or without staff who would otherwise be dedicated to maintaining your CCTV capabilities. Instead, much of the work will be carried out by a third party provider, who will specialise in this area and provide relevant services as and when you need them.
A good video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) provider will grant you access to your CCTV data on demand, with the ability to view real-time and historical footage across multiple sites at once. Again, this can greatly reduce staffing costs in companies that operate across multiple different locations, because access to data becomes centralised.
Time is Money
Finally, it is important to understand that a major advantage of cloud-based CCTV data storage is the ability to save time. A good provider will be able to provide you with swift access to your data, as and when you need it, across all sites, and this completely removes the need to travel to different locations to access CCTV data.
When updates occur, they will be rolled out as a service swiftly, meaning you will benefit from upgrades to your surveillance system far quicker than if you had to manually make these adjustments within your own company. This can also help to avoid situations where your CCTV needs to be taken offline while improvements are made.
For businesses, saving time is a great way of maximising financial results. Less time being spent on maintaining, analysing and improving your surveillance system will mean more time to focus on your core business activities. As a result, you could see a greater number of tasks being carried out, while those tasks will also completed more quickly.
The Last Word
The ever-increasing demand for next-gen cloud data storage for CCTV systems has occurred due to the technology’s many benefits, which include advantages linked to compliance and access to expert help. Nevertheless, one of the single biggest factors influencing this shift is the ability to save money on equipment, space and labour, while also saving time.
Read more: Top 7 Security Questions Answered about Cloud CCTV
