Five reasons your retail business needs cloud video surveillance

Cloud-based video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) is in a period of significant growth at present. In fact, the global VSaaS industry was valued at $2.2 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $4.7 billion by 2025.

Part of the reason for this growth is the increased adoption of the technology within shops, restaurants, and other retail settings. A cloud-based video management system can be valuable for businesses of all kinds, but those in the retail or restaurant industries are often able to reap the greatest rewards.

Remote video surveillance

After all, such a system allows for remote video surveillance, and can provide the ability to coordinate surveillance efforts across multiple locations.

A cloud-based video management system can be valuable for businesses of all kinds

However, the benefits do not end there, and it can be important for those in the retail industry to understand precisely why having cloud video surveillance in place is so important. In this article, we take a more detailed look at five of the most significant reasons why your retail business should invest in cloud CCTV.

Manage multiple locations

One of the biggest reasons why a growing number of retail companies are investing in cloud video surveillance is the opportunity it offers to more easily manage multiple locations at the same time. This is achieved through the use of a remote video surveillance system, allowing you to access data from anywhere.

The cloud-based model provides business owners with the ability to access video footage and manage their video surveillance system using any compatible internet-enabled device. This is invaluable for businesses with multiple premises and means you can access all of the information you need from any of your sites, or even from home.

Protect against fraud and theft

Video surveillance can also protect you from thefts carried out by your own employees too

Through the use of a high-quality cloud-based video management system, it is also possible to protect your retail or restaurant business from threats like fraud and theft. This is primarily achieved by providing video evidence of behaviour that occurs within your shop, restaurant, or warehouse.

For example, the presence of CCTV cameras can help to deter opportunistic criminals, while the video footage captured can help to provide police and prosecutors with the evidence, they need to take action in the event that a theft does occur. Of course, video surveillance can also protect you from thefts carried out by your own employees too. An article written for Business.com highlights some of the main problems restaurant owners face in this area, including food theft, or employees stealing cash through short ringing, or false reports of dine and dashes. All of these actions can potentially be deterred or detected through the intelligent use of cloud video surveillance.

Keep your employees safe

While it is important to protect your business, you also need to keep your employees safe and cloud video surveillance can assist you in achieving this. When your staff know that your premises are being monitored, they are less likely to feel vulnerable, especially in quieter periods, with fewer staff on hand.

Aside from dangers posed to staff from criminals, CCTV can also help to you enforce workplace safety rules

Aside from dangers posed to staff from criminals, CCTV can also help to you enforce workplace safety rules. These could range from safety procedures that apply at all times, through to enforcing more specific behaviours, such as mask wearing and social distancing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a remote video surveillance system, you can monitor your premises from anywhere, at all times.

Protect your surveillance data

With traditional video surveillance systems, there are several ways that data can be threatened, including physical damage to storage media, hard drive failures, and data being overwritten. All of this can cause significant problems if footage of a particular incident or timeframe is needed, but the footage can no longer be accessed.

With cloud-based video surveillance, this becomes less of a problem, because data is securely stored in the cloud. Different service providers will have different policies on how long data is stored for, but issues like physical damage to storage devices and accidental overwrites can be eliminated entirely, resulting in improved data security.

Benefit from low upfront costs

By contrast, a cloud-based video management system offers much lower upfront costs

Finally, another major reason why your retail or restaurant business needs to invest in cloud video surveillance is because it can be much more financially viable than using the more traditional on-premises approach.

As an article for CIO.com explains, despite its value within the retail sector, historic adoption of video surveillance has not always been high and the upfront costs associated with on-premises solutions have played a role in this. In the past, video surveillance has required investment in cameras, software, storage devices, and more. By contrast, a cloud-based video management system offers much lower upfront costs, because businesses do not manage the system on-site.

Experiencing significant growth

Instead, cloud video surveillance services are generally sold using a subscription-style model, with the business paying a predictable amount every month or year. Cloud video surveillance is experiencing significant growth and those in the retail sector are contributing to this for a number of reasons, including the low upfront costs when compared to on-site solutions.

Businesses can benefit from CCTV systems of this kind, because they help to keep staff safe and can protect against threats like theft and fraud. On top of this, remote access to surveillance data makes it easier to manage multiple locations at once, while data being stored in the cloud can help to keep it more secure as well.