mobiDEOS’ MobileCamViewer mobile surveillance application deployed by Caribbean Bookstore

MobileCamViewer offers secure mobile phone-based video surveillance and remote monitoring solutions

The Caribbean life has its perks, but business owners and residents deal with the same property-related security concerns as most populated countries.  Therefore, it’s no surprise that mobile surveillance is catching on across more Caribbean nations as service providers upgrade from 2G to 3G technology.

Elston Lewis, owner of Family Bookstore on the island of St. Maarten, launched his mobile surveillance operation at his business this summer after first using the technology at his home.  Lewis now connects the MobileCamViewer mobile surveillance application from mobiDEOS to 32 cameras between the two properties, with clear time- and money-saving rewards.

“We’ve always had cameras for security purposes, but until now we were monitoring from a desktop,” said Lewis.  “It never dawned on me that we should be able to monitor our cameras from wherever we are using smartphones.  Once I realised it was possible, it became clear that we could save time and money.”

This is especially true as Lewis spends his share of time stuck in traffic, driving between his business, home and a full-time financial controller position at an auto dealership.  He notes that it can take up to 45 minutes to move between locations — an eternity when responding to a security breach.

“The traffic here is horrendous,” he said.  “St. Maarten is a small island with thousands of cars.  My home is in a secluded area and you never know what can happen, and we routinely deal with customers acting suspiciously at the bookstore.  So I called Dedicated Micros, my DVR company, to find out if there was software for mobile surveillance.  They put me in touch with mobiDEOS, and that’s what triggered it.”

Lewis said he enjoys excellent video quality using MobileCamViewer on his BlackBerry, whether connected to Wi-Fi in his office or 3G while on the move.  He reports that downloading the application and connecting it to his various Speco and Digital Watchdog cameras was a simple process.  He also uses mobiDEOS WebView software to connect to his home and bookstore cameras from a desktop.

“We can monitor everything now from wherever we are,” he said.  Lewis can point to several incidents where MobileCamViewer eliminated a lengthy road trip to his bookstore, including a false alarm caused by a faulty sensor.

“We logged in to MobileCamViewer and looked at the exterior and interior cameras that cover the entrance,” he said.  “We quickly noticed everything was intact, so this saved us a long drive and gas money.  I can look at what I have in my hand to confirm if there was a breach in perimeter at home or business.  There’s no need to drive to either site every time an alarm goes off.”

The success of his mobile surveillance operation at home and the Family Bookstore has encouraged Lewis to present the idea to his supervisors at the auto dealership where he works full-time — as he spreads the word to other local residents and businesses.

“There are quite a few people on the islands installing cameras at their homes and businesses,” he said.  “With the growth in mobile technology and more people using iPhone and BlackBerrys, it shouldn’t be hard for others to follow.”

MobileCamViewer offers secure, reliable carrier-grade mobile phone-based video surveillance and remote monitoring solutions, providing “anytime, anywhere” mobile video surveillance for virtually every situation.  Its compatibility across many smartphones, tablets, cameras, DVRs, NVRs and video servers — as well as simple integration with PC and MAC-based iOS systems — enables MobileCamViewer to comply with both new and existing network infrastructures.  The basic MobileCamViewer application is free, with incremental costs for premium service users.