We often see mobile surveillance solutions being deployed at locations that might be better served by a fixed surveillance solution and vice versa. In some cases the reasons for using mobile surveillance might not be obvious. This post will explore some of the factors to consider when choosing which solution will provide the best results for your specific application.
The biggest factor when determining what type of solution to use is how long you will need the solution. A construction site is an ideal use case for mobile surveillance. Even sites that might take 1 or more years to complete are still ideal for mobile solutions because the location of materials and areas of interest will likely change. Lumber, copper, and other valuable materials may be stored on on the jobsite and moved to different locations on the site as construction progresses. For this reason, the ability to quickly move the surveillance system is important.
Location and source of power is an important factor. If the site will never have grid power or it is not cost effective to install grid power, then you might want to initially use a mobile solution. If power is the only issue, then you might want to consider a skid type system that will provide a semi-fixed solution. This form factor will provide a platform that will allow for storage of an adequate battery bank and solution arrays. It also is less likely to be moved, tampered with, or stolen.
The aggressive appearance of mobile trailers can be intimidating to criminals. This has been proven in the case of retail stores. Retail big boxes have found that they can actually reduce instore shrinkage and theft by deploying external mobile trailers with lights and audio. Big box retail stores have found that mobile surveillance units reduce crime that fixed cameras when placed in the exact same location.
In some cases it makes sense to use a mobile solution initially and then transition to a fixed solution. Take for instance a car dealership or equipment yard. Initially it might make sense to quickly deploy a mobile solution. Once you feel like this is an effective solution and that it is something you plan to incorporate into your long-term security plan, it would likely make sense to transition to a fixed solution. You could install 3-4 stations on your parking area for the cost of 1-2 years of mobile surveillance rental.
GoView can work with organizations to create their own mobile surveillance program. In one case a big box retail change was spending $32,000 per location to rent mobile surveillance units from a competitor. GoView was able to reduce that cost to less than $20,000 per location with no impact to operations. Call us today and learn how we can save your organization time and money.