Unfortunately, we live in a time when surveillance is becoming an increasingly necessary evil. Schools, airports, shopping malls, homes, businesses, parking lots — and the list goes on — are being fitted with security systems that include video devices. 

 

Video surveillance has traditionally been a difficult endeavor, requiring wiring to be installed throughout the surveillance area and to the monitoring office. But today’s IP technology takes much of the complexity out of the deployment process as well as providing for a variety of monitoring alternatives.

 

Leadtek, for instance, offers a line of IP video surveillance devices that can be easily deployed in an IP environment. They include motion sensors, SIP audio signaling, and built in Web servers for remote management, as well as pan and tilt capabilities. In fact, the company says it will soon be releasing a model with “night mode” that will enable monitoring of unlit areas.

 

With the capabilities offered by video conferencing solutions today, it seems only logical that Web-based communications platforms should also be able to accommodate video monitoring solutions to provide added value to customers.

 

Indeed, increasing both the value proposition of the Leadtek solutions, as well expanding the scope of its own capabilities, Internet-based video communications provider SightSpeed (News - Alert) has announced compatibility of its video conferencing software solution with the Leadtek line of IP cameras.

 

This means that users of Leadtek equipment, which do not require a PC, unlike typical Webcams, can add their IP video cameras to their SightSpeed contact list and connect to them as they would to any other contact to monitor the camera. In addition, users can also manipulate their cameras directly from the SightSpeed application, making for a simple and convenient monitoring solution that can be accomplished from anywhere users have Internet connectivity.

 

With the mobility solutions offered by service providers today, this means surveillance and monitoring opportunities are nearly limitless, in terms of being restricted to a single physical location. Wherever users have Internet access, they will be able to monitor their homes, offices, or wherever they’ve installed Leadtek cameras.

 

“Let’s say you are traveling in China and you log onto the SightSpeed application. Along with the usual voice and video chatting and IM, you can now see video from the camera quietly guarding your home in the U.S. 10,000 miles away,” said Hon Sit, president of Leadtek USA. “This unique integration is truly a cool feature.”

 

Also, while some video surveillance solutions can be costly, Leadtek cameras sell for between $100 and $400, making them a viable solution for businesses of all sizes, as well as homeowners looking for an effective, yet cost effective remote monitoring solution. Now, they can not only easily implement the solution, but the can do it using a video conferencing platform that provides additional communication capabilities in addition to acting as the video monitoring system.