Video Surveillance Software

Businesses and private individuals purchase video surveillance software and hardware to monitor specific places and record whatever activities may take place in those monitored places. The recording devices are not necessarily hidden or secret. In fact, it is usually illegal to video people with hidden cameras. But for security reasons, cameras are often placed in ceiling corners of such businesses as financial institutions, jewelry stores, hotel corridors, and parking garages. The video may run on a loop that erases the tape as new recordings are made and the views from the cameras may or may not be monitored on computer screens in a security office. Advanced technology also allows companies and individuals to purchase video security software that can be secretly installed onto a computer's central processing unit (CPU) or an entire computer network.

Though security may be the primary reason for using video surveillance software, other industries also make use of the technology. One common example is in monitoring traffic conditions. Some technologies support the use of multiple cameras that can record and broadcast at the same time. With properly situated cameras, usually under the auspices of a governmental transportation department, the news media can monitor heavily traveled roads for accidents and other delays. This information can then be passed along to commuters in radio broadcasts during the morning and afternoon prime drive-time periods. Often the software includes features that allow text captions to be added and images, such as a television station's logo, to be overlaid onto the broadcast. Date and time stamps are also added to the recording.

Webcams are usually thought of as small cameras that sit on top of a computer monitor so that two Internet users in two separate locations can see each other on their monitors. But a webcam can also be any digital camera that streams video to a server. One innovative use of this technology is the placement of a camera in a difficult to access place such as an eagle's aerie. Naturalists can then monitor the activities of hatching eaglets and learn more about how the parents care for them without disturbing the birds with their presence. These types of sites are often promoted to the general public. By going to the appropriate website, Internet users also can watch the activities going on in the nest. An early Old Testament writer writes that God once said to Job: "Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off." (Job 39:27-29) How cool is it that today's technology brings these high places to a person's computer screen? Other events, public ones such as sporting events and private ones such as weddings, can also be recorded and broadcasted with the use of video surveillance software. By knowing the correct website, Internet viewers can watch broadcasted events as they occur.

In contrast to the monitoring of public places and hard-to-reach areas where the public may not be welcomed, some businesses and individuals use hidden video security software for private reasons. Companies are seldom allowed to set up hidden cameras to monitor employees' activities. However, software can be installed on a CPU or network that monitors employees' use of company computers. Almost all software of this type will record every keystroke and every mouse click made by the employee. This includes instant messages (IMs) and chats which are often thought of as disappearing once the application is closed. The program will also keep a log of the applications that are used and the websites that are visited by the employee. Some programs will include additional features. For example, the software may take snapshots at regular intervals of what appears on the computer screen. Another interesting feature allows the employer to set up alerts if an employee uses certain key phrases. If the employee uses a trigger phrase in an email, an instant message (IM), or chat environment, the software is designed to log the usage and/or send an instant alert to the appropriate manager via an email or a file transfer protocol (FTP). Managers usually have the capability to access the logs from a remote location, perhaps another computer or even a personal digital assistant (PDA) or cell phone. This type of video security software is virtually impossible for the employee to either detect or remove.

Individuals may purchase video surveillance software to provide home security, to check in on a nanny caring for one's children, or to monitor a home-alone pet. Some programs include a motion detection feature that activates the recording mechanism. This may also send an email or an alert to a designated device (such as a PDA) or to set off an audible alarm. With tag inserting capabilities, certain images on the recording can be tagged. This makes it easier to search the videos for specific images. Another advantage of video security software is that it can be uploaded to a server or network for later access. A videotape can be removed from a camera, but the uploaded videos can't be stolen. The recorded files are protected and can usually be accessed only by the administrator who knows the password. The use of video surveillance software can provide important information and protection to the public, company managers, and private individuals.


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