If you’re like most people, you probably think CCTV (Closed-Circuit TV) is useful for security – shops, street corners, back alleys, high-tech buildings. It’s how they catch the crooks on TV Cop Shows right?

CCTV provides 24/7 capture of high definition video that can either be streamed live or recorded and edited. That’s what makes it such a powerful tool for security.

Over the years the technology has improved and come down in price which has opened up opportunities for other uses too. Today, businesses are harnessing CCTV technology for uses beyond standard security and that’s exciting for us to see (and install).

3 innovative uses for CCTV

#1. Use CCTV to showcase great work

Some people LOVE their cars and spend a lot of money restoring their classic or vintage cars. Restoration projects can be extensive and take serious time and money. And, they’re also personal. People are creating their dream car. They’re passionate about the project and excited about the progress.

One of our customers has installed CCTV to record time-lapse progress on their car restoration projects. They want to give their clients a chance to feel a part of the project. To enjoy the journey. Clients can log in and see what’s going on and at the end of the project, they get the highlights as a souvenir. Now that’s great customer service – and a real competitive advantage.

#2. Use CCTV to improve H&S

Workplace health and safety is a significant issue for many businesses. Unfortunately, every year 50-60 people die in workplace incidents and hundreds more are seriously injured. Not good.

Some of our customers use CCTV purely as a tool to help manage and improve health and safety at their workplace. The presence of CCTV is good for prevention – people are less likely to take risks if they know they’re being watched; for training, using real-life examples; and for evidence gathering. CCTV can help you identify hazards, encourage the right behaviours and ensure the wellbeing of your staff.

For more info: How CCTV can reduce your health and safety risks

#3. Use CCTV to temporarily watch over sites

Vandalism and theft from construction and building sites is a growing problem in New Zealand. Thieves are stealing everything from raw materials to tools and machines. A single site can have multiple attacks over the course of the build, totalling thousands of dollars of lost profit and time delays.

Building sites are particularly vulnerable because of the level of activity during the day with many contractors and subcontractors on site at the same time. And security measures are often rudimentary because of the temporary nature of the site.

We have customers getting us to install CCTV as a temporary measure on building sites. They’re finding it’s an excellent deterrent for vandalism and theft. They can keep track of authorised (and unauthorised people) on site and manage H&S risks.

Then when the project’s finished the CCTV is packed up and moved to the next site. Easy.

Harness the power of CCTV

There you have it. CCTV is not just for security.

We also have a customer who uses it to keep an eye on the dogs in their doggie daycare, another to monitor the factory floor, and school who wanted a time-lapse record of the construction of new classrooms.

The options are endless. How could you make use of it?

Want to discuss how CCTV could help your business? Give me (Gavin) a call at BeAlarmed on 027 578 1298. Or request a quote now.