Case Study - Multi-Family Security Modernization

Stock photo to protect confidentiality of client system

BACKGROUND

We were called by an established multi-family apartment community. It had more than 100 units, shared recreational facilities, and an on-site office. They had a camera system installed, but thieves were finding the gaps in the system and had been breaking into new locations including “behind the scenes” service facilities. The existing system was dated and had been pieced together over the years, so there were actually several different surveillance networks, which made finding and managing video difficult. 

CHALLENGES

The primary surveillance network was a coaxial network connected to a 16-port DVR. Half of the cameras were live, but half of them were offline. Onsite staff did not know when cameras went offline and could not pull video, so it was not possible to assess whether the cameras were offline due to age, vandalism, or video record problems. The storage site was in a closet that was not lockable. 

Supplementary cameras on their own networks were scattered across the complex. Being a built-up complex roughly 1,500 feet from side to side (more than a quarter mile) options for cabling with expensive and limited. Several of the problem facilities were outbuildings on the property perimeter. 

SOLUTIONS

We recommended upgrading the installation to Eagle Eye cloud VMS. Cloud backups eliminated the easily-accessible DVR as a single point of failure. User permission profiles allowed staff to access to the video they needed to see while keeping admin access restricted to management. Camera-down notifications and management services mean that, in the future, broken cameras will be detected and investigated immediately, while being replaced without budget shocks. 

A multipoint wireless bridge was used to bring existing cameras into the network without a massive cabling project that would involve trenching and re-paving. The wide compatibility of the Eagle Eye VMS meant that the remote cameras did not even need to be replaced. New cameras were added easily.

Both the new on-site recorder and the wireless bridge have room for additional components, which will make for painless additions if the network needs to be expanded in the future.

RESULT

The end result was a system that was better integrated, will be more responsive to security challenges (such as camera vandalism), is more robust, is more secure AND is more accessible to key staff.  

If you have a multi-family property with similar challenges, please get in touch for a free consultation: