Are You Out Of The Loop About MegaPixel IP Cameras?
By The Business Solutions Network
Most of the articles in Business Solutions magazine pertaining to IP cameras have talked about the technology as your next revenue generator and the huge competitive advantage IT integrators have in selling such solutions. However, one common complaint I get from integrators about IP cameras is the high cost. While recent years have shown that the cost of IP cameras has declined and is closing the gap between IP and analog, many people have said that they feel IP cameras are still too expensive compared to tried and true analog cameras. If you're comparing buying a single analog VGA camera with a single megapixel IP camera, the price comparison argument might hold true. But, that's where a lack of understanding regarding megapixel cameras can flaw your opinion.
I recently spoke with Scott Schafer, EVP of sales and marketing, for Arecont Vision (a manufacturer of megapixel cameras). Schafer argued that IT integrators can actually save their customers money buy building solutions composed of megapixel IP cameras. How so? Simply, it takes fewer megapixel cameras to get a better result. In fact, he provided one example where 8 megapixel cameras could be used to do the work of 24 analog VGA cameras, thus throwing the price argument out the window.
Apart from price, there are some other very significant benefits to megapixel cameras. In-camera intelligence can be used for things like facial recognition, video analytics, people counting, and more. A recent Business Solutions article ("Seeing Is Believing: Why VARs Should Be Selling Megapixel Cameras") covered these benefits in great detail. The point is, you can do some amazing things for your customers with the latest IP camera-based surveillance solutions.
Maybe, for whatever reason, you truly aren't yet ready to add IP cameras to your line card. Don't let the price be your barrier to enter this space. Just a little research will prove to you that the cost of IP isn't what you think it is, while the benefits are a far greater than you'd initially believe.