Retailers & Restaurants Are Looking For Video Surveillance Solutions

By Scott Schafer, EVP of sales and marketing, Arecont Vision

The opportunity for integrators to sell video surveillance to their restaurant and retail customers is significant. Over the past four years, restaurants have reduced their spending on infrastructure and capital equipment due to challenging economic times. Because of these delays, there is a need for many restaurants to add to, and replace, video security systems. Because of the significant advances that have been made in video security systems over the past four years, restaurant owners and security system decision makers will find outstanding opportunities to not only replace their existing systems, but to dramatically improve their security systems. So it is an excellent time for integrators to approach and help these important customers and prospects.

The opportunity to sell video surveillance systems to retail customers and prospects is huge. The retail vertical market is one of the largest in the USA, and globally. Retail is another vertical in which video systems are often underutilized, especially in the case of small retail businesses that may still be using a system that is several years old. In addition to the equipment being old, such systems are also inferior because they don't take advantage of recent improvements in video technology, such as digital systems on networks that use IP and incorporate megapixel (high definition) cameras. Related to integration with point of sale or electronic article surveillance systems, megapixel cameras provide more information in terms of greater image resolution, which can be leveraged into better overall system functionality. For example, integrating megapixel cameras with a POS system increases the ability to see video details of a point-of-sale transaction such as cash denominations or a close-up, more detailed view of a cashier's actions.