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I'm Writing Some Video Remote Monitoring Specs. Could Someone Tell Me, Where I Can Get Examples.

AL
Alfredo Luciano
Dec 20, 2016

 

What I need is the requirements that a end user should ask a security company in a RFP to provide remote monitoring service.

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Brian Karas
Dec 20, 2016
IPVM

Some contract items that I would want clarification on:

  • How is the service billed? Per event? Per hour of operator time? By camera/sensor? In tiers?
  • Is there a warning sent to the customer early enough before overage charges may be incurred to do something? (Basically, if you have a device generating lots of false alarms, will you get a huge bill at the end of the month, or a friendly call in advance?)
  • What does a sample daily/weekly/monthly report contain?
  • Will the operator stay engaged with the event for a long duration, or only until initial contact is made with police/etc? (Some places will stay engaged, others try to close the event as quickly as they can, there are pros and cons to each)
  • What is the ratio of operators to accounts? Are all operators trained on the same products/software/platforms, or do they specialize in certain products?
  • What are the details of the site in terms of power feed(s), generator capacity, internet connectivity?
  • Do they require and/or support VPN connectivity? Do all inbound connections originate from a known set of IP addresses? (so that you can do IP whitelisting on your firewall)
  • Who handles configuration of rules/alarms? Can operators make suggestions or changes to device settings to reduce false alarms (and overage charges)? (Some monitoring companies will require that they maintain exclusive control of rules/alarm configuration, others will not touch anything, and others will help you find optimal settings for best performance)
  • Do they have a backup, failover, or disaster recovery site/plan?
  • How many channels do they monitor of the products you intend to use (are they highly familiar with the product you will be using?)
  • Are they UL certified? (this is not a requirement, and I would not rule out a site that is not UL certified, but it does tend to show a larger commitment/investment)
  • How is customer contact handled (when they call out, and when a customer calls in)?
  • Will they assist with exporting event/incident video for police requests? Is this an extra charge or standard?
  • What software platform(s) do they utilize? (You can't do much directly with this information, but it helps you understand if they have invested in larger platforms, or tried to patch something together with random products).

Also, you should ask for a tour of the facility, seeing things in person can be beneficial, and most central stations will welcome a chance to show off the facility. Keep in mind most of the "interesting" stuff happens between ~1AM and 4AM, so a mid-day tour on a Tuesday might not show a highly active environment, but you should still be able to get an idea of the company.

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