Live Video Monitoring Usage Statistics

JH
John Honovich
•Published Aug 19, 2015 04:00 AM

What percentage of video surveillance users have humans (guards, operators, monitors) watching live video? What schedules do they use? And what verticals most commonly have live monitoring?

IPVM conducted a survey of 120+ integrators to determine answers to these questions inside.

Key Findings

Here are the key findings from the results:

  • 1 out of 3 non-residential video surveillance users has some form of ongoing live monitoring.
  • However, more than half of integrators have less than 20% of their customers using live monitoring. By contrast, a small number of integrators specialize in larger customers that almost always have live monitoring.
  • Live monitoring schedules were split among 3 common types: 24/7, business hours, and after business hours.
  • Most cameras are not watched even when someone is watching, given the far greater camera number of cameras compared to those watching.
  • Many watchers have other responsibilities beyond watching cameras, which detract from live monitoring.
  • The common claim that less 1% of all surveillance video is watched live is supported by these results, once factoring in scheduling and watcher limits (e.g., 33% have live monitoring, but many only monitor part time, plus most only watch just a fraction of cameras recorded and generally do not watch constantly)

Verticals *** **** **********

*** **** ****** ********* ***** **** monitoring *** **** **/* *** ********** related (********, ******, ****, ******), ****** education *** *********. ** ********, ********* sites *** ****** **** ******** **** monitored ****** ******** ***** **** ***** those **** ****-***** ******* ******, **** car ********** *** ********** ***** **** more ********* **** ********* ***** *****, when ** *** *** ** ********.

Limits ** ****** **** *********

**** *** *** */*** ** ***** who **** **** **** ** ******* live **********, ****** ** ** **/* and ****** ***** ** ******* **** attempting ** ***** *** *******. *** example, *********** *****:

  • "******* *** *** ********* ****. ** saying ****, *** *** ******* *** constantly ********* ** *********. ********* ******* and *** **** ******* *** ********* using ***** *****. *** *** ******* are ******** **********."
  • "***** ** ************ ******* **** **** suspect * ********** ** ** *** supermarket"
  • "******* ****** *** ****** ** *** 2,300 ******* *** **** **** ******. Maybe ** ** * ****."
  • "******* ******* **** *** ****** ******* 75 ** *** ******* **/* ******** viewing ******* **** ***** *** ******* Screens. ********* *********** *** ******* ******** cameras *** ***** ********* ** **** of *** *** ********* **********."
  • "**/* ** * ********. *'** ***** this ** **** ********* **** ****** 24/7 *******."
  • "*****-**/* ********** (***** ** ********* *** other ****** ********* *** ********** ** cameras, **** ** ** *****/**** ***** who ***** ** ********** **** ******* the ******* ** ******* ***** *****."
  • "*** ************* ***** **** **** **********, but **** ** * **** ** triggered, **** **** *** ** ** view ****."
  • "******, ********* *** ********** ********* *** have * ****** ** ******* *** cameras, *** ****** ****** ******* ** them."

99%+ *** *******

****** * ***** ** ************ *** users **** **** **** ** **** monitoring, **** ****** ***** ********** *** commonly ** ********** ****** ** *******.

*** ***** *** ******** ******* ****:

  • *** ******** *** *******: **** ******* **** **** **** monitoring *** ****** **** **** ******** or ********* ** *******. ***** ************ rarely **** *** ** ******* *** cameras, ********* **** ******* *** ******* traffic ** ******* **** ******* ** screen.
  • ******** *** **** ******* ** ** effective: **** *** ***** **** *** to ***** **** *******, **** ** often **** *** * ** ** cameras ** * ****** *******, ***** makes ** ***** **** *** ** operator ** *** / ********* *** activities ****** ***** *******.
  • *** ******** *** ****** ******* **** periods: *******, **** ************* **** ** live ********** **** ** ** *** roughly **** *** ***.

*** ***/*** ** **** **** **** than *% ** *** ******* *** ever ****** ********* ****. ** ****** at **** ** ****** *** */*** overall **** ********** ****, ****** *** the ***** **** ** ***** ** being *********, ****** *** *** ******* that *** *** ***** ******* ** all *** *********** **** *** **** cameras *** ***** ***** ** *********** allow ** ******** ** ******* **** individual ******.

Comments (5)
JH
John Honovich
•Aug 19, 2015
IPVM

Btw, this was asked by an integrator member, prompting us to run this survey.

If you have fundamental questions about surveillance use, selection, trends, etc., feel free to suggest it to us and we will consider it.

(2)
(1)
IK
Itamar Kerbel
•Aug 19, 2015

while this was expected I still like to have it confirmed by a survay that rarly cameras are monitored all the time.

(1)
U
Undisclosed #1
•Aug 20, 2015
IPVMU Certified

I wonder what the percentage of cameras that the hoi polloi think are monitored.

Perhaps >25% ?

Leading to the hotly debated concept of cameras creating a 'false sense of security'.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
•Aug 20, 2015

any information about number of cameras with VCA used to bring live (event) video to the operator?

JH
John Honovich
•Aug 20, 2015
IPVM
In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #2

We did not ask about that here. However, analytic usage was covered here: Market Guide and Favorite Video Analytics 2014. Net/net it is still fairly uncommon and not even growing overall compared to a few years ago.