Flexible, Expandable IP/Hybrid Camera & Recording Systems for Offices & Businesses

You can buy security cameras anywhere. But to have a truly functional, robust surveillance/recording/monitoring security camera system for your office in Oak Forest, IL, you need system design, installation, programming, and integration with your data network from someone who truly understands both. Don't get sucked into contracting services from a "camera installer" for whom IT networks are just a sideline or vice versa.

For decades, Andromeda has served the IT/Security needs of small-to-medium sized organizations like yours in the greater Chicagoland IL/Indy area. We have cultivated expertise in both the data network "brains" as well as the camera/access control/alarm/communication "arms and legs" of office systems and have years of experience integrating these together for a diverse cross-section of businesses, municipalities, and other associations/organizations.

Your timing for creating or expanding a current security camera surveillance system could not be better. There is no longer a need for an expensive, dedicated system to monitor your premises. We also provide great options for expanding an older security camera system with better/newer analog and digital technology without scrapping what you might already have! By leveraging your existing IT network for your security camera system(s), Andromeda can save you time, money, and lots of headaches with efficient integrated systems that can do more than you probably imagined: real-time alerts, automated responses, and more.

Security Camera/Surveillance/Recording Systems -Oak-Forest, IL 60452

We are a certified Panasonic Network Camera Installer. We utilize the latest in IP Video Camera technology, which allows the cameras, DVR recording and viewing all to be performed on your existing computer data network. This allows you to use your existing investment in your data wiring and data systems and extend that network into the security camera/webcam arena.

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Panasonic Cameras and Recording Software

• Panasonic manufactures over 20 different types of network video cameras. The following are some of the features that are available:
  Wireless
• Outdoor
• Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE)
• Digital and Optical Zoom
• Very High Resolution
• Low Light, Night Viewing
• Motion and Thermal Activation
• Full Pan, Tilt, and Zoom with Scanning Presets
• 2-Way Audio with Microphone and Speaker

The ability to record and later playback is an important and necessary part of any video security system. There are many options available; from on-camera memory sticks to a full-blown, searchable recording system capable of storing months worth of video from all your cameras. The viewing software is very user-friendly and easy to use.

Andromeda Technology Solutions will work to understand all your needs and provide a solution that exactly fits those needs, and allows for future growth if necessary. Our attention to detail will ensure you receive a system that you will be 100% happy with.

Applications

There are many types of applications where it pays to see there, when you cannot be there. Here are just a few types of oranizations that have benefited from our security camera systems:

• Parking Lots
• Daycare / Nursery School
• Construction Sites
• Car Dealerships
• Retail Stores
• Restaurant / Franchise
• Self Storage
• Hotel / Motel
• Multi-unit Residential

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Flexible / Programmable / Expandable Surveillance Systems

You can start with just a few cameras and expand the system as you grow. It is very easy to add security cameras to the system, without throwing away any of your initial investment.

There are options to synchronize recordings with your POS receipts, so you can exactly match the video recording with an individual receipt transaction.

The wide variety of camera types and camera options make the system extremely flexible to fit almost any application.

We can also setup remote access for you to view live video or search through recorded video, from any remote location with Internet access. You can keep tabs on your business without having to be there.

Integration: Get The Most From Your Security Systems

How does Integrated Security work?

How does Integrated Security work?

Integrated Security works by allowing you to program a multitude of responses—both in the Cloud and as control back to external hardware—based on any number of triggers from external hardware regardless of origin/type (cameras, access sensors, alarm fault sensors, motion, smoke, temperature,...)

Why is Integrated Security better?

Why is Integrated Security better?

This allows the entire system and designated human responders to more accurately assess the detailed nature of a security event and respond in the most precise/appropriate manner, virtually eliminating undue responses to false alarms.

Triggers:
• Motion in ...more

I.S. Responses:
• Discontinue ...more

Triggers:
• Door opening ...more

I.S. Responses:
• Selective lock ...more

Triggers:
• Zone fault ...more

I.S. Responses:
• Set/Reset ...more

Triggers:
• Manual Pan/Tilt/Zoom signals to designated cameras
• Overrides of any current Access Control statuses
• Set/reset Alarm status

I.S. Programmable Responses:
• Alert Central Station
• Email/text alert to owner/designated responders
• Pop appropriate camera feed(s) to all responders
• Release of appropriate cameras to manual control

Integrated Security works by allowing you to program a multitude of responses—both in the Cloud and as control back to external hardware—based on any number of triggers from external hardware regardless of origin/type (cameras, access sensors, alarm fault sensors, motion, smoke, temperature,...). This allows the entire system to more accurately assess the detailed nature of a security event and respond in the most precise/appropriate manner, virtually eliminating undue responses to false alarms.

AndroPedia Tech Library

As part of our service, it is important to keep our client-partners well informed on Security Camera system developments, news, and best practices. Here is just a sampling of typical items from our AndroPedia^SM library archive:

It’s that time of year again (finally)! Warm weather has returned to the Midwest and the snow has melted for good. Time to open the windows, let in the fresh air and get some spring cleaning done. It’s also a great time to tackle some annual maintenance on your CCTV camera system.

Regular maintenance and upkeep is a great way to make sure that your cameras are functioning properly this year and for many years to come.

So what do you want to make sure and check up on, clean or even adjust during your security camera spring cleanup?

Check out the CCTV Camera Maintenance checklist below:

Camera & Camera Mounting Equipment or Housing

1. Check the camera and camera lens for damage
   1. Is there any damage? Dings, Scratches or even cracks in lenses?
2. Check camera field of view
3. Is the camera monitoring the field of view you desire?
4. Clean camera, lens and mounting equipment
5. Dust camera lenses
6. If camera is enclosed inside of a dome or other housing, make sure to clean the enclosure and dry it fully

Wiring/Cabling

1. Visually check any exposed wiring
   1. Is there any wearing?
   2. All cables are firmly connected?
   3. All cable dressings are intact?
   4. All necessary insulation is still intact?
2. If you suspect any wiring issues – contact your CCTV Camera support company for maintenance

Recording Equipment

1. Viewing Permissions Audit
   1. Do all necessary personnel have access to remote viewing software on their PC, tablets or smartphones?
   2. Are there any personnel or devices that need to be disabled from remote viewing?
2. Confirm cameras are recording
   1. Are all cameras showing up on your recorder?
   2. Are cameras recording properly?
3. Check/Update Storage
   1. How much storage do you have for recordings? Do you need more?
4. Confirm Backups
5. Make sure viewing software and equipment are up to date
   1. If you are backing up your footage (we recommend it), test your backups to confirm they are functioning properly.

Ideally, we would suggest that you go through this maintenance checklist quarterly. Far better to regularly check these things than to find that a camera, wire or other piece of equipment has been faulty for months and months. Additionally, today’s systems have updates and patches to their software that are important to maintain.

Andromeda can help you manage this process with ongoing maintenance packages or regularly scheduled visits.

If you’d like to schedule some spring cleaning or get in touch with our team regarding your Security Camera needs you can call our office at (815) 836-0030 or email our team at Contact@WeNetwork.com.

The post Spring Cleaning For Your CCTV Cameras! Here’s Your Security Camera Annual Maintenance Checklist appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

Installing cameras at your office or facility is important. But once you’ve invested in having CCTV cameras installed, how are you going to use the recordings to add value to your office?

When investing in security technology, discussing why you want the equipment and what you are trying to do with it is the most important detail in the whole process.

Sure, you want to make certain that you are covering the areas at your office and building that matter most:

• Entrances
• Parking lots
• Areas with valuable inventory
• Areas with high traffic or rate of incident

But, what is the objective and why are these areas important?

One of the first questions we have for prospects looking for security cameras is, “What made you decide you want cameras?”

We hear all kinds of answers – theft, suspicious employee activity, liability . . .

Sometimes, the answer is as simple as, “I know I’ll just feel better if I have them up”.

Often times, the why is the single most important detail for a professional security project. By addressing the reason for install, we are able to make sure you get a superior product but Andromeda can also help develop a solution that adds real value, real ROI.

That focus on providing value and return on investment brings us to today’s topic –

How Integrated Security and Video Analytics Software Can Help Decrease Theft, Increase Efficiency and Optimize Workflow at Your Facility.

First, let’s look at what Video Analytics Software is.

In a nutshell, video analytics software tracks video data recorded by cameras and enables automated monitoring of people, vehicles and objects within a camera’s view.

This is a powerful toll you can add to your integrated security arsenal. It transforms visuals collected by your camera system into influential data you can use to improve functionality at your building/facility.

To better illustrate how this works let’s walk through an example.

Picture a manufacturing or distribution center with high volumes of product and a few key issues they need to address:

1. Theft: Items are mysteriously disappearing from the warehouse.
2. Shipping & Receiving Issues: trucks are forced to wait in line to access delivery bays which causes unnecessary expense.
3. Liability: due to employee incidents (dropped pallets, forklift related accidents and other damages), insurance premiums are rising.

This building originally wanted cameras so that they could have an eye on activities in the warehouse. This is a great first step – but as you know, having the recordings doesn’t mean you have a way to use them for positive change at the facility.

Honeywell’s Video Analytics Software: Active Alert®

Honeywell cameras were installed at designated locations but to truly add value and solve the issues the management team faced, Honeywell’s video analytic software Active Alert® was also installed to begin tracking patterns and monitoring activity at the warehouse.

Within the first month, the Honeywell Active Alert® detects several trends in the facility. Once these trends were identified, management adjusted:

1. Theft: Facility managers designated high volume/traffic areas for camera placement. After compiling data, the source of theft was identified as pallets leaving the facility via pickup trucks after hours. By setting alarms and configuring the analytics software, any time a pickup truck approached the docks after pickup/delivery hours, an alarm sounded. The trend was identified and the culprits were caught.
2. Shipping & Receiving issues: the operations team decided on checkpoints and installed cameras along the routes into their shipping and receiving areas. After compiling data, it became clear that drivers weren’t taking the shortest routes in and out of the facility which led to backups and confusion. The operations team invested in signs to help drivers get in and out of the facility quicker and reduced waiting time and charges by over 40%.
3. Liability: The warehouse management staff knew they had to address forklift incidents. Cameras were installed and new routes/directional guidelines were implemented for movement in the warehouse. Additionally, employees were fined or rewarded for their incident records. At first, drivers incurred fines but word spread and within the first 9 months of tracking movements, the facility was able to lower its insurance rates because they had documentation of decreased incident/injury rates.

This warehouse knew it needed cameras. The management team knew they needed to prohibit theft, fix the shipping & receiving backups and lower their insurance premiums. Because this facility chose to work with a team of professional security experts, they got a solution that provided value well beyond recording equipment.

If you’d like to discuss your security concerns and how integrated security enhancements can provide real ROI, give us a call at the office.

To learn more about Honeywell’s Active Alert® video analytics software, find more information Here.

And for a more in depth view on how Honeywell’s Active Alert® works in relation to warehousing and distribution centers specifically, take a look here.

The post How Integrated Security and Video Analytics Software Can Help Decrease Theft, Increase Efficiency and Optimize Workflow at Your Facility appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

Do you use the Chrome browser extension for the MEGA file storage service? If you do, please read this article carefully. The official extension for that service has been compromised. It has been replaced with a malware version that has the capability to steal user login data for a number of popular websites, including Github, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and more.

The extension was compromised on September 4th, when an unknown attacker breached MEGA's Chrome Web Store account and uploaded the poisoned version of the extension. Any user who installs it is at risk of having their other login credentials stolen.

It gets worse. If you allow auto-updates, then the poisoned version of the extension would have automatically "updated" on your PC or smartphone when the malware was uploaded. Note that when the extension attempted to update, it would have asked users for elevated permissions. Those elevated permissions would allow the extension access to personal information, which is the mechanism by which the credentials are stolen.

The poisoned file was in place for a total of four hours before it was found, eradicated and replaced by a clean version (version 3.39.5).

According to MEGA:

"You are only affected if you had the MEGA Chrome extension installed at the time of the incident, auto update enabled, and you accepted the additional permission, or if you freshly installed version 3.39.4."

If you think there's even a chance you were impacted by this event, your best bet would be an across-the-board change of all your passwords, as there's no way to be sure which ones may have been compromised.

Two things to note here: The Firefox extension was not impacted. This applies only to chrome users who have the MEGA extension installed. Also, you should check your extension version number immediately to be sure you're not running version 3.39.4. If you are, uninstall it immediately and grab the clean version referenced above.

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