May 8, 2017
The Internet of Things expands a little further with the release of the Meraki MV Security Camera. This is a bold step for Meraki, who historically operated in cloud-managed networking equipment, however it is not totally unexpected. In 2016, Meraki stepped outside of their niche with the cloud-managed Meraki Phone. As with the phone, the Meraki MV Security Camera marries their impressive networking capabilities with another product to create a new generation of solutions. In this case, Meraki has targeted the physical security market.
The Meraki Security Camera in a Nutshell
On one level, the Meraki Security Camera has a lot in common with a traditional security camera. It records video and audio. It fills the same role in physical security strategy. The main difference is that this new camera is connected to the internet and can therefore utilize a number of web features to create additional value. The Meraki Security Camera is really a continuation of the “smart device.” In the same way that a smartphone builds upon a regular phone’s functionality with internet access, the Meraki MV Security Camera does the same.
The Cloud, the Network, and Camera Features
- Cloud-Managed: Meraki brings the same convenience of management found in their networking equipment to their security cameras. Using a cloud-hosted dashboard, the security team can access and manage any security camera at your company’s location from any device anywhere in the world with an internet connection.
- Never Stop Recording: As a failsafe to ensure that network interruptions never interrupt your security strategy, the camera stores its data on the edge of the network in the physical device itself. Should the network go down, the camera will still be watching and recording data on its 128 GB solid state hard drive.
- Analytics: The analytic capabilities of the Meraki MV Security Camera are still in development, but users can still access some features now. At this time, users can view a heat map of their store location. Using hot and cold colors, this report will indicate where pedestrians travel most in your facility.
- Access Control: Meraki allows you to easily set permissions based on users. This allows you to limit what visual feeds each team member can monitor.
- Export and Sharing Video: The Meraki Security Camera includes exporting and sharing tools to make communication and investigation easier on your team. Quickly snip video footage from the feed or archive and share a downloadable link to other team members.
- Always Updated: Because the security camera is connected to the cloud, it is always up to date. As soon as a new patch is released by Meraki, all cameras on their cloud network will automatically access the latest version of the software.
Security in the Cloud
The Internet of Things is a wave of technology innovation that is just now bubbling to the mainstream, and the Meraki MV Security Camera is the latest iteration of it. Beyond quality construction and technical specs, the cloud connection is truly the distinguishing factor. The ability to manage any camera your company owns from any location and any device opens up a number of new possibilities to restructure your physical security strategy across a single or multiple locations. Plus, with more analytics capabilities still on the way, the Meraki MV Security Camera is poised to carve out a successful corner of the market.
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