PSIMay2017

STORAGE
Storing surveillance
n our digital age, the amount of data created
Ion a daily basis is growing at an alarming
rate. In the security market as we generate
increasing amounts of data from increasingly
higher resolution cameras the overall volume of
data and the secured storage of it is one of the
most important aspects of an installation.
Knowledge is power and the accumulation of
data from surveillance cameras today is not only
being used for security purposes; it’s not just a
case of keeping stored information for potential
scanning in the event of an incident. Cameras of
the 21st century are used for marketing and
business improvement as well.
The other aspect of modern life is that not
only does information need to be saved secured
but also stored for longer periods, which uses
up valuable space on a drive or in the cloud.
So where are we today with data storage in
the security industry and what are the options?
Drives for surveillance
According to IHS Markit, anticipated growth of
4K-compliant and high-resolution network
cameras over the next few years is driving
higher demand for surveillance-class storage to
support systems featuring these technologies.
Whatever the reasons for growth in the amount
of data being stored there are a number of
points that installers need to consider in
deciding on the most suitable solution for the
application.
In the case of surveillance information, the
main players in the drives market have spent
some time explaining how the use of standard
PC drives was causing problems for those
operating surveillance systems and, and a
result, installers should be looking towards
utilising drives designed for video data storage.
These, essentially, are more suited to the
read/write process of a video storage
installation than a drive aimed at being fitted
into a PC.
Surveillance drives are also designed to deal
with the growing use of analytics in the sector,
both for security management and business
information solutions.
In terms of the amount of data being
generated both WD and Seagate, the two main
players in the surveillance drive market both
offer a range of drives depending on the needs
of the installation, be it a corner shop or a smart
city. Both companies manufacture drives with
capacities up to a massive 10TB of storage,
essential for our always-on lifestyles.
Do we really need drives with such high
capacities? Writing a blog for Seagate last year
John Paulsen wrote: “Based on historical
camera shipments and the predicted lifespans
of these devices, it’s estimated approximately
210,000,000 video surveillance cameras are
A company’s data
ranks alongside its
brand and personnel
as the most important
factors of business
success. Here we
look at the benefits of
drives designed for
surveillance
information
(continued over)
www.psimagazine.co.uk
The anticipated
growth of 4Kcompliant
and highresolution
network
cameras over the next
few years is driving
higher demand for
surveillance-class
storage
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