Why Information and Physical Security Leaders Choose Verkada
Linda Cheng
Integrated Marketing Manager
From crowd management to enhanced analytics, new video surveillance technology is being developed every day to increase visibility and efficiency across organizations. The global video surveillance market is projected to grow from 45.5 billion in 2020 to 74.6 billion by 2025, proving that video security has become an increasingly common—and critical—component to any physical security system and strategy.
As the Director of Information and Physical Security at RevSpring Inc., Kate Stafford has a proven track record in building out security programs for dynamic corporations. In her day-to-day work, she manages not only the physical security infrastructure and strategy, but also information technology that includes network, data, and user management.
“With Verkada, we found a solution that can scale quickly and record footage reliably without the risk of data loss. As a bonus, it’s a self-enhancing security system that continuously evolves with every software update.”
In her evaluation of physical security solutions, she had three baseline requirements: scalability, consistency, and ease of maintenance. She met all three criteria with Verkada, and has also used the hybrid cloud solution to drive operational growth as well as mitigate both cyber and physical security risks.
Why Verkada?
1. Integrated Video Security and Access Control Solution
“Verkada Access Control is easy to manage and maintain. I like that it is accessible via the same portal that I manage our cameras from. The ability to do more with fewer panes of glass adds to productivity.”
Verkada’s cloud-based access control solution integrates seamlessly with video security to provide users with real-time footage of access events. The ability to manage hundreds of doors and thousands of users on one platform, eliminates the need to jump between disparate systems to access and connect different data points. “The (integrated solution) has made it easy to instantly reconcile unauthorized badge swipes with the camera footage.”
2. Granular User Permissions
“I’m able to get very granular with who gets access to which cameras, and what they’re able to do with that access: view, share, save or access historical archives. From a security perspective, it allows me to give people access to exactly what they need and nothing more.”
With the ability to easily set organization and site permissions, Stafford now grants access to specific departments without the worry of compromising the overall security of the solution. “Authorized users can access the solution independently without my team being a bottleneck. It’s a more streamlined process for incident resolution.” Additionally, in the event of emergencies, Stafford can share temporary access to specific cameras with local authorities or authorized third-party users. “It’s great that I can preemptively set permissions for a specified period of time, so I don’t have to go back to the system later on to revoke that access.”
3. Automatic Firmware and Software Updates
“Cameras are a static investment that lose value over time… (however) Verkada has only gotten better since we’ve installed the system. Automatic updates are great because I always have the latest technology without having to spend any money or time manually updating the system.”
In addition to automatic system updates and new software features, Verkada’s cloud license also includes ongoing security enhancements to protect data against evolving threats. “Not having to manually audit and update the system removes a lot of the overhead from my team. We also feel confidently about our ability to uphold safety at our organization from both a physical and cybersecurity perspective.”
4. A Fully Operational System in Minutes
“As soon as we plugged in the camera, we were able to access the feeds online instantly. I didn’t need to download any additional softwares or perform any configurations to bring it online. It was self-explanatory; no manual needed.”
In some cases, Stafford needed to pull incident footage while she was outside of her organization’s physical network, making remote access to cameras a critical requirement. Without having to download additional softwares or conduct complicated configurations, Stafford and her team can access footage through Verkada’s cloud-based platform, Command, securely on any browser or device. Additionally, integrations with multi-factor authenticators and single sign-on providers add an additional layer of protection against unauthorized user access.
5. User-Friendly Platform for the Team
“In the past, it would’ve taken hours and hours to sort through video recordings, and someone would have to shoulder-surf in order to view anything. Now it literally takes minutes to locate and share the footage we need.”
With Verkada’s easy-to-use interface and top-rated mobile app, the team can leverage time, date and appearance-based filters to quickly find footage of interest. “There’s no longer a bottleneck of IT having to fulfill footage retrieval requests. Verkada allows the team to help themselves to whatever footage they need—whether it’s for incident resolution, staff training, or inventory management.”
Final Review
“The system is reliable, secure, scalable, easy to use and manage—I’d recommend Verkada to any of my peers.”
In her review of Verkada, Stafford found a surveillance solution that bolsters her physical security strategy and visibility across the organization. Outside of risk mitigation, she is also planning to use the Verkada system more proactively to optimize operations across different departments in the business.
Experience the benefits of the Verkada integrated access control and surveillance solution for your organization—attend a webinar or request a free camera trial today.
