Background

Midwest American weather can be challenging for businesses, especially during the winter. Those that operate 24 hours a day with minimal staff, such as Jefferson, Iowa-based The Washing Well Laundromat, require dependable surveillance around the clock for a multitude of reasons and locations, no matter during sunny, warm days or at 2 am during a blizzard.
Being able to access important footage from anywhere any time of day or night had become a necessity for The Washing Well. The owners wanted to check on their location remotely to help them determine if the laundromat needed any attention such as cleaning, snow removal, or general maintenance, while also providing security for both the owner’s and customers’ property.

The Challenge

Video security surveillance is vital for any and every business’ continued well-being, whether that organization be small, medium, or large in terms of both number of personnel and size of facility (or facilities). Nowadays, NVRs (network video recorders) and even computer hard drives are still popular choices for security professionals, but those that require larger and larger volumes of data as the weeks, months, and years roll by need new ways to effectively store, move, and access these files, many instances when not on site. When stored on site on an NVR or similar hard drive device, precious time is wasted when a security professional is not able to access vital information in real time.
VIVOTEK’s new cloud-based video surveillance as a service (VSaaS), VORTEX, eliminates these challenges.

The Solution

Central Iowa’s Tech Zone chose VORTEX and a total of five of its indoor and outdoor security solutions for a comprehensive end-to-end AI surveillance solution that seamlessly integrates deep-learning-based network cameras with cloud video management software to solve The Washing Well’s security surveillance solution issues.

VORTEX provides intelligent and easy-to-use data analysis services. What’s more, its hybrid cloud architecture allows it to transcend conventional storage frameworks. No longer is dedicated video management software or centralized management systems required to manage and process video data. Now, video data can be stored and analyzed via edge computing directly within the camera and backup in the cloud, significantly reducing time, cost, and bandwidth limitations of the past.

VORTEX allows for receiving push notifications of deep-learning-based events on a smart device in real-time to never miss important messages again. With VORTEX, managing a surveillance system is more effective and easier than ever before with wide camera selection, crystal clear image quality, Edge AI analytics, hassle-free, zero configuration, and, like all VIVOTEK products, it is trustworthy and reliable.

The VSaaS features powerful AI video analysis technologies, upgraded real-time detection and post-hoc search functionality, state-of-the-art deep search algorithms to convert metadata into searchable and quantifiable information and refine people, vehicle, and environment detection accuracy over time. In addition to real-time alerts, VORTEX is capable of sieving through big data to identify or follow past events, and its hybrid cloud architecture allows for unlimited cloud archive, automatic backup, event management and instant sharing. All of these features are merged seamlessly to maximize operational efficiency and storage reliability while minimizing network interruptions and downtime.

Overall, Tech Zone installed five VORTEX cameras throughout the interior and exterior of the business. Three IT839-H 5MP interior/exterior turret cameras are being utilized in the store room, inside the laundromat, and at the rear parking lot locations. Two FD839-EHTV interior/exterior remote focus dome cameras are being utilized for the front parking lot and inside the laundromat.

Customer Feedback

The system was simple to install, and has performed as the customer had hoped. According to Tech Zone, there were no challenges installing integrating VORTEX and the cameras with a POE network switch. From the customer, it is a simple system to operate from a computer or phone, at home or on the go.