How Facial Recognition CCTV Affects Business Security

ID checks would have been the common protocol in a preventive measure against terrorist attacks but this will soon become obsolete. We’re approaching an era where we won’t have to show our identification cards because, believe it or not, we’ll be identified automatically. A security camera will scan your face and it will be matched with your name and a significant load of information about you beside it, thanks to automatic facial recognition.

It can’t be denied that there are a number of advantages to installing CCTV camera security systems. But before that, how does this facial recognition in CCTV works?

How Does Facial Recognition Technology Work?

Facial recognition is a kind of biometric software that enables its users to identify a person with the help of a digital image. This technology maps out the facial features of the people being verified mathematically and it saves their information in a database. The biometric facial recognition’s mathematical algorithms usually follow these stages of image processing within a couple of seconds:

1. Capture

There are numerous distinguishable landmarks in every person’s facial features, and the first step that the system takes is the collection of physical or behavioral samples in a certain area. Usually, these samples are taken in predetermined conditions within a certain period of time.

2. Extraction

After all the necessary information is gathered, they would be extracted individually. Through these samples, the system would generate templates that would serve as the basis for the coming verification process. 

3. Comparison

Now that the extraction is finished, the next stage of image processing is in comparison. In this stage, the information collected would be compared with the existing templates. Most software measures the distance between the eyes, the depth of the eye sockets, the width of the nose, the shape of cheekbones, and the length of the jawline.

4. Matching

Right after the comparison stage, the system of the face detection technology will automatically move to the matching stage. In this stage, the technology verifies whether the facial features captured match any of the existing templates in the system.

At present, numerous companies turn to managed IT services in the Philippines for the installation of facial recognition technology in their business sites’ video surveillance cameras. This is because of the advantages that it brings to industries that perform industrial production, traffic monitoring, quality assurance, and many more.

This advancement in technology is often used to reshape security surveillance in retail settings and border control applications. In this section, you’ll be able to learn about it in detail.

The Technology’s Use in Retail Settings

Normally, employees in retail stores interact with different individuals daily. Because of this, they have the tendency to lose track of the people that whom they have interacted over time. And with the help of CCTV cameras that have face recognition features, these retail stores will be able to monitor the people that come and go to your business site. As an added bonus, this can also be used as a tool to detect shoplifters and other banned individuals as they enter the premises before it’s too late.

Apart from that, face recognition CCTV cameras can also aid retail companies in analyzing the traffic patterns and demographical statistics of their visitors. Through this, business owners can get insight as they decide on their companies’ interior design, advertisement placement, and staffing.

The Technology’s Use for Border Control Applications

Other than its uses in the retail setting, facial recognition CCTV cameras can also be utilized for border control applications. Through this technology, the monitoring of the travelers that pass through airport e-gates in different border control points became easier. Furthermore, it also enabled the airport personnel to perform automated passport checks for the verification of the passenger’s authenticity.

Pros and Cons of Face Recognition Technology in the Business World

Now that you’re aware of how facial recognition technology works and how it is used in businesses, it’s time for you to know the pros and cons of utilizing it. By knowing these things, you will be able to determine the technology’s capacity to optimize your business operations. Furthermore, this also gives you the capability to tweak the technology’s weaknesses and use it to your advantage.

Pros of Using Face Recognition Systems:

1. Improved Business Safety and Security

It’s obvious how the integration of face recognition technology into surveillance cameras can drastically improve your business's safety and security. Apart from the fact that everyone who sets foot on your business site will be accounted for, facial recognition systems can also alert you when it detects intruders in your premises. Furthermore, this also helps business organizations reduce the need for additional security staff to ensure the safety of the company.

2. High Accuracy of Image Captures

Without any doubt, face ID technology is indeed a reliable tool you can use to monitor the people that come and go in your business establishment. Furthermore, this advancement of technology also has the ability to provide businesses with a foolproof security system that has the capacity to capture images in high accuracy. With that said, facial recognition technology can provide business owners with the peace of mind that their business site is safe and secure for the organization and the customers.

3. Full Automation of Verification Process

Before this technology was fully developed, security guards were required to cross-check manually to confirm a match. But because of the technological advancements today, the verification process is now fully automated. For this reason, business organizations were enabled to ensure their security system’s accuracy effectively and efficiently. This current setup is not just convenient for the companies that utilize it, it also helps them cut costs intended for security without jeopardizing their businesses’ safety.

4. Reliability of Time Attendance Tracking Features

Apart from the ones mentioned above, facial recognition systems also provide companies with a reliable time attendance tracker for their employees. With this, organizations are given the ability to eliminate the probability of time fraud among the workers. And since everyone is required to pass a face-scanning device, it will become impossible for them to manipulate their clock-ins and clock-outs at work. That said, facial recognition technology can help businesses improve the accuracy and reliability of their time attendance tracking system.

Cons of Using Face Recognition Systems:

1. Limited Data Storage

Although facial recognition technology offers promising benefits to companies, the data that it gathers can take up a lot of space as time progresses. For this reason, limited data storage is a primary obstacle for users of this technology all over the world.

Most business organizations overcome this dilemma by utilizing several computers to process everything. Even though it’s space-consuming and expensive, it allows businesses to store data effectively at a faster pace. And unless the face ID technology of the world develops, this will remain an obstacle for its users.

2. Need for Multiple Surveillance Camera Angles

Another disadvantage of using this technology is its prevalent need for multiple surveillance camera angles. Without this, your company’s facial recognition systems will become susceptible to setbacks and failures. That said, it’s crucial that you ensure multiple angles that include a profile angle, 45-degree angle, frontal angle, and many more if you want to acquire accurate match results. Furthermore, it’s also recommended by experts that you keep your database up-to-date with its data if you want to ensure your security system’s accuracy in verifying the identity of individuals.

3. Cost of Meeting Image Size and Quality Requirements

During the face-detection system’s comparison and matching process, the technology captures the face of the person in the image and compares it to the templates enrolled. And in order to ensure the accuracy of the results of this process, it is advisable that companies make use of high-quality cameras and reputable face tracking software. When you fail to meet the image size and quality requirements, you are likely to encounter problems during the face recognition process.

Although your investment will pay off in the long run, the initial investment can be really expensive. With that said, it is undeniable that you really have to spend in order to maximize the benefits that facial recognition systems bring.

Alongside the business perks that facial recognition technology brings are challenges and limitations that you have to address. Even so, the advantages that this technology offers outweigh the disadvantages that come with it. By performing the right preparation and tweaking, you will be able to overcome these challenges and make the most of the technology—and this can help you gain a competitive advantage in the business world.

Enjoy how facial recognition in CCTV cameras can reshape your business’ security surveillance with the help of IT experts from managed IT services like House of IT. By doing this, you will be able to obtain the CCTV infrastructure that will work best for your company and integrate face-detection systems effectively. These professionals won’t just help you boost your company’s safety and security; they will also help you maintain the security system’s effectiveness over the years.