How Managed CCTV Services Work

3 May 2021

Every CCTV system supplied by WCCTV can be backed by a comprehensive service plan designed to deliver peace of mind, convenience and ensure the highest levels of operational effectiveness. 
Our ambition of making our CCTV cameras and security equipment as easy to use as possible has shaped a step-by-step process that reduces our customer's workload and a service that ensures the cameras deliver the right results every time. 

Below, we detail how this process works and highlight some of the key benefits of using managed security services.

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Why Should You Use Managed CCTV Cameras?
Deploying CCTV cameras at your construction site, rail project, utility plant or in your town/city centre should provide peace of mind that you have completely protected the location.

But can you be certain that everything is working the way it should be? Are the cameras online? Are they recording? Are they pointing in the right direction?

Dialling into the cameras to manually check they are working correctly is time-consuming and likely to be an unnecessary distraction from your day-to-day work.

A managed service plan from WCCTV takes away all the uncertainty, reduces your workload, and allows you to get on with your primary role without worrying about security.

It provides the absolute certainty that your cameras are correctly installed, online, recording, and ready to detect activity at your sites so that when they are needed most, they'll be ready. 

Additionally, if criminal activity is detected at your site, a security professional is watching and ready to respond in real-time.

When you choose to work with WCCTV as your security provider, you get an end-to-end service that covers all this and more. 

How Does WCCTV's Managed Service Work?
Below is the step-by-step process that makes up WCCTV's Managed Service. Each element of the service is specifically designed to ensure the best results. 

1. Expert Advice From a Highly-Experienced Team

When you consider using WCCTV's rapid deployment CCTV systems, your first step will be to discuss your requirements with one of our experienced Security Advisors.

They will ask you some key questions about the site or property you're looking to protect. This will ensure we can offer a CCTV system and service that meets your requirements.

WCCTV's team have been helping clients select the best security systems for over 20 years, so even if you're not sure what system you need, we're well placed to assist. 

Some of the key questions WCCTV will ask will focus on power availability, the size and layout of your site, any vulnerable areas such as access points and sheltered areas, what hours of the day you need the site protecting and, if this is a temporary requirement, how long the project will last.

Perhaps most importantly, we will take the time to find out more about your specific security risks - what is unique about your site, what challenges will you face, what kind of material or tools will you have on-site. 

This should give us more than enough information to recommend the perfect security solution. Still, one of our security experts can undertake a site visit or survey to get a more detailed understanding of your requirements should you wish. This is a free and no-obligation service.

Learning more about your specific needs will help our security experts determine the optimal locations for the camera (or cameras) to ensure no blind spots in the CCTV system they set up for you.

It will also help us determine whether we need to utilise video analytics to cover potentially vulnerable areas and whether we need to supply a CCTV system that is completely power autonomous. 

2. Professional Installation Services

As part of WCCTV's managed security services, our team of CCTV Engineers will install all equipment.

They will visit your site and install all the equipment you require, whether it's a Rapid Deployment CCTV Tower, Redeployable CCTV system, time lapse video camera or permanent CCTV installation.

They will also assist with the configuration of the systems, including:

Test all detection zones

Set up video analytics

Install alarms and audio-voice down systems

Provide you with our free and unlicenced viewing software / mobile app

Commission any Time Lapse Video cameras with our video editing team

3. Professional Alarm Monitoring Services

CCTV cameras act as a powerful visual deterrent, helping to prevent trespass, vandalism and theft at your sites. They also provide high-quality video evidence of any incidents or activities on your sites.

But when remote video monitoring services support the cameras, they act as a virtual security guard - always alert and always on guard, ready to protect your site. 

All of WCCTV's rapid deployment CCTV systems deliver live and recorded video via 4G, which can be sent directly to our Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC).

The qualified CCTV operators at the ARC will monitoring for any alarms from your sites, immediately review the footage to verify the alarm, and then take appropriate action, including despatching mobile guards or contacting the police to ensure your sites are protected.

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4. Remote Diagnostics and Maintenance
All of WCCTV's rapid deployment CCTV systems are fitted with ongoing, preventative remote diagnostic tools - the WCCTV Heartbeat. 

Twice a day, every day, Heartbeat will check:                 

Connection Issues: Reports when the connection to the surveillance unit fails or the unit goes offline

Camera Failures: Detects if a camera has developed a fault or is tampered with    

Hard Disk Failures: Detects hard disks failures or if it stops recording    

Recording Issues: Reports if the system records for less than expected

Time & Date Inaccuracy: Reports when the time is incorrect or tampered with

A simple power reboot can resolve up to 99% of these issues. That's why WCCTV supplies all of our surveillance cameras with the WCCTV Smart Switch, an automated power switch that allows for a remote reboot to occur.

So there's no need for site visits to reboot your equipment; we'll handle everything remotely for you - most of the time before you even know there's a problem. 

How Does WCCTV Protect Your Site? As part of the WCCTV Managed Service, a Gold Standard security team will be monitoring your sites - proactively protecting them from theft and criminal damage. 

If an intruder is spotted on your site, the team will:

1. Issue Audio Warnings

Once an intruder alert is verified, our monitoring partners will issue an audio warning. This could be a:

Banshee siren alarm

Blue strobe light alarm 

Audio voice-down warning


Typically, an audio warning is enough to deter unwanted intruders from causing damage to the property.

2. Contact the Police

In some cases, the audio warning will not be enough to prevent intruders from accessing your sites. 

As soon as our monitoring partners detect an intrusion at your site, they will immediately contact the police and make them aware that they will be responding to a real, verified threat, one that requires immediate assistance.

This level of managed security can mean the difference between loss of property, criminal damage and a successful arrest.

3. Inform You 

Once we have ensured the site has been protected and a response is en route, our team will reach out to you as the key holder to alert you to the incident.

We understand that there may be damage and/or missing items you will need to report right away. 

Our team will provide full details on the incident, including what response has been taken and where the incident has occurred.

4. Keep Watch

Our monitoring partners will continue to monitor the site — including the entire perimeter — both during and after an incident until the police have arrived.

5. Package Evidence

WCCTV's rapid deployment CCTV cameras have up to 4TB of onboard recording capacity.

This allows our team to download videos and images of the incident and package these for you in a playable format as part of a full incident report. This evidence can be provided to the police and passed on to insurers if needed.

Who Should Used Managed CCTV Cameras?
WCCTV has been supplying rapid deployment CCTV systems around the world since 2001. In our experience, the key applications for managed CCTV cameras include:

Construction site security

Utility and CNI site security 

Rail Projects

Local authority CCTV applications

Ready to learn more about how WCCTV's managed services can help protect your sites, assets and property? Contact our team today at 0800 470 4630 or email [email protected].

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