Today, many digital CCTV recording products are available, most of which have roughly the same capabilities. Or so it seems. However, there is one very important issue that is paramount in any technical product, which makes the difference between a happy consumer and a frustrated, angry one - product reliability and after-sales technical support. This is according to Marelize Davies of Opsis Visual Management.
According to Davies, too many customers buy on price and assume that technical support is good and available. Worse still, for some customers this is not even important until they desperately need it. "Some products and suppliers do have good support mechanisms", she explains. "The best way to know this is to look at the proof - the track record. Not in Europe, Asia or the Americas, but here in South Africa."
Davies added that during a recent survey, it has been established that 88% of digital CCTV recording products sold five years ago by the South African-born and bred company, Opsis Visual Management, are still running perfectly today. "In fact, 100% of the Opsis recorders sold in 1996 remain supportable and any unit can still be repaired or upgraded today.
"Because all Opsis digital CCTV recorders are factory fitted with a modem, each one can be remotely controlled, analysed and diagnosed from the support help desk via a dial-up telephone link. Even faulty cameras can be automatically diagnosed and reported to the support desk within one hour, no matter where in the country the recorder is installed."
Quality vs cost
While cost is a factor that needs to be taken into account, Davies explains that quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten. "Ironically, if the true cost of ownership is taken into consideration (which can only be accurately calculated if there is a standing track record history), then a good, reliable product with solid technical support is usually less expensive, even though the initial capital outlay may be more.
"Inherent product quality is essential for a security product that is in daily use. Nobody wants to maintain or service a CCTV recorder on a daily basis, and only use it when emergencies arise," says Davies. "It should be the other way round: maintenance should be the exception, using it daily to extract information should be the norm. Be on the lookout for extended guarantee options - this is a sign of good product quality and reliability," she concludes.
For further details contact Marelize Davies, Opsis Visual Management on tel: (021) 880 0040, e-mail: [email protected]
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