“IT’S LIKE YOU HAVE ‘EYES THERE’”

There are a dozen-or-so, eye-catching “wrapped” Honda Elements buzzing around the boulevards and highways of Portland and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex showing business owners just how unique EYESthere is in the digital video security industry.

With his vehicle wrapped from bumper to bumper in EYESthere signage, company CEO Rick Rene has been flagged down by a convenience store owner on the LBJ Freeway in Dallas and had one of his sales representatives followed to the office by a driver interested in EYESthere.

While the uniqueness and design of the wrapped Honda Elements builds brand recognition for EYESthere, that’s only the beginning. The more business owners learn about EYESthere, the more they realize EYESthere solutions really do have the ability to “protect and empower” their businesses with live and recorded video solutions. Companies not only gain ongoing security and peace of mind, but also improved business results.

“What surprises me most is how often customers use our cameras when nothing security-related is happening,” said Randy Andrews, vice president of product development and chief solution architect for EYESthere. “Business owners are discovering things about their businesses that they didn’t know such as employee behavior (bad and good) or efficiency issues.”

Businesses that rely on VCR tapes, low-quality cameras or off-the-shelf systems find a new spectrum of opportunity with EYESthere customized digital solutions. Customers are no longer changing tapes, reviewing long hours of non-motion or looking at low-quality footage.

Instead, a digital video recorder (DVR) takes the normal analog signal from a security camera and converts it to a digital format that can be archived and made available over the Internet or Local Area Network (LAN). It provides customers with higher-quality images, ready-access to past video that can be viewed in minutes with the click of a mouse, live remote viewing from any web browser or supported PDA and many more days of video storage than traditional systems.

Cameras can be configured to act as motion detectors so that they will record whenever motion is detected, eliminating the need for reviewing multiple hours of tape. Time stamping allows a client to immediately view an event. The system can also send an e-mail or beeper notification of an event so a customer can go online to see what is being recorded. Recordings can typically be archived for 30 days when in motion-detect mode, but can be configured to meet any need.

Every EYESthere installation is customized to individual concerns and requests. No detail is left to chance. Customers are queried on how many pictures they need per second, per camera; how many days of storage are needed, what kind of network security is required and what video resolution would prove best. All installations are backed by 30- and 90-day performance tuning and support visits by technicians to tune, trouble-shoot and adjust system settings, while customers are also refreshed on initial training. Afterward, customers receive twice-yearly site visits.

“Businesses are becoming more and more aware of digital video technology,” Andrews said. “A lot of the problems that businesses encounter are the result of systems that have not been maintained. It would be unacceptable if your bank account was up and available only 80 percent of the time and here we are talking about the security systems of businesses. It’s a vital interest and EYESthere emphasizes the importance of maintaining an ongoing relationship with our clients.”

In what ways are businesses using EYESthere technology beyond security-related issues? Besides employee training and video conferencing, businesses have found many innovative uses for EYESthere technology:

* A 28-store deli chain in the Portland area uses EYESthere technology to observe employees for evaluation purposes. Previously, a regional manager had to visit each store approximately every two weeks to evaluate employees. Now, managers can sit at their computer and review employees at eight different regional locations in about 2 1/2 hours.

“The deli chain is actually rewarding the employees now for doing a good job,” Andrews said. “They are increasing the productivity of their employees and the satisfaction of their customers by taking a standard business function and using technology to make it better.”

* A car dealership with more than 40 cameras and three servers with terabytes of data storage lets customers watch their cars being serviced via large screens in the waiting area. Management can see vehicles everywhere throughout the facility, including a close-up view for dent and scratch detection as vehicles enter the service drive. It helps reduce mistaken claims that the vehicle was damaged while at the facility.

* A Restaurant owner fired a waiter who was discovered sitting in a hallway reading a magazine for 45 minutes while he had customers. Another business owner found out who he thought was his most-loyal employee had been stealing from him.

* EYESthere can integrate its digital technology with point-of-sales systems. In addition to the video recording, the text information of every transaction is stored in a retrievable database that can easily be searched for instances of voided or unusual transactions.

“Instead of searching the video, clients can search by transaction on their computer,” Andrews said. “When they double-click on the transaction it will automatically bring up the video and show them what occurred. It’s a very good example of the difference between simple analog recording and digital capabilities. Once you convert video into a digital format, it can be integrated with a variety of software and computer technologies such as Point of Sale, Access Control, and License Plate and Facial Recognition systems.”

Of course, EYESthere provides the ultimate solution for customers concerned with the reduction of robberies, customer/employee theft and vandalism. In one instance, a shotgun-wielding robber was quickly apprehended, aided by the incident being caught by EYESthere cameras. In another, a retail store installation was completed on a Thursday afternoon and the following morning, a frequent shoplifter was caught on film. The video was forwarded to police.

EYESthere customers range from the automotive dealership with 40-plus cameras to small retail outlets with three cameras and one DVR. The approximate installation cost is $1,100 per camera. The monthly support cost is typically one percent of the installation cost.

Cameras can fit every customer need ranging from armored and infrared (night vision) to those with zoom capabilities. Face recognition software – based on the ability of surveillance technology to recognize a face and then measure the various features of the face – is also available. Clients typically request it to identify both VIP and banned patrons. With almost limitless opportunities, it’s no surprise that many EYESthere business customers have the technology installed in their homes, as well.

“Think of any business that has multiple locations,” said Rene, CEO of EYESthere. “You can see your businesses from one site and one screen. It’s like you have ‘eyes there.’ With the combination of live and recorded video, you have great protection and empowerment.”