Let Us Be Your Security IT

I recently purchased a baby grand piano. My aunt had left me her old piano, but I wanted to upgrade. So when the perfect piano came up for sale, I bought it. However, I then had two pianos and only one spot. The old one had to be moved.

If you’ve never seen how a grand piano is moved, it’s an intense process. First you close the piano and wrap it in layers of blankets and plastic wrap before tipping it on its side and removing the legs. Then you lift the piano (still on its side) onto a hand truck or furniture dolly, wheel it to the truck or trailer, and strap it in. Then you drive to the intended destination and do the whole process in reverse. Keep in mind that pianos are made of high-quality wood and each has a solid cast iron plate, sometimes called the harp, that absorbs the tension from the strings. This means that the average baby grand piano weighs 600–700 pounds. Furthermore, they are about five to six feet long, close to five feet wide, and are a really weird shape. Basically, they’re easy to drop.

My sister-in-law decided to take the old piano to make room for my new one. However, her family opted to move the piano themselves instead of hiring movers. The end result was successful, but it took six men an entire day to move it. To contrast that experience, when my new piano was delivered by a professional piano moving company, it took two men 15 minutes to move it in and assemble it. I was laughing at how simple the piano movers made it look. You would have thought that it was small and feather-light, not a 5’8” solid wood piano. The best part is, they didn’t have different tools or equipment from my sister-in-law’s family. In fact, they probably had less tools, blankets, and dollies. They obviously had less people. But, they were better trained and better experienced. They were professionals.

While it’s possible to move a piano yourself, more often than not, it is better to hire professionals. The same is true when it comes to your company’s security. Sure, you can install and maintain your own system, but it will not be the most efficient use of your time.

Installing and maintaining a modern security system is easier in some ways and harder in others than old closed-circuit television (CCTV). Happily, today’s systems use high quality cameras, store images and video digitally, and have expanded capabilities. Many of them are wireless and can connect to mobile devices. While these surface level applications are simpler and create a higher quality end product, the actual setup and design of the systems is more complicated.

Security systems today rely heavily on advanced software, as well as on the cloud and wireless connections. This means that they have more programming and IT. To maintain them, you can’t just have Joe Schmoe come in and replace the tape. Instead, it requires a trained technician to repair connections, software glitches, and more.

If you install the system yourself, either you are the IT manager or you have to hire a specialist, which can get expensive. Either way you are responsible for the updates and repairs. This means, when your camera goes out, you are the one who has to drive down to your location and fix it. Sometimes that isn’t a big deal. But what if your camera is at a remote location that takes several hours to get to? Some people may just wait until they are at the site the next time, but some locations cannot wait. 

Another issue with installing modern cameras yourself is data storage. While it is wonderful that we no longer rely on physical tapes, the data still has to be stored somewhere and video files and images take up a lot of space. Some companies set up an internal system, but this too requires regular maintenance and updates. IT will need to be involved in this area as well, beginning with the installation and continuing through its life with security and upkeep.

However, if you partner with LiveView Technologies, we are your IT and support team. We use a software as a subscription service (SaaS) so we can support all aspects of your security. We help you with everything from picking out which unit set up is right for your company to setup and beyond. We make sure that the unit is functioning properly and handle all of its repairs and updates. Read more about our repair processes here. We also handle the data storage for you. We make sure your videos are accessible when you need them, but we also install the highest security and firewalls to keep them safe. Read more about it here. 

Just as with my sister-in-law’s family, you could do it yourself. You could move a piano or install a security system and be successful. However, how long will it take you to install it? To maintain it? What about repairs and updates? Instead of using six men, a rented truck, and an entire Saturday, let the professionals save you time, money, and a couple of headaches. We’re really good at what we do. So let us do it and you can focus on your business. Let us be your security IT.