The Evolution of Security: From On-Site Guards to Remote Video Monitoring
Remote video monitoring isn’t just a trend—it’s becoming the standard for proactive, cost-effective protection. By adding video remote guarding to your offerings, you can strengthen client trust, stand out from competitors, and unlock new streams of recurring revenue.
Security has always been a balancing act between vigilance, cost, coverage, and response time. Over the decades, businesses have progressed from relying solely on physical security guards to adopting high-tech, remote solutions. The journey has been driven by new threats, technological advances, and changing expectations. In this post, we’ll trace how security has evolved, why remote video monitoring is becoming increasingly common, and what benefits (and trade-offs) modern systems like Becklar Video Remote Guarding bring to the table.
Early Days: Human Guards and Patrols
At the beginning, and for many years, the standard model of security for businesses, public institutions, and private property was simple: hire security guards to stand watch or patrol physically.
These guards:
- deterred crime by their visible presence
- responded when incidents occurred
- served as witnesses, or intervened in emergencies
This method had strengths: the human touch, ability to make judgment calls, and physical intervention. But it also had limitations:
- Coverage gaps – A guard can only be in one place at a time; large sites or multiple buildings are hard to monitor effectively.
- Fatigue and consistency issues – Humans get tired, distracted, and make errors. Even excellent guards may miss events, especially at night or in low visibility conditions.
- Costs – Staffing around the clock, training, paying for supervision, dealing with labour costs, benefits, etc.
- Scalability – As businesses grow, adding more guards becomes expensive and logistically harder.
Introduction of Surveillance Cameras
To augment or partially replace physical guards, many businesses added closed-circuit TV (CCTV) systems.
Cameras offered:
- continuous visual record of activity
- ability to review footage after incidents
- some deterrence, especially if cameras are visible
Yet, CCTV brought its own issues:
- Isolated data – Lots of footage, but without someone continuously watching, incidents can go unnoticed until it’s too late.
- Storage and maintenance – Keeping video records, managing hardware, and ensuring the system works reliably.
- Delayed response – If someone sees something wrong only after reviewing footage, the damage is done.
Rise of Smart Tech and Remote Monitoring
As digital technology, bandwidth, and analytics improved, a new model emerged—video remote guarding. Rather than having guards on-site every moment, these systems use cameras, analytics and artificial intelligence to detect unusual activity, and live operators to intervene in real time.
At Becklar Video Remote Guarding (partner of Armstrongs, A Becklar Company), our key aspects are:
- High-definition cameras paired with AI analytics that help flag unusual behaviours or security breaches in real time.
- Live video intervention by trained specialists who can assess a potential threat and communicate or escalate rapidly.
- Ability to integrate with existing camera infrastructure, which helps avoid some of the cost of full hardware replacement.
Benefits of Becklar Video Remote Guarding
Video remote guarding combines human oversight with automated systems, producing a number of advantages over older models:
- Proactive Threat Detection
Because of AI and analytics, potential issues can be flagged instantly rather than relying on a guard to wander by or human memory in review later. - Cost Efficiency
Reducing or optimizing on-site guard presence lowers labour costs, training, travel, and supervision overhead. Also, faster responses reduce potential losses from theft, vandalism, or other damage. - 24/7, Consistent Coverage
Remote systems don’t ‘sleep.’ They aren’t affected by shift changes or fatigue. With proper setup, they can monitor even remote or difficult-to-access areas. - Scalability and Flexibility
Whether a business has one building or many, remote guarding solutions scale. New sites can be added, existing cameras leveraged, and the system adjusted to the threat level. - Faster Response and Intervention
When suspicious activity is detected, trained remote guards can intervene immediately — sometimes even speaking through speakers on-site, contacting law enforcement, or activating alarms. This timeliness is a major advantage over traditional guard patrols, which may only be present at fixed times or intervals.
Get In Touch With Us!
Learn more about how Armstrongs comprehensive suite of monitoring solutions will benefit you and your valuable subscribers!
Dealers: The Future of Security is Here
Remote video monitoring isn’t just a trend—it’s becoming the standard for proactive, cost-effective protection. By adding video remote guarding to your offerings, you can strengthen client trust, stand out from competitors, and unlock new streams of recurring revenue.
Now is the time to expand your portfolio and deliver the next generation of security.
Connect with us today at sales@armcom.ca to see how our video remote guarding solutions can elevate your business.
English 
French