DIY has gained popularity over the years. Years ago there was a chain of large hardware stores in my area, the largest I had ever seen: Hechinger's. Long gone now and replaced with even larger retailers like Home Depot and Lowe's. Then came the DIY television shows. For Sale By Owner home sales. Build it yourself home computers. Automobile kits. The lists go on and on. You've likely been part of a DIY project yourself.
2014: a time of heightened security concerns, expectations, and liability.
What place does DIY have in security? I've seen a few articles and posts online lately that question the quality, capability, and liability of DIY security equipment. But what about DIY research? What about a DIY decision?
Let's look at DIY security decision making.
It's a well known fact that consumers are doing more and more research on their own before they ever encounter a living, breathing topic expert, or, dare I say, sales person. We do it with telephones, we do it with automobiles. Our desire is to learn as much as possible BEFORE we engage a human. It's just the way it is today.
Some entities have the funding for and respect organizational liability at a level that demands the strong consideration of engaging professional security consultants.
Some don't have that level of funding.
I want to offer are a few resources to those "DIY researchers" out there looking for information and tools to develop their security solution to use before they engage a topic expert or...uhhhh hmmm....sales person.
First, I'd recommend finding a "Consumer Reports" style 3rd party research entity. I look to IPVM as one key source for 3rd party device comparison that I could never accomplish on my own. Imagine trying to evaluate a 1080p IP camera from 15 different leading manufacturers. Who's got the time or resources to do that in their garage or on the workbench? Not me. They perform detailed and scientific (by my personal standards as I'm not an engineer) evaluations of new security technologies from IP cameras to access and door control systems. They even have an online tool that allows you to select IP camera models from a variety of manufacturers based on specific performance criteria. Then you can compare multiple IP camera brands that meet those criteria side by side. http://ipvm.com/camera-finder
In my small corner of the expansive security world, our team offers advice freely. We don't charge for it. It's human nature to be biased, so I completely understand why someone might want to avoid my opinion during the initial stages of their research.
In the end, nothing can take the place of a trusted adviser. Not someone who jumps to "I would do this" five minutes after meeting you. Rather, someone who listens and listens and listens, then asks and asks and asks well before offering advice. Our team has been that resource to many, many people and many, many organizations over a period of more than 25 years. Get a trusted resource...maybe even two or three of them. It's tempting to go it alone by clicking your mouse at your desk. I get it. I'm currently holiday shopping that exact way.
We have accumulated a short list of resources that our team uses regularly to sift through the detailed information, capabilities, and myriad of options available just within just our family of solutions: online cameras, selection guides, calculators, and software tools. Hope you can use these in some way to move your process from awareness to consideration to decision.
- Online demo cameras
- Network and fiber optic system builder for your computer
- Network and fiber optic selection tool app for iPhone
- Console and desk design software (WELS)
- Video storage calculator
- IP camera lens calculator
- IP Camera Selection Guide
- Moving camera system design tool
- License plate capture camera selector
- Wire gauge calculator
- Alarm Panel Battery Calculator
- Motion Detector Selection Tool
- FPA-1000 Battery Calculator
- FPD-7024 Battery Calculator
