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"We monitor the comings and goings at our entrance gates with 16 cameras. With Solink, it's saved us four to five thousand dollars a year by capturing video streams of incidents when they occur."
The Client:
An HOA that manages and oversees a residential community
The Ranch Club HOA has been a Solink customer for 2 and a half years now. The HOA uses Solink’s video management system to monitor the community’s four entrance gates with 16 cameras, ensuring security and accountability. This system has significantly streamlined their operations.
“We had other security systems but they were very difficult to use. The software was too difficult for people who had no computer experience. We wanted to get software that was easy for people to teach themselves or had an easy training session, which Solink offers."
In addition to the Solink software being used, the Ranch Club HOA is also looking into having newer and better cameras installed at their location, which Solink can provide. Pete mentioned, “As our cameras fail, we are trying to put in better cameras that can see better at night and with better resolution.”
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The Challenge:
Managing a complicated and unreliable video security system
Concerns
- Their previous video security system had software that was too difficult for volunteers with no computer experience to use and understand, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
- Relying on the local internet provider for network management caused frequent technical failures, especially with port forwarding and handling IP addresses, which complicated monitoring and maintenance.
- The HOA found it difficult to navigate the software to locate and export relevant footage when incidents would occur, leading to delays and inefficiencies in responding to incidents. This was potentially costing them four to five thousand dollars a year.
Before adopting Solink, The Ranch Club HOA struggled with a video security system that was too complex for their volunteers to use effectively. The HOA is primarily run by volunteers, many of whom lack advanced computer skills. This lack of technical expertise made the previous system’s software problematic. With constant turnover of volunteers it meant that the training process was not sustainable, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
Along with this, the HOA’s reliance on their local internet provider for network management introduced another layer of complexity and frequent technical failures. The network setup required all four entrance gates to be connected to a single DVR, which Pete says was not a great setup.
"We networked all four of our gates to one (DVR) and that required us to depend on the local internet provider as our network manager. Bad mistake."
This dependency on the internet provider led to numerous problems, as the provider’s technicians were often not equipped to handle the sophisticated networking needs required for the security system. Frequent failures in the network meant that the HOA faced potential regular downtime and inconsistent security monitoring, complicating both maintenance and troubleshooting efforts.
To top it off, their previous system’s cumbersome process for saving and sharing video clips was another major hurdle. They found it challenging to navigate the software to locate and export relevant footage, which led to delays and inefficiencies in responding to incidents. It also cost them on numerous occasions thousands of dollars as they lacked proof to go along with the incident.
"The number one thing is catching people damaging the entrance gates and being able to recover that cost. It’s good to have an event logger and motion search that can check specific events for me after they’ve happened. I can catch up on one of those events easily afterwards."
The difficulty in quickly accessing and sharing video clips meant that important evidence for resolving disputes or filing insurance claims was often delayed. This inefficiency hampered the HOA’s ability to handle incidents promptly and effectively.
The Ranch Club Homeowners Association chose Solink because of its user-friendly software, superior network management capabilities and simple search and share of clips and incidents; the ease of use was crucial for the HOA.
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In the Ranch Club Homeowners Association’s words
"Networking was easier and the interface was a lot easier. The ease of navigating through the software and logging in helps keep the volunteers from quitting.
"I can quickly find motion events. I've actually set places on the gate areas where if I see motion, I wanna take a snap of it so I can quickly go through an event and find those motions that may have caused the damage."
“With Solink, each gate has its own autonomous network, one connection with Comcast, one modem that has one password…it's much simpler for repairs and troubleshooting in addition to the software and user-friendliness."
The solution & results
Results
- Solink implemented a user-friendly software solution that significantly reduced the learning curve for volunteers with little to no computer experience.
- To address the network management issues, Solink provided a streamlined solution that minimized the reliance on the local internet provider. Each entrance gate was set up as its own autonomous network, reducing the complexity of managing multiple gates through a single DVR.
- Solink’s system made it much easier for the HOA to locate and export relevant footage, which was crucial for responding to incidents promptly. The improved event logger and motion search capabilities allowed Pete and the team to quickly find and review specific events.
Solink implemented a user-friendly software solution that significantly reduced the learning curve for volunteers with little to no computer experience. The intuitive design of Solink’s software meant that volunteers could quickly learn how to use the system with minimal training. With Solink, volunteers were able to perform necessary tasks without extensive guidance, which drastically improved their efficiency in monitoring the community’s security. The simplicity of the software ensured that even those with limited technical knowledge could effectively manage the system.
To address the network management issues, Solink provided a streamlined solution that minimized the reliance on the local internet provider. Solink’s approach involved setting up each entrance gate as its own autonomous network, with individual connections that did not rely on a central DVR. This significantly reduced the complexity of managing the network and made it easier to troubleshoot and maintain the system. By eliminating the need for intricate port forwarding and IP management, Solink’s solution ensured more consistent and reliable security coverage. The streamlined network management not only reduced technical issues but also allowed the HOA to respond more quickly to any problems that did arise, improving overall security and operational efficiency.
Solink’s system made it much easier for the HOA to find and share relevant footage, which was crucial for responding to incidents promptly. The previous system’s cumbersome process for navigating and retrieving video clips often led to delays in handling incidents. The ability to easily access and share video clips helped the HOA avoid potential costs of four to five thousand dollars annually, as they could promptly provide clear evidence to insurance companies and other stakeholders. Solink’s efficient footage management system thus played a crucial role in enhancing the HOA’s ability to handle incidents effectively and maintain security within the community.
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Ranch Club Homeowners Association’s three favorite Solink features
Motion search
Motion Search eliminates the need to fast forward through hours of video footage. Solink automatically shows you all video clips in an area of interest where there is movement. This helps you find instances of shoplifting or time theft in minutes.
Easy-to-use interface
Solink’s interface makes it easy for anyone to search and find the information they need quickly. Even for less technical staff, it is possible to log in and find a needed video or piece of information with little help or training.
Save and share
When handling an investigation, sharing clips on the fly is important so that emergency response teams or authorities can act on the incident. For Pete, using Solink has allowed him to start communicating evidence to police quickly via email, meaning he no longer has to think of creative solutions to transfer video footage.
