If you have managed physical security for a business in the last 15 years, you are familiar with “The Closet.”
You know the one. It’s the dusty networking closet where an NVR (Network Video Recorder) hums away in the dark. It works fine until you actually need it—when an incident occurs, and you realize the hard drive failed three months ago, the system time is wrong, or you have to burn footage onto a USB drive to hand to the police.
Physical security has historically been clunky, isolated, and difficult to manage.
This is why we are paying close attention to Verkada. They have taken the “smart home” ease of use (think Nest or Ring) and scaled it up to meet enterprise-grade security standards.
Here is a breakdown of who Verkada is and why they are changing the landscape of business security.
Who is Verkada?
Founded in 2016, Verkada is a cloud-based physical security company. Unlike traditional setups that rely on a maze of local servers, recorders, and complex firewall rules, Verkada builds hardware that integrates natively with the cloud.
Their goal is to create a “software-first” experience for hardware. They don’t just sell cameras; they sell a platform—Verkada Command—that unifies cameras, door access control, environmental sensors, and alarms into a single pane of glass.
The "Hybrid Cloud" Difference
The biggest hesitation business owners have with cloud cameras is bandwidth. “If I install 20 cameras, will it kill my internet connection?”
Verkada solves this with a Hybrid Cloud architecture.
Storage is Local: Each camera has its own industrial-grade solid-state drive (SSD) built-in. It records video continuously to itself, just like an NVR.
Management is Cloud: The camera only sends small metadata (thumbnails, health status) to the cloud.
The Result: It consumes almost zero bandwidth (approx. 20kbps) while idling. It only uses high bandwidth when you actively view live footage or review history.
Top Features That Solve Real Problems
We don’t recommend technology just because it’s shiny. We recommend Verkada because it saves time during investigations.
1. Person and Vehicle Analytics
Imagine a theft occurs, and all you know is the suspect was wearing a red hoodie. On an old system, you would scrub through hours of footage at 4x speed.
With Verkada, you simply type “Person wearing red top” into the search bar. The system uses edge-based AI to instantly pull up every clip matching that description across all your cameras. You can filter by face matches, vehicle color, and even license plates.
2. Live Link Sharing
When an emergency happens, speed matters. Instead of struggling to export files to a thumb drive, Verkada allows you to generate a Time-Limited Share Link.
You can text this link directly to first responders or police officers. They can view the live feed or the archived incident immediately on their phones/tablets without needing a password or special software.
3. Integrated Access Control
Verkada isn’t just cameras. Their Access Control system connects your doors to the same platform.
If a “Forced Door” alarm goes off, you don’t just get a text alert. You get a video clip of the exact moment the door was forced, linked directly to the event. The integration eliminates the disconnect between “Who badged in?” and “Who actually walked in?”
Is Verkada Right for You?
Verkada is a premium solution. It involves a hardware cost and a per-device licensing fee.
However, for businesses with multiple locations, high turnover, or sensitive inventory, the ROI is found in reliability and management speed. It eliminates the need for VPNs, port forwarding, and NVR maintenance.
If you are tired of wondering if “The Closet” is actually recording, it might be time to look at the cloud.
Stop relying on outdated recorders. Contact Carl’s Consulting Agency today for a demo of the Verkada platform and see how modern security can protect your assets.
