We are all familiar with Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV). It has been around for some time. The concept is a series of video-recording cameras which record imagery for use in securing buildings. It helps to give owners an overview of footfall and activity, as well as deterring criminal activity and for use as evidence to prosecute should that be required.
Despite being such a useful resource for businesses of all sizes and industries, CCTV has historically been out of reach of many companies. It was too expensive to be widely available and those that could afford it complained it was cumbersome. Recordings had to be saved to an on-site DVR, a large and expensive piece of equipment that had to be present on every site – a burden for multi-site businesses. Furthermore, footage was automatically overwritten when a DVR reached capacity and the process for moving key footage off the DVR to another location was fiddly and had to be done manually.
As has been the case so many times in the past, the cloud has proved to be a great leveller and has shaken up the CCTV market. The advancements in Cloud Computing have presented us with an exciting new prospect: Cloud CCTV.
What is Cloud CCTV?
Cloud CCTV retains the physical camera infrastructure you would expect from a traditional CCTV system, but replaces legacy, on-site recording and management with cloud-based services. Cameras are installed at your premises as usual, capturing video for security, monitoring activity, and analysing footfall. The difference lies in how that footage is stored, accessed, and managed.
Instead of relying on a locally hosted DVR or NVR that requires ongoing maintenance, recordings are securely transmitted to a cloud platform. From there, authorised users can access live and recorded footage through a web browser or mobile app, from any location with an internet connection. System updates, storage scaling, and resilience are handled centrally, reducing operational overhead and on-site complexity.
This shift materially changes how CCTV is used. Traditional systems largely limited access to footage to the physical recorder on site, meaning incidents were typically reviewed after the fact. Cloud CCTV enables real-time visibility. Business owners and security teams can view live feeds remotely, receive event-based alerts triggered by motion or defined activity, and respond as situations develop rather than retrospectively.
In practice, this means Cloud CCTV is not just a recording tool but an active security and operational platform—supporting faster response, better oversight across multiple locations, and more flexible, scalable surveillance without the constraints of legacy hardware.
How does it work?
It is reasonable to assume that Cloud CCTV would be complex to deploy, particularly if your only reference point is legacy CCTV. Traditional systems often required specialist hardware, on-site recorders, and ongoing manual maintenance. Cloud CCTV is considerably simpler by design.
Deployment typically involves installing IP-based cameras in the areas you want to monitor and connecting them to your existing network. Once online, the cameras are enrolled into a cloud management platform under a subscription model. From that point, storage, software updates, resilience, and system management are handled centrally, removing the need to install and maintain a dedicated DVR or NVR on site.
Live and recorded footage is accessed through a secure web portal or mobile application, allowing authorised users to monitor premises in real time or review historical footage remotely, on both iOS and Android devices. Because recording and management are cloud-based, the system is inherently more flexible—storage can scale as needed, additional cameras can be added without re-architecting the solution, and there is no single on-site recorder representing a point of failure or a sunk capital cost.
The result is a CCTV platform that is easier to deploy, easier to manage, and better suited to modern, distributed businesses than traditional CCTV infrastructure.
What about the cost?
Another important factor when considering Cloud CCTV is its affordability. Your camera hardware will range in price based on your needs – a high-definition waterproof camera will always be expensive. However, if your needs are more modest there are plenty of great options available to you. We recommend cameras from Eagle Eye Networks, Axis, or Hanwha, but there are many options to choose from.
Once you have your cameras, all you need is a monthly subscription to the entrustIT Cloud CCTV service. Pricing is based on the length of time you need to keep your recordings saved in the Cloud for. You can also scale up/down monthly as your business grows and changes, meaning you are never paying for something you do not need.
What is the next step?
If you are interested in learning a little more about Cloud CCTV, visit the entrustIT Cloud CCTV page. We have a number of excellent resources to keep you informed.
The team at entrustIT will handle the whole process for you. We can either make a recommendation of cameras for you to purchase or we can procure them for you. Our engineers will visit your site to conduct a survey and plan where to best place the cameras. We will also conduct a network assessment to decipher if your internet connection may cause you problems down the line and then we will install your cameras for you and ensure they are working correctly.
Once your cameras are installed you will receive access to our online portal and smartphone applications where you can view your camera feed. You will also receive ongoing support from the entrustIT Service Team to manage any issues related to your CCTV system.
If you would like to learn more, visit our Cloud CCTV webpage.