LOS ANGELES — Advances in hi-tech security monitoring systems present a range of opportunities for adult entertainment content marketers.
Recent developments in the surveillance world are reaping benefits for homeowners, parents and businesses — including adult entertainment companies and service providers that are not only beefing up their security through real-time property monitoring, but by offering live interactive sex shows, voyeur cams, behind-the-scenes clips and other uses.
One such tool to make waves is the Dropcam (www.dropcam.com), a simple device for wirelessly transmitting 720p HD video, along with two-way audio, that has become so popular that its makers’ claim that it “processes more video than YouTube per day.”
“Plug it in. Select your Wi-Fi network. Name your camera. And that’s it,” states the company website. “Dropcam HD is online in three fast, pain-free steps.”
Chargeable via a standard USB port, Dropcam sends e-mail and mobile alerts when movements or loud noises are detected. The system efficiently compresses HD video and allows users to speak remotely through the camera.
Dropcam founders Greg Duffy and Aamir Virani reportedly sought better solutions for monitoring large quantities of video, which are not overly focused on motion sensors, are capable of acceptable night vision, and are not reliant on computer connections.
“We really think about the software as being the be-all end-all,” Duffy recently said. “We were forced to get into hardware.”
It is a lesson in corporate flexibility that adult businesses could emulate.
Many users are also finding flexibility in applications for this technology, with the company claiming that 25 percent of Dropcam buyers own more than one of these units; and at its reasonable price of under $150, it is fairly easy to acquire several. For $9.95 per month, Dropcam DVR saves live and recorded videos to the Cloud on its secure servers, so even if someone unplugs the Dropcam HD, it is possible to see who was responsible, and the action occurring beforehand. It also allows for easy sharing and time-shifting so that the video remains accessible by the desired audience for seven days.
A reported 40 percent of Dropcam owners make use of these DVR capabilities, logging in every few days and watching an average of 15 minutes of video per session.
Interestingly, 90 percent of Dropcam users reportedly watch these videos on iPhones, despite the fact that it is available to Apple Mac, Windows PC, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android phone or tablet users.
An enhanced HD version of the Dropcam camera vastly improves the image quality, while future plans for a weatherized version will bring Dropcam outdoors. Other future features include smarter video processing, context identification and event detection.
Whether you run an adult cam or production studio, or other business in need of 24/7 monitoring or other capabilities, Dropcam and similar systems present new opportunities that are only limited by the user’s (or biller’s) imagination.
