We recently spoke with a prospective client in South Jersey who had been turned away by another security vendor. They wanted to upgrade to a modern, cloud-based video surveillance system but were told flat-out: “Your internet connection isn’t fast enough. If the internet goes down, you lose your recording.”
Unfortunately, this is a common misconception—usually from integrators who haven’t kept up with how far the technology has evolved.
Ten years ago, that vendor might have been right. Today, they’re wrong. Here’s how modern cloud surveillance actually works, and why your bandwidth is likely just fine—whether you’re running a facility in Gloucester County, Camden County, Burlington County, Philadelphia, Chester County, or New Castle County, DE.
Myth: Cloud cameras stream 24/7 and crush your bandwidth
Truth: Modern systems use edge recording and smart bandwidth management
Many of the cloud systems we deploy across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware—such as Rhombus Systems—use edge storage. That means the camera records high-definition video locally (typically to encrypted onboard storage). It does not need to send every second of video to the cloud in real time.
Instead, the system sends lightweight data to the cloud (like motion events, thumbnails, and analytics), which uses a fraction of the bandwidth people assume. You typically only use meaningful bandwidth when you choose to view live video or download a clip.
Myth: No internet = no recording
Truth: “Store-and-forward” keeps recording even during an outage
A common concern we hear from business owners and property managers is: “What happens if Comcast/Verizon goes down?”
With properly designed cloud video solutions, recording continues locally even if the internet drops. When the connection is restored, the system automatically syncs the stored footage back to the cloud. You don’t lose evidence just because your ISP has a bad day.
A “bridge” option for existing cameras (no rip-and-replace required)
If you have older third-party ONVIF cameras at a manufacturing facility, office, medical practice, school, restaurant, or multi-tenant property, you may not need a full rip-and-replace to get cloud features.
In some cases, we can use a bridge/gateway device (for example, solutions offered by providers like Eagle Eye Networks) that sits securely inside your network, buffers video locally, and manages cloud upload intelligently—helping protect your network from unnecessary congestion.
The “all-in-one” approach for smaller sites
For smaller offices that want a simple, unified experience, an all-in-one platform can make sense. Solutions in this category can combine video, intrusion, and access control into a single interface—showing how cloud technology can simplify security rather than complicate it.
The bottom line (for NJ/PA/DE businesses)
At Systems Integrations, we provide commercial video surveillance, access control, and security integration for businesses throughout South Jersey, Southeast Pennsylvania, and New Castle County, Delaware. We take a cyber-centric approach to physical security—meaning we understand the network as well as the cameras.
Don’t let outdated advice stop you from modernizing your system. If you’ve been told “you don’t have the bandwidth,” we’ll review your network and show you what’s actually possible.
Service areas include: Gloucester, Camden, Salem, Cape May, Atlantic, Burlington, Ocean, Mercer, and Cumberland counties (NJ); Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Lancaster, and Berks counties (PA); and New Castle County (DE).
Request a site survey or cloud video assessment at systems-integrations.com.