The NETFLIX Phenomenon Applied to Foot Traffic Counters

Quick Summary:

We present a case study demonstrating how it's possible to leverage the infrastructure you already own to access new services at a much more affordable cost.

Innovation in Foot Traffic Counters

Finding multiple uses for a single device is a daily goal for scientists and engineers. Let’s go back 30 years: office desks were filled with calculators, fax machines, telephones, TVs, newspapers, pencils, pens, staplers, and a giant computer the size of a cardboard box. Today, the rise of software-as-a-service has enabled a single device to do it all through algorithms!

In the foot traffic counter industry, AlterVision's competitors often install new cameras, servers, and computers—just to do what your existing security cameras are already doing: recording the store. Let's use the Netflix example to better understand why buying new hardware often makes no sense.

Suppose you have a 42-inch flat-screen TV purchased in 2015. It works perfectly, with excellent image and sound. Streaming services gain popularity, and you decide to subscribe to Netflix. But your TV isn’t a Smart TV. You have two options:

1. Buy a Smart TV for about R$2,100.00 that can connect to the internet and run Netflix
2. Buy a Chromecast for around R$300.00, which turns your existing TV into a Smart TV

The cost advantage of using your current TV with a Chromecast is massive—you could pay for several years of Netflix with the savings. Now, imagine you need 100 TVs, like in a retail chain with 100 stores across Brazil. Each location has its own budget, and you’d also need to hire labor, manage logistics, and install everything. Suddenly, what seemed like a simple solution becomes a headache.

Now think of your TVs as your existing security cameras.

How many months of foot traffic analytics could you afford just with the money saved from not buying new cameras and computers? AlterVision doesn’t require new equipment. Your monitoring cameras are multifunctional and can receive foot traffic counting services, heatmaps, audience profiling, employee counting, and much more—all through AlterVision’s software!

Now that you know your monitoring cameras can deliver valuable insights about your store, reach out to us to request a demo of our systems. We’ll be happy to help grow your business!