In recent years, weve seen the advancement of closed circuit televisions (CCTV). What used to be a simple, crude camera attached to a black and white monitor with no zooming capabilities has developed into a sophisticated surveillance system. With the emergence of wireless cameras, CCTV surveillance systems are no longer limited through wired connections to a receiving monitor.

The system can now be attached to a computer and with high-powered software, state-of-the-art; surveillance systems are created for many different applications. CCTV systems are generally used in financial institutions or areas near cash registers where money transactions are handled. You will also find them on streets monitoring traffic, reporting accidents and capturing traffic violators. Since 9/11, and other terrorist attacks around the world, many cities use them in public areas to identify any strange behavior or objects.

Cameras are now equipped with zooming and panning functions that allow you to pinpoint a certain area of the image. Using powerful software, cameras are now able to pinpoint minute details of images and blow up images without compromising details. Other software allows a viewer to follow a suspect and trace suspicious behavior that could potentially result in a crime. Some software is also capable of striping elements from a subjects face. For instance, if the subject is wearing a hat, sunglasses, and has facial hair, the software will remove them to give a clearer identification of subject. You can match all the possible data and images with a database and identify the target you are searching for.