Drone-based Technology Poised to Revolutionize Business Operations

Recent studies suggest that in as little as five years, drones will be used by 40 percent of all businesses.

Kevin Kelly

The demand for drone technology by organizations across the United States is exploding and the numbers exist to prove it.

As of August 2015, over 1,000 organizations in the United States were approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly drones for commercial use, up from only 12 at the beginning of 2015. Recent 2015 studies estimate that over the next five years, drones will be used by 40 percent of all businesses and that by 2024, the commercial drone market will grow to represent 12 percent of the $98-billion total market.

But these numbers are nebulous and intangible without an understanding of how drone technology can be productized to enhance an organization’s operations.

One example of a specific drone-based product category that’s poised to impact the commercial sector is drone video system (DVS) solutions. DVS solutions integrate drone hardware, HD cameras, video conferencing software with desktop and laptop computers and personal mobile devices.

Doing so provides organizations with a 360-degree aerial perspective of any location, streamed instantaneously to any connected smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. Prior to DVS solutions, this aerial perspective was either unattainable or attainable via helicopters or planes, which proved to be extremely costly.

Drone Video Systems: A Budding New AV Category

When parties both on-site and off-site can join a group video conference from any mobile or desktop device to view live aerial video footage of a situation, they can make smarter, more informed decisions- faster than ever before- which saves organizations time and money.

One vertical market in particular that stands to benefit from the advent of drone-based technology, such as drone video systems, is the commercial construction industry.

Drones can be used throughout the entire lifecycle of a construction project—from the initial sale to the promotion of the job after it’s completed. Construction companies can use drones to shoot aerial footage of past projects to be used in sales pitches to prospective clients.

Once the sale is made, and the project commences, drones can also be used to survey progress and send a real-time video feed to site managers and client representatives as a part of status reports. Finally, aerial footage of the completed project can be provided to the client for promotional and marketing purposes.

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What’s more, by using drones rather than people to conduct dangerous inspections of buildings, bridges, or any other structure, crewmember safety is enhanced significantly. Gone are the days where people are required to scale buildings and bridges, inspecting the progress to ensure all are up to code. Drone use on construction sites not only saves time and money, but also enhances the safety and well being of crews.

The benefits of drone-based technology extend far beyond the construction industry. In fact, a recent study conducted by the AUVSI revealed that the first 500 commercial drone certifications granted by the FAA span more than 20 major industries—including, but not limited to, real estate, aerial surveying, aerial photography, search and rescue, and agriculture.

Simply put, whenever real-time video information needs to be evaluated quickly and cost-effectively by multiple parties in remote locations, drone-based technology—and drone video systems in particular—offer the perfect solution to meet the needs of an organization of any size.

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