Remotely activated monitoring service

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a server computer that executes a monitoring service, that monitoring of a user device and a proximity of the user device is to be initiated;

determining, by the server computer, a geographic location of the user device; identifying, by the server computer, monitoring hardware that is within a detection range of a monitored location associated with the geographic location, wherein the user device is located at the monitored location, and wherein the proximity of the user device to be monitored is located at the monitored location;

issuing, by the server computer, a command to the monitoring hardware to initiate monitoring of the user device and the proximity of the user device by the monitoring hardware; receiving, by the server computer, a request to provide directions along a route that has a maximized amount of monitoring hardware: and

providing, by the server computer, the directions along the route that has the maximized amount of monitoring hardware.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the server computer, if a prompt is to be generated at the user device;

in response to a determination that the prompt is to be generated,

generating, by the server computer, a monitoring alert, and

transmitting, by the server computer, the monitoring alert to the user device; and

obtaining, by the server computer, input indicating that the monitoring is to be initiated.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining, by the server computer, monitoring data generated by the monitoring hardware;

analyzing, by the server computer, the monitoring data to determine if an action is to be taken; and

in response to a determination that the action is to be taken,

generating, by the server computer, action data indicating an action to be taken, and

transmitting, by the server computer, the action data to an entity.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a monitoring request generated by the user device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring hardware comprises a video device, and wherein the monitored location is within a visual range of the video device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring hardware is located remote from the monitored location, and wherein the monitoring hardware comprises a network device that identifies the user device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the monitoring of the user device and the proximity of the user device is to be initiated comprises receiving a monitoring request from the user device via a wireless connection, and wherein issuing the command comprises issuing the command to the monitoring hardware via a wired connection.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising interacting with a service to obtain the directions.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring an entity associated with the user device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the entity comprises a user associated with the user device, wherein the monitoring hardware comprises a video device, wherein the monitored location is within a visual range of the video device, and wherein video generated by the video device during the monitoring comprises an image of the user.

11. A system comprising: a processor; and

a memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

determining that monitoring of a user device and a proximity of the user device is to be initiated,

determining a geographic location of the user device,

identifying, based on the geographic location, monitoring hardware that is within a detection range of a monitored location associated with the geographic location, wherein the user device is located at the monitored location, and wherein the proximity of the user device to be monitored is located at the monitored location,

issuing, by the server computer, a command to the monitoring hardware to initiate monitoring of the user device and the proximity of the user device by the monitoring hardware;

receiving a request to provide directions along a route that has a maximized amount of monitoring hardware, and

providing the directions along the route that has the maximized amount of monitoring hardware.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a data store that stores event data generated by the monitoring service, the event data comprising:

preferences associated with the user device and the monitoring service;

event definitions that define conditions in which monitoring of the user device and the proximity of the user device is to be initiated;

location data defining locations at which monitoring of the user device and the proximity of the user device is to be initiated; and

user data comprising data describing a user associated with the user device.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

obtaining monitoring data generated by the monitoring hardware;

analyzing the monitoring data to determine if an action is to be taken; and

in response to a determination that the action is to be taken,

generating action data indicating an action to be taken, and

transmitting the action data to an entity.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

interacting with a service to obtain the directions.

15. A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining that monitoring of a user device and a proximity of the user device is to be initiated;

determining a geographic location of the user device;

identifying, based on the geographic location, monitoring hardware that is within a detection range of a monitored location associated with the geographic location, wherein the user device is located at the monitored location, and wherein the proximity of the user device to be monitored is located at the monitored location;

issuing a command to the monitoring hardware to initiate monitoring of the user device and the proximity of the user device by the monitoring hardware;

receiving a request to provide directions along a route that has a maximized amount of monitoring hardware; and

providing the directions along the route that has the maximized amount of monitoring hardware.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

obtaining monitoring data generated by the monitoring hardware;

analyzing the monitoring data to determine if an action is to be taken; and

in response to a determination that the action is to be taken,

generating action data indicating an action to be taken, and

transmitting the action data to an entity.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

obtaining event data generated by a monitoring service; and

storing the event data at a data store, the event data being stored with data that associates the event data with the user device.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

determining that a prompt is to be generated at the user device;

in response to a determination that the prompt is to be generated,

generating a monitoring alert, and

transmitting the monitoring alert to the user device; and

obtaining input from the user device, the input indicating that the monitoring is to be initiated.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

obtaining monitoring data generated by the monitoring hardware;

analyzing the monitoring data to determine if an action is to be taken; and

in response to a determination that the action is to be taken,

generating action data indicating an action to be taken, and

transmitting the action data to an entity.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

interacting with a service to obtain the directions.