How To Choose A Commercial Video Surveillance System For Your Business

If you own, manage, work, or have even been in a building, chances are that you may have seen or heard of CCTV. CCTV stands for closed-circuit television systems and are used in Video surveillance to observe a scene or scenes and look for specific behaviors that are improper or that may indicate the emergence or existence of improper behavior. Now While commercial video surveillance can help enhance the security posture of a business or organization, there are still some important things to consider. You're not trying to just slap a camera in every nook and cranny, but instead, you want to maximize the visibility and functionality of the security camera system over time.

The great thing about the world we live in is that we have the ultimate power. The power of choice. With so many options for business video surveillance systems, it should be easy to find exactly what you need, right? In a way it is, but there are different features of the camera you need to consider:

Wired vs. wireless security cameras. 

While wireless video security camera systems for business applications do offer greater flexibility, it’s often at the expense of image quality or functionality. A wired video surveillance system will require professional installation, but is recommended for businesses that need multiple cameras and enhanced security capabilities.

IP cameras vs. analog video security cameras. 

IP or network video security cameras transmit images over the Internet, and many don’t require a power source or cable. Analog cameras are often less expensive per unit but may require costly wiring and offer limited functionality when it comes to analytics and recording. We recommend IP cameras for commercial video surveillance systems. 

Motion-triggered vs. continuous video recording. 

A motion-triggered office video security system will only record footage if it detects movement within the frame. A video surveillance system with continuous recording will record everything 24/7. Depending on your space, compliance requirements, and security needs, you may only need one type or a combination of both. 

Night vision cameras. 

Lighting is important for security. Especially for after-hours and outdoor monitoring, business video surveillance systems may benefit from cameras equipped with HD and full-color night vision capabilities. The best commercial video surveillance systems can capture crisp, clear images even in the dark. 

Cameras with pan/tilt/zoom lenses. 

Depending on where your video surveillance cameras are installed, you may want the ability to zoom in, tilt, or rotate the view for added versatility. These types of security cameras are typically more expensive than a simpler dome camera or bullet camera, which can only show one view.

Now that you have narrowed down what features you want in your security camera, it’s time to find a VMS to support them. A Video Management System (VMS) is the software element that allows a business to monitor and control the system. Most integrators of these commercial security camera systems offer management software. One thing to consider is if you want to use a certain VMS or want scalability in the future, you need to make sure that the camera hardware you install will be compatible with the management software and recorder. 

When it comes to choosing a video management system integrator, there are some features security professionals recommend to get the most functionality from your surveillance system: 

Cloud-hosted storage. 

While many businesses use an on-premise video surveillance system, locally hosted storage can be limiting. Because storage capacity is one of the biggest factors impacting a business video surveillance system, most security experts agree that cloud-hosted storage is a safer bet. With an on-premise system, you’ll need to ensure your local servers have enough capacity to store vast amounts of recorded video data, without overwriting archived footage you might need. In the cloud, you get limitless retention that can scale with your needs. Plus, cloud-based storage is more secure than storing footage locally, as there’s less likelihood of a physical breach. 

Integration capabilities. 

One of the best ways to improve physical security is to integrate your commercial video surveillance system with other building systems. Choosing a VMS and business security camera provider with an open platform makes it easy to connect access control systems, alarms, safety platforms, and other software tools for a more holistic approach to security. Some VMS providers claim to be “open” platforms but have limited integration capabilities with only a select few technology partners. Always ask about the specific technology you want to integrate before committing to a system.

Hybrid video recorders (HVR). 

As the name suggests, HVR systems support both IP and analog cameras, so they are more versatile for business video surveillance. For businesses that have existing security cameras and are adding newer models to the system, or for businesses that anticipate scaling up, and HVR ensures you don’t need to rip-and-replace every camera, and can still have all your footage in one place.

Now that you know what type of security cameras you're looking for and what your video management system should be capable of, it’s time to get it installed. Finding the right integrator is just as important as finding the right equipment. The team at scDataCom are experts in the installation and programming of camera systems from working with small businesses to federal-sized entities. We have dealt with all sorts of projects and understand that there is no one-size-fits-all. Reach out to us today to learn how we can help you customize your new or upgraded system.