The Best Security Camera Systems for Business
Video surveillance technology is increasingly affordable and cameras have never been easier to install and connect. There’s a lot more to installing effective video surveillance for your business, however than simply blanketing your property with CCTV.
From organized theft rings to vindictive staffers, businesses face more complex and varied security thefts than residential properties. Video surveillance provides an effective, affordable way to ensure the safety of your employees and the security of your facility, equipment, and intellectual property, but only when tailored to the specific needs of your business.
Below we take a look at why your business needs effective enterprise-class video surveillance equipment including professional security camera systems designed to integrate with whole-building security infrastructures, and we recommend two professional-grade systems that meet the standards of industry experts.
Read on to learn about the best security camera systems for business.
WHY DO YOU NEED A SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEM?
As a business owner, you spend a lot of time thinking about the risks to your organization. And there’s a lot to think about, from soaring labor costs to the next supply chain disruption.
When it comes to threats to the physical security of your people, property, and equipment, it’s hard to know what the biggest risks to your business really are.
For example, did you know that the Department of Commerce estimates that theft by employees is between $50 billion and $100 billion a year, and employee theft or shrinkage is thought to be a factor in nearly a third of business bankruptcies?
While theft by employees may or may not be a problem at your business, the point is that threats to your business often come from unexpected places and have a direct impact on your bottom line.
Security cameras are a powerful and affordable tool for guarding your business from both internal and external threats and critical liability protection if you are sued or face an investigation following an alleged crime on your property.
An effective security camera system helps to provide:
- On-Site Safety: Protect your staff, customers, and patients from physical harm, including assaults. bullying and harassment. Security cameras can also help first responders ensure your facility is evacuated in the event of an emergency or active assailant situation.
- Theft and Vandalism Protection: Theft comes in many forms, from pilfering of office supplies and stock shrinkage to organized shoplifting and unauthorized use of company time or equipment.
- Deterrence and Compliance: Security cameras provide a powerful deterrent to illegal, dangerous, or antisocial behavior. Security cameras can also help ensure your staff always comply with safety protocols and other regulations.
THE RIGHT CAMERA SYSTEM FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Whatever you are protecting, it’s important to choose the right security camera system for your unique business needs. Many businesses have more complex security needs that require more specialized surveillance equipment or more comprehensive security solutions.
Some examples include:
- Sensitive customer information: Video surveillance allows you to monitor the storage and access to health, legal or financial information stored in restricted areas.
- High-value materials: Businesses that handle valuable, exchangeable commodities, including cash, jewelry, collectibles, and consumer electronics require close monitoring.
- Complex access requirements: Research labs, defense contractors, and others use sophisticated video surveillance to control tiered access across multiple entry points.
- Hazardous work environments: Mines, refineries, and factories need to keep potentially dangerous processes or environments under constant video surveillance.
- Hospitals, care centers, and correctional facilities: Specialized surveillance systems control access and monitor interactions while preserving privacy where needed.
- Complex layouts: Large facilities with multiple entrance points, such as campuses, trade shows, amusement parks, and shopping malls are hard to secure, monitor and protect. Motion detection, tracking, and facial recognition systems are often used.
Finding the right combination of security camera technology, integration, and backup services to protect your employees and business is a complex process. Partnering with a seasoned security equipment and services provider can help.
THE RIGHT CAMERA TECHNOLOGY
An experienced security equipment provider can also advise you on the best camera technology for your needs and budget. Some important factors you should consider are:
CAMERA RESOLUTION
Higher-resolution cameras cost more but make it easier to identify people and objects, especially in low-light conditions. That can be critical in some high-security applications but may be more than many businesses need or can afford.
FIELD OF VIEW
Do you need to monitor a large shop floor or cover two sides of a building from one position? Modern fish-eye and panoramic and multi-sensor cameras are designed to cover different fields of view from 180º (hallways) and 270º (corner-mounted) to 360º (ceiling mounted).
ACTIVE CAMERA TECHNOLOGY
Do you need cameras that can move or zoom in to assess potential threats? There are a number of active camera technologies to choose from, including:
- Dome cameras: Ceiling-mounted unit housing a swiveling, fixed or varriable-focal-length camera
- PTZ cameras: Full pan, tilt, and zoom (PTZ) capabilities for active threat tracking
- Multi-sensor cameras: Allow multiple lenses to be mounted in a single camera, replacing the need for multiple wire runs and additional camera installations.
SMART CAMERA TECHNOLOGY
Smart camera systems make it easier for your staff or security contractors to monitor multiple video streams. Cameras equipped with machine learning or AI technology can detect movement and automatically identify and track threats.
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
The best modern camera systems are built with integration in mind. Many cameras can now be connected directly to your existing LAN or wireless system with individual IP addressability.
Common networking standards and smart software make it easier to integrate video with alarm or access control systems, or even monitor video feeds using facial recognition technology.
ADD-ON SERVICES
Even the smartest camera systems need to be actively monitored. Video footage also needs to be backed up and stored so it is available in the event of a security incident. Most experts recommend you keep footage for anything from one to three months.
Many security system providers now offer video monitoring and storage as an ongoing service. Cloud computing allows cameras to be monitored off-site by trained security contractors rather than your staff.
Video feeds can also be managed and stored remotely, reducing the need to purchase and maintain your own surveillance hardware.
A professional security solutions provider can help you match the latest surveillance video technology to your business’s security needs and risk profile, helping you to get the most bang for your security buck.
SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEMS YOU CAN TRUST
Richmond Security has been providing enterprise-class security solutions to companies in central Virginia since 1976. We’ve seen a lot of technology over that time, and we’ve learned to recognize equipment we can trust to help our clients protect what is important to them.
When it comes to security camera technology, there is plenty of cheap plug-and-play equipment available that many companies are happy to trust to secure their property and equipment and protect their staff.
At Richmond Security, we prefer to stick with a few tried-and-true professional-grade security camera makers with a reputation for providing smart, robust, and reliable equipment.
HANWHA VISION
Hanwha Vision provides security cameras, recording equipment designed for the most demanding applications. Hanwha cameras are used in retail, transportation, education, banking, healthcare, hospitality, airports, and more.
Hanwha makes cameras with quality optics and world-class image processing systems. The company is also a leader in multi-sensor technology and AI-enabled vision analytics.
All video flows are also designed to be fully encrypted to provide the highest levels of security against network penetration and hacking. That level of security allows the company to produce an innovative range of IP cameras, including:
- A wide range of regular bullet and box cameras
- Wide-angle fisheye, flat-eye, and multi-sensor cameras
- Moveable PTZ, dome-mounted, and multi-sensor multidirectional cameras
- Specialized thermal, stainless steel, and explosion-proof cameras
Hanwha’s encrypted video streams, image quality, and high-capacity storage equipment make it a global leader in remote surveillance technology.
AVIGILON
Avigilon makes a full range of professional-grade security cameras and supporting technology with a focus on systems integration and value-added AI analytics.
While its end-to-end approach to video security is best suited to large clients looking for comprehensive on-site or cloud-driven security management solutions, Avigilon is also a leader in integrating video and access control systems at scale.
Avigilon cameras are also fully IP addressable, meaning they can be added to any existing data backbone. That reduces the need for on-site support infrastructure such as a server room or specialized wiring, for companies who want to manage video security via cloud service.
However, the company also offers a full range of cameras and video management equipment for companies that prefer to keep their video security operations in-house and on-site.
Avigilon’s camera line-up includes:
- High-quality, AI-enabled bullet and box cameras
- Discreet, low-profile dome cameras
- Flexible PTZ cameras
- Panoramic multi-sensor and dual-head cameras
Together, these leading equipment makers provide Richmond Security with a full range of scalable, customizable tools to develop the ideal security camera installation for your business.
SPEND SMART WITH A SECURITY ASSESSMENT
Designing and installing an effective security camera system starts with a full security assessment of your property. A security assessment helps your business understand your own specific security needs.
A comprehensive security assessment identifies key variables including:
- Areas of your property that require access control
- The security levels your business activities require
- The number of employees and visitors that require access
- The total number of access points required
- Where access point should be located
- High-security areas requiring additional security
- Future growth plans that could change your security profile.
While many of these answers may seem obvious, especially if your business is relatively small, a careful security assessment can help you avoid overspending on video surveillance equipment you do not need.
TRUST RICHMOND TO PUT YOU IN THE PICTURE
Trust Richmond Security to perform a security assessment for your business. It’s the first step in developing a comprehensive security plan that will help us develop a commercial security solution, including a video camera system, right-sized to your business’s needs and budget.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation, or click below to learn more about the costs and benefits of investing in a commercial security solution.