Top Considerations in a Video Surveillance System for Your Business

Having a video surveillance system is a great way to protect your assets from vandalism and theft.

Commercial buildings and locations often have a lot of valuable items and equipment. Video surveillance is a common investment that secures your assets and often increases their value.

There are some essential features your camera system should have to remain relevant and effective. While even the appearance of security cameras can deter criminals, irrelevant cameras may have a more challenging time providing you with the evidence needed to bring a thief or vandal to justice. 

Here are some things to consider when getting a video surveillance system.

Motion Detection Technology

Video surveillance technology is not only getting better at providing clearer video with ever smaller devices, but it is also getting very good at analyzing an image for specific criteria. 

Motion-sensing technology is now very affordable. A camera that can detect and earmark motion events is more capable of helping you isolate nefarious events from the slew of data in a camera’s memory.

Many systems are capable of sending notifications to the camera operators, notifying them of strange events in real-time. If the notification is received in time, hypothetically, you can confront them or at least get enough presence to call the authorities.

Night Vision Capabilities

Home theft is typically more likely to happen during the daytime when it is a lot less likely owners will be home. In spite of having such a robust system in place, individuals will still try to break into vehicles at night. 

Keeping your virtual eyes attuned to the dark not only helps clients feel more secure about the safety of their vehicle, but a quality security system with night-vision capabilities can make it easier to investigate property damage and track down perpetrators. 

To be able to view and identify your thief, your camera should be equipped with night vision so that, regardless of the time of day, you can draw an accurate bead on burglars. To make nighttime observation more effective, install a floodlight. A floodlight with a motion sensor can provide an equally effective deterrent for would be thieves and vandals.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Use

When you come across a cheap camera system, you may want to analyze the product details to see if the cameras are meant for indoor or outdoor use. Indoor cameras aren’t as hardy and able to withstand the elements as their outdoor counterparts.

If you want to save costs on an external system, you could consider purchasing an internal one and face it outwards. This will put you at a severe disadvantage in a few case. For one, the view of the outside is obstructed by glass windows. Second, your placement will not be optimal for tracking and monitoring the greater portions of your property.

Indoor cameras can assist in identifying indoor events relating to theft, robbery, vandalism, or something similar. They are somewhat inferior in terms of durability, but they’ll get the job done.

Type of Camera – IP vs. Analogue

There are two main types of cameras that you could get for your business: IP or Analogue. 

Analogue may be a little less expensive than IP cameras. This is mostly due to their inferior design and greater limitations.

Security systems using analog cameras are in for a more involved setup. IP cameras have an easy installation and perform better than analog cameras down the line. Analog cameras use older technology to power and record images.

When you choose IP cameras over Analogue, you can expect:

• Higher image quality
• Better internet connection capabilities
• Fewer wires and an easy mobile app interface
• Digital image recording and storage

IP cameras create a better user experience that utilizes wireless technology to connect them to the surveillance system as a whole. Analog cameras require more wires to connect them to a power source and an information hub. In some cases, analog cameras still use outdated tapes to collect and archive surveillance information. 

An IP camera may seem like a bigger investment, but you will be saving yourself so much more time with the help of its function and ease of use.

Mounting and Installation

When you are considering installing a new video surveillance system, another big factor you should consider is the cost to install and maintain the system.

The materials for one type of camera may be available for less than another type, but how much additional effort will it take to set it all up? Some camera systems require cables to power camera units. These cable systems need to be connected at one central hub so all the feed can come together for monitoring.

Wireless cameras are going to have the least amount of setup required. Instead, they do not need a chord and connect directly to a wireless network, most often accessible and controlled through your smartphone.

Features and Capabilities of Your Camera

Not all cameras are created with the same capabilities. Old cameras work slower, catch a lower-quality image, and do this all using more hardware than modern cameras would.

Newer wireless cameras often have a faster frame rate, allowing them to capture clearer images of events transpiring in their field of view. Newer cameras are also almost guaranteed to have a higher resolution, due to their more advanced hardware. And another important feature is the fact that many newer cameras have a wider field of view, making it easier to identify and track objects in their field of view.

A Cleaner Image with Groove Technology Solutions

Installing a video surveillance system for your property is an excellent way to protect your assets, deter crime, and keep an eye out for any other mischief. 

At Groove Technology Solutions, we provide the most state-of-the-art surveillance systems for businesses. 

If you are ready to take your security up another level, to protect your assets and provide more security for your clients, contact us for a quote! 

We are excited to help your business become safer and more secure.