How to Find the Best Video Surveillance System for Your Business

With so many security camera systems out there, it’s sometimes hard to know what’s the best option for your business. Different factors can dictate what type of system will work for your organization or what can cause difficulty in the future. Some options many businesses consider can be from traditional alarm providers, like ADT, to more consumer-focused camera systems, like Nest and Ring. The purpose of this article is to outline different questions you should consider to help narrow down your options when selecting the right video security solution for your business.

Do you need less than 10 cameras?

If you have a single location, or need 1 – 10 cameras, then a consumer-focused solution like Nest, Ring, or a big box set of cameras would be an ideal solution. These systems are easy to setup, affordable, and will provide the necessary features a small business will need.

Consumer-focused solutions are ideal for 1-10 camera deployments since small businesses do not require strict technical requirements that are necessary for larger organizations. These systems provide a step above residential security cameras and will work appropriately for most small business applications.

If you are looking for an alarm system to go alongside your cameras and want that camera provider to also manage the alarm system, read on to the next question.

Do you want your cameras connected to your alarm system?

If you only need a few cameras but also want an alarm system with 3rd party monitoring and law enforcement dispatch, then looking at a company like Alarm.com, ADT, or Comcast may be your ideal solution. These companies can provide security cameras, an alarm system, and monitoring - making them an ideal choice for businesses specifically looking for dual physical security setup.

Nest and Ring can provide these services, but you’ll be required to handle the installation yourself. For many business owners, outsourcing the installation and monitoring makes the most sense. Similar to Nest and Ring, companies that provide alarm and surveillance systems often work best for smaller scale deployments.

Do you need more than 10 cameras across several locations?

If you’re looking to install more than 10 cameras across several locations, then a commercial or enterprise video security system will be your best option. The reason is that consumer-focused solutions can only handle a small number of cameras at once. Systems like ADT and Comcast have similar limitations and lack the features aimed at handling large deployments and managing the system at scale.

With a commercial surveillance solution, the entire system is designed to meet technical specifications that ensure ease of use, security, and reliability no matter how many cameras or locations you may have. Generally, these systems can handle 10 cameras up to 1000+ and are priced higher than residential or consumer systems due to their robust feature sets and backend infrastructure required.

**Other key characteristics of commercial systems include the ability to: **

1. View all of your cameras and locations from one console

2. Manage numerous different users and roles

3. Have advanced video search tools

4. Have complete audit logging of user activities for compliance

5. Provides integrations into other software products that you use in your business

6. Enterprise grade support when questions or issues arise

We happen to provide a solution that covers the above and more, so if you find yourself answering yes to this question, and need the features outlined above, then we suggest reaching out to see if our solution will fit your needs.

We hope you enjoyed our quick guide to help you figure out what type of surveillance system would be best for you. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch and we'd be more than happy to help you out!