Caught on Camera: What every business owner needs to know about video surveillance systems

Installing a video surveillance system can offer several benefits to small businesses including protection against internal and external threats, safety, monitoring workflows, and more. The purchase of a few reliable network cameras for your business or organization can yield a high return on investment. 

Securing Your Cameras

Surveillance cameras have evolved over the years and their systems, at one point, used older analog technologies. Now, cameras are digital and utilize network infrastructure for connectivity. Cameras can be an integral component of your network and, if designed with your needs in mind, can reduce safety incidents, security risks, and more. These network-based cameras record information to a network-based application, which can be hosted locally on your network, in the cloud, or a hybrid local-cloud configuration. 

When working with VanBelkum to install a video surveillance system, our networking, cloud infrastructure, and software development skills will help you avoid risks and mistakes in choosing the right system for your organization. This knowledge will also help you in future-proofing the system, meaning you’ll be able to integrate with other systems and find more valuable uses for your business or organization. This translates into lower total costs of ownership. 

Caught on Camera: Real-World Example

We can write about the importance of video surveillance and network security all day, but nothing sticks better than a real-world example of being “caught on camera.” Recently, a video surveillance client of ours was in the news. On Sunday, Aug. 9 a speeding car slammed into a building on our client’s property, entering through the front of the structure and exiting through the rear side, causing extensive damage. 

According to this article, no one was in the building at the time of the crash. The situation is unfortunate for our client, however, thankfully they had high-quality surveillance video systems installed and captured the entire crash. 

Choosing the Best Surveillance System

When searching for the best video surveillance system, you want to find affordable solutions that suit your business’s needs. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• What’s my budget?
• Do I need cameras inside and outside? Where is the best place for cameras?
• What kind of video quality do I need? 
• What kind of advanced features do we need, if any?
• Does this surveillance system have a mobile or desktop app? 
• Can I view footage remotely?
• Will the system be wireless? Do I need to account for a cabling design?
• Will the system connect to my network? Will it need its own network?

The answers to these questions will help you guide your decision. Many business owners think their business is immune to financially crippling circumstances, including robberies, security breaches, or even cars driving through buildings. 

During the design and purchasing process, consider several factors including camera positioning, fields of view, storage capacity, and more. Your business needs a reliable, affordable, and versatile surveillance system and our cloud-enabled systems are the solution. Whether you have 1 camera positioned at the point of sale or 30 cameras watching over your network of facilities, we have the best video surveillance system solution for your business. 

►Learn more about VanBelkum Video Surveillance Systems here.