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Wired and wireless security camera systems for business facilities provide safety 24/7. Security camera installation doesn’t have to be a daunting process, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind:
Security camera systems are great security tools because they essentially give your business an added layer of security around the clock at a low cost. The average annual cost of hiring an unarmed security guard is $35,000 and $52,000 for an armed security guard. By contrast, a Closed-circuit TV or (CCTV) security camera system represents a fixed one-time investment and provides 24/7 surveillance.
In addition to cost, a CCTV system is more efficient because it is capable of monitoring various locations/angles simultaneously. Whereas the human security guard physically has their vision limited to immediate line of sight, and when the guard moves on to the next site, the previous site is then essentially unsupervised in real-time.
Closed-circuit TV or CCTV are complex systems more commonly referred to as video surveillance systems. CCTV systems transmit secure signals to a specific monitor or storage apparatus. There are numerous components that make up a CCTV system such as storage hard drives, network video recorder, cable components, wiring components, and most importantly the security camera itself.
When determining which camera to use there are numerous variables you should consider, such as resolution, lighting visibility, and placement (for the field of view). For this reason, when installing it is important to know the distance of the camera from its subject, make sure subject areas are clearly visible and in focus, and avoid any obscuration or glare.
The three key core components to consider when investing in video surveillance infrastructure are Connectivity, Recorders & Cameras.
Each year technological innovations are made and we have seen more and more CCTV systems become wireless. While this is generally suitable for consumer applications wireless systems tend to encounter difficulties at scale and the hardware is often less capable in general. Wired cameras remain the supreme option due to technology, dependability and durability. Wired security camera systems also are more efficient in preventing network corruption/hacking as opposed to their counterparts. Hardwired cameras, in addition to superior physical characteristics, often feature technology 3 to 5 years more current than their consumer grade integrated wireless equivalents.
For circumstances where wires are impractical, hardwired cameras can be made wireless with the use of dedicated wireless network bridges that are specifically engineered to securely and reliably send video data from one or several hundred IP bases hardwired cameras. Situations that necessitate wireless equipment will require power to be available at the remote location or locations that
are to be surveilled, locations that can be many miles away from the recorder.
Cat5E or Cat6 cables are the most commonly used type for video surveillance, the cable powers the camera and facilitates video transfer. Be sure to protect against corrosion, water, heat, and other forces that can cause damage over time. A few quick ways to safeguard against that would be to cover cables in sheaths, conduit, or raceways, install wiring inside or behind walls/ baseboards/ and ceilings, or utilize direct burial outdoor rated data cable.
Recorders are imperative to have because they are essentially the interface you as the owner will be interacting with. It is the comprehensive “eye-in-the sky” that will secure your business. Modern recorders have numerous abilities such as providing multiple input channels, live local or remote visibility of audio & video, review of footage archives, panning/zooming in/out, analyzing historical content to find areas of movement, exporting video, sending alerts to a mobile device when pre-defined triggers are met such as motion on camera “X” between the hours of “Y” & “Z” or blacklisted license plate # detected, etc.
For the commercial environments video retention of 30-90 days is recommended and easily achieved with advances in video compression. Some businesses for compliance or liability reasons may choose to retain for periods of 6+ months or years and can achieve this through use of cloud storage.
NVR
The Network Video Recorder, also known as the NVR, is the first choice for most new IP camera systems. NVR’s are versatile in terms of capability and visibility. NVRs can be installed anywhere, even in the IP camera itself.
DVR
DVR’s are designed to record analog-based video to a digital format. Today's DVR recorders are able to capture 4K ultra high definition video through the use of existing coaxial cables, while NVRs connect through Ethernet cables, such as a cat5e or cat6.
Hybrids
Hybrid recorders offer backwards compatibility with existing coax based analog infrastructure while enabling simultaneous interoperability with the latest IP standards and available camera technologies like 360 degree field of view fisheye, Thermal, and auto tracking PTZs.
External Hard Drives
When it comes to hard drives the most important variable to account for is the storage capability. For example, recordings in 4k security camera video, can end up utilizing a large quantity of terabytes for the footage. This being considered you should have a NVR with high storage capabilities, considering the storage requirements for that type of video. On the alternative, for lesser resolutions and strictly archival needs, you can usually get away with much less. The average 12-camera business CCTV system requires at least 8 terabytes of space to store up to 1080p footage for 30 days though with adjustments to the frame rate, compression density, & motion recording the same retention period can be maintained with 4K.
Cloud Solutions
An alternative to having a physical hard drive would be to store these records in the cloud. The cloud is the best option for businesses that are required for reasons of compliance or liability to maintain video footage for several months or years. Cloud storage is easily accessible via mobile or web browsers. Cloud storage tends to cost more in the long run with monthly fees coming into play.
There are numerous types of security cameras you can deploy, each bringing its own unique set of strengths and weaknesses to the table. It's imperative to consider your specific needs to determine which will be the best fit for you. Placement?
All entrances/exits will be imperative to have surveillance cameras at because they are most commonly used by criminals. In addition, to protect the interest of your business it would be advisable to monitor any proprietary or valuable materials/files for your company. Having enough foresight to protect yourself from any theft or unwanted company can and will pay dividends for your business down the line.
Types:
There are numerous types of cameras but for our purposes we will discuss the 6 most commonly used security cameras for commercial use. Here are the 6 cameras we will discuss: bullet cameras, dome cameras, turret cameras, fisheye cameras, multi-sensor cameras, & PTZ (Pan+Tilt+Zoom) cameras.
BULLET CAMERA
DOME CAMERA
TURRET CAMERA
FISHEYE CAMERA
MULTI-SENSOR CAMERA
PTZ CAMERA
Technologies:
Each camera type will feature specialized technologies that will enable it to capture image details that otherwise might be missed. Some of these technologies are universal, standard equipment on all commercial grade cameras, the list is long, some cameras can differentiate between humans and cars, count visitors, perform heat mapping to illustrate at a glance heavily trafficked areas, alert you when an object appears or leaves from the camera’s field of view and much more. For brevity we will detail four of the more commonly used technologies.
WDR enables a camera to clearly see the entire image field regardless of its luminosity. Particularly useful in areas like glass atriums or exterior cameras subject to shadows from structure or scattered cloud coverage.
Other technologies will be specific to a camera type.
Thermal Sensors are available in Bullets, PTZs and more recently Turret type cameras. They are commonly used for perimeter protection, monitoring fence lines for heat signatures, avoiding false positives that might affect a traditional camera like leaves, fog, flies that might be attracted to IRs at night, and more.
LPR (License Plate Recognition) technology is available only in bullet style cameras and uses the camera's internal computer to optically recognize plate characters. The data can be stored for later reference, trigger alerts if it's a vehicle that has been added to a blacklist, or even open a gate if the plate matches with ones added to the camera's whitelist.
Laser IR, like autonomous subject tracking, is available only with specific PTZ cameras; this technology enables even illumination of observable subjects in excess of 1600 feet away for enhanced detail in total darkness.
When it comes to surveillance every detail counts so it’s generally critical your technology is able to capture it. DNS offers cameras that record in resolutions that meet or even exceed ultra HD 4K resolution.
DNS experts will leverage years of industry experience to identify the best possible camera placement, angles, & technology to address your particular surveillance needs.
Through our modular network-based systems, we are able to scale installations to accommodate any size environment without limitation.
Our network background enables us to connect cameras in ways that may prove difficult if not impossible for other integrators to accomplish. If you can see the location you would like to monitor with a telescope we can get cameras to it.
We inventory what we integrate so should a failure occur over the course of our three-year equipment warranty we can replace your critical infrastructure often within
the same day.
DNS also offers fully managed service plans for active monitoring of your equipment and servicing of the infrastructure as needed.
Our systems are able to be viewed on any device anywhere you have an internet connection through dedicated desktop, mobile, and web applications.
We analyze and improve your infrastructure. We monitor your network 365/24/7. If anything goes wrong or even looks like it’s going wrong, our automatic monitoring systems snaps into action and immediately addresses the issue.
