Business surveillance systems and commercial security cameras

The evolution of business security cameras systems

Business security camera systems and CCTV monitoring systems have come a long way since the infancy of CCTV systems for business, which were first available in 1942. Back then, they were known as CCTV surveillance systems, sometimes referred to as closed-circuit camera systems. A CCTV system for business included analog commercial CCTV cameras, which would provide a video feed to specific viewing stations via cables.

Giant strides have since been made in the advancement of CCTV systems for business. The introduction of commercial wireless security cameras, also known as IP or cloud IP cameras, and cloud-based technologies has revolutionized traditional commercial CCTV systems for business. This means that business video and security camera technology has evolved over the years and has become more accessible but, more importantly, affordable for small businesses, large corporations, various organizations and other commercial uses like large venue and stadium security.

Why commercial security camera systems are important

Commercial security camera systems are now a need-to-have rather than a nice-to-have. They are a crucial element of an effective security plan, providing camera system operators for businesses with:

• Greater coverage of a single building or multiple premises, providing oversight of activities taking place.
• A form of deterrent to criminals. According to the University of North Carolina, the display and use of business security cameras help to deter 60% of burglaries.
• The ability to detect threats or unfolding incidents to maintain safety and security. This is amplified by the use of video analytics, which provide automatic alerts to events.
• Real-time video to support any incident response and to capture evidentiary footage.

Components of commercial video surveillance systems

As stated earlier in this guide, commercial security camera systems are composed of three pieces of technology: security cameras for business, video recorders and commercial video security system software.

Security cameras

Security cameras for business help capture the scene of a monitored space. These cameras are the eyes of the business video security team, helping them to see the activities taking place around their facility. The footage captured is recorded by the commercial CCTV cameras and then saved in a commercial video surveillance storage system. A business security camera system may also offer on-device storage for certain cameras as a fail-safe for short-term recovery or auditing.

Video security system storage

Commercial video security storage systems, also known as video recorder systems or CCTV storage systems for business, store the video footage captured by business security cameras. There are three different types available: network video recorders (NVR), digital video recorders (DVR) and a hybrid storage system.

Video security system software

Commercial video security system software, also referred to as a video management system or video management software, allows your business video surveillance team to view live and recorded video captured by the business security cameras.

The software also enables your team to manage the entire commercial security camera system from one interface. This includes being alerted to potential incidents, managing access via an integrated access control system for users, checking health reports for business security cameras and more.

Types of business security cameras

Although there are numerous commercial security camera types, these are the commonly utilized cameras within offices, buildings, retail stores, hospitals and other businesses.

Wired vs. wireless business cameras

There are two types of commercial security camera systems. The first and more traditional option is wired commercial CCTV systems. This commercial CCTV system connects analog security cameras to monitors and video recorders via cables. 

The second, more modern solution, is the wireless security camera system. This camera system transmits footage over an internet connection to the commercial video security system operator.

The comparison table below highlights the key differences between the wired and wireless cameras.

Video management systems (VMS)

A VMS is a crucial component of commercial video surveillance systems. It enables security teams to view live and recorded footage as well as manage the overall building security camera system.

When choosing security cameras for your business, it is important to consider that the VMS integrates fully with your business security cameras. This helps to ensure that all the components within your business surveillance system work seamlessly together to provide your security team with the tools they need to enhance safety and security.

The day-to-day duties of business video surveillance teams can become overwhelming at times, so it is essential that the VMS is easy to use and provides a user experience that even novice operators can be comfortable with.

Multiple security camera companies now provide a VMS that offers more functionality and features in keeping with the advancements made in video security. These include AI-powered video analytics, integration capabilities with third-party cameras and cloud video surveillance capabilities. These advancements help business surveillance systems teams manage the safety and security of their facilities as well as expedite incident response times.

Commercial security camera systems: On-premise vs. cloud

Whether your business chooses to manage the commercial security camera system in the cloud or on-premises, there are some key things you need to be aware of. The following table highlights the key differences between on-premise and cloud systems.

Commercial camera systems for different industries

Depending on the industry your business operates in, your requirements and reasons for procuring a business surveillance system will differ. So, what are the requirements for your business and why do you need to install a commercial video security system?

Reduces violence

For commercial business sites such as retail stores, casinos and company office buildings, commercial security camera systems are a necessity. For many sites, including government buildings and hospitals, the main reason for adopting business security camera systems is to enhance safety and security by reducing criminal activities.

Prevents theft

CCTV security systems for business can also help to prevent theft. According to a University of Florida National Retail Security Survey, small businesses lose between $25,000 to $33,000 every minute to shoplifters. However, it’s not only small businesses suffering.

It is essential that sites such as retail stores and office buildings do what they can to eradicate theft, whether that is from a member of the public or an employee. Using retail store security cameras or an office building video security system would go a long way in reducing theft, as the simple presence of business and office building camera solutions can help to dissuade a person from committing theft or another illegal activity. Additionally, using security cameras in casinos and other revenue-sensitive businesses can enable smart behavioral detection capabilities to work around the clock, detecting and alerting to theft or suspicious activity.

Should theft occur, the facility’s commercial video surveillance system or office building video security system team can easily record the incident while responding to it, store the footage recorded and share it with the appropriate authorities via the VMS to prosecute those responsible.

Ensure high productivity

Aside from the safety and security reasons for installing commercial security camera systems, there is another key motivation﹣to improve operational efficiency. For many retail outlets, warehouses and manufacturing facilities, it’s important to ensure that processes are optimized.

Whether it is using business security cameras to highlight potential machinery malfunctions or identify inefficient stages within the manufacturing chain, business surveillance systems help to ensure productivity is high and the business can continue to operate without a hitch.

Monitor dangerous locations

For oil and gas sites, utility businesses and ports, commercial surveillance systems do much more than provide enhanced safety and security. They act as an extra pair of eyes in potentially dangerous locations by monitoring oil and gas sites for operational efficiencies, alerting video security teams to malfunctioning equipment at electric substations and helping port teams address shipping incidents by reviewing recorded footage. Together, these capabilities form an important part of a complete oil and gas security system.

Improve safety compliance

Security camera systems are essential for ensuring and documenting regulatory safety compliance, particularly in industrial and manufacturing environments. By continuously recording activity, the footage provides concrete evidence that a company is meeting legal requirements, such as OSHA standards. Reviewing video captured by industrial security cameras allows management to quickly identify specific safety risks, pinpoint areas where established procedures, like Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use or machine guarding, are being ignored and subsequently develop targeted safety training. 

Leveraging the capabilities of these industrial security cameras helps companies proactively manage risks and demonstrate due diligence during inspections, while dramatically reducing the likelihood of costly violations or serious workplace incidents.

How do commercial surveillance camera systems differ?

As you can imagine, the larger the facility, the more spaces that require video security monitoring. This means more security cameras for business and, in turn, the need for more video recorders and footage storage appliances or CCTV cloud storage space.

Examples of these vast business surveillance systems can be found within shopping malls, hotels, and transportation hubs, such as airports and train stations. A significant number of business security cameras will be required to monitor spaces both open to the public and employees only.

The security team will require more features and capabilities from their business surveillance system, such as video analytics, IR and enhanced VMS user management. All of these features will enable the business video surveillance operators or commercial CCTV systems teams to have better situational awareness to proactively respond to incidents and seamlessly grant new users access to the CCTV security systems for business.

For small facilities, such as corner retail stores, bank branches or even a small office building camera security setup, the size of the commercial CCTV system is much smaller. With fewer spaces that require video monitoring, these smaller facilities do not need to install a vast CCTV system for business.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that these business surveillance systems are lacking advanced technology features. Video analytics and AI security cameras can still help alert commercial surveillance systems users to incidents. IR capabilities built into surveillance systems for businesses allow teams to see what’s happening in the dark.

Key considerations when buying a business video surveillance system

1. What will you use it for?

Do you plan to use your commercial video security system to monitor the safety and security of your facility? Do you intend to use the business security cameras to improve business operations and detect any issues with machinery? Security camera companies will ask you these questions to determine the best business security camera systems for you.

2. Features required for the business security cameras

Does your commercial video surveillance system require features such as video analytics, IR capabilities in low light, a wide field-of-view, or resistance to weather and/​or tampering? The answer to this will determine the best commercial security cameras for your business.

3. Installation

If you’re planning to do a large commercial security camera installation, it is recommended that you hire a professional to ensure the solution is set up properly.

4. Video storage

Depending on the number of cameras you install around your facility and how long your cameras will operate, you will need to work with your business CCTV system provider to calculate the video storage that you will require, either on-premise or in the cloud.

5. Integration capabilities

Does your site already have an access control system or an alarm solution installed? Although not a necessity, it is beneficial to have the possibility to integrate analog or IP cameras with your commercial video surveillance solution to improve decision-making and incident response times.

6. Budget

This, of course, could be the major deciding factor when procuring a CCTV system for your business. Does your budget extend to your being able to purchase the security cameras, video storage and VMS you require? Does it allow you to spend a little bit more to get the best business security camera systems with AI-powered video analytics and other features?

Conclusion

Having delved deep into what commercial security camera systems, also known as commercial CCTV systems and business surveillance systems, are and what they can offer to your business, you can move on to researching some of the best commercial security camera brands and the solutions they provide.

Avigilon, a Motorola Solutions company, is your one-stop shop for all your end-to-end security solution needs. Avigilon provides an extensive range of security cameras for business, with powerful management software and integrated access control systems﹣whether your commercial security camera system needs to be operated on-premise or in the cloud.

Bringing together video security, access control and cloud management under one centralized platform, Avigilon Unity provides businesses with a flexible on-premise access and video solution for commercial surveillance.

What sets Avigilon Unity Video apart from other commercial CCTV camera systems providers is its advanced AI-powered video analytics that help business security camera systems teams focus on what matters most. With these analytics, operators can take advantage of effective object classification, with the ability to detect up to 50 objects within a scene, and be alerted to incidents automatically.

Alongside cutting-edge technologies such as Avigilon Appearance Search™ and full unification with Avigilon Unity Access, this solution also offers cloud-managed software that enables security teams to monitor their facilities and operations via their security cameras for business from anywhere, anytime.

Highlights of the Avigilon Unity Video on-premise commercial video security solution include:

• Full range of powerful video security cameras designed to solve the unique challenges of commercial buildings and properties.

• AI-powered analytics for real-time alerts with object, people and vehicle detection.

• Advanced camera features for superior image quality, even in challenging lighting conditions and harsh environments.

• 100% browser-based software for streamlined management of your entire facility.

• Cloud-managed options for anywhere access to live and recorded footage.

• ONVIF compliant and FIPS 140 – 2 certified for high-security on-premise deployments.

As a cloud-based security solution for commercial uses and beyond, Avigilon Alta provides a scalable and intelligent solution for organizations looking to move their security operations to the cloud. Combining both cloud-based video security and access control, Avigilon Alta extends real-time anomaly detection and enables smart search capabilities across your entire deployment, even existing third-party cameras.

Alta Video is a cloud-based VMS that allows operators to connect existing infrastructure to the cloud via the Avigilon Cloud Connector. Choose from the full range of AI-enabled smart Avigilon security cameras for commercial deployments, with easy-to-install models that provide crystal-clear imagery details with integrated video and audio analytics.

For commercial video security systems, the Avigilon Alta Video management software enables a fully cloud-native control panel accessible from any device via secure login. The powerful Alta Video is equipped with advanced analytics that empower security operators with live heat mapping, occupancy tracking and smart maps for better decision-making and improved response.

Highlights of the Avigilon Alta cloud-based video security solution include:

• AI-powered commercial video cameras for enhanced visibility and detection.

• Ability to make existing security cameras smart with cloud-connected capabilities.

• Find what you’re looking for fast with intuitive Smart Search™ and Spotlight features.

• Easy-to-use mobile app to view live footage and triage security incidents.

• Fully open architecture supports integrations with third-party systems and devices.

• Native integration with Avigilon Alta cloud-based access control.