Cameras, cameras everywhere, but do you really know what you need?
In all of our blogs, we stress one basic rule: get a free expert assessment before you purchase a security system. Nothing hurts the pocket book more than purchasing something that:
- Doesn’t fulfill your needs lost money
- Quits working the day after the warranty expires
- Is not serviced by the same company you bought it from, requiring you to call a number that asks you to press all the numbers on your phone to be transferred to customer service, where you now need a linguist to communicate with the person on the other line and where you will burn an hour of your precious time only to find that you are stuck with broken equipment that is not covered by their warranty!
Frustrating!
Find a company that has been around for awhile.
Established companies have built their reputations, not on sales, but on great quality and customer service. Established companies stand behind their product. IP cameras are a fast growing business. Fly by night companies, may sell you merchandise that you really don’t need. If a camera goes down or a software update is necessary, you want a trust-worthy knowledgeable person to help resolve any issues.
What do you want to see?
Purchasing a camera system is similar to purchasing a vehicle. A Ferrari is built for speed, but probably will not be useful for the day to day tasks of a soccer mom. So figure out the basics such as:
- What will you be watching on your cameras; a warehouse or a store clerk?
- Do you need indoor or outdoor cameras?
- How much light is in the space requiring cameras?
- Do you want detection to see that someone has entered a room, or identification to be able to identify a person beyond a reasonable doubt?
- Do you want a monitored video system?
- How many cameras will be on your system?
- Will you view the camera footage from your business or from a remote location, like on your smart phone?
Things like pixels, static IP addresses, ports, modems, routers, proper camera placement all need to be figured out BEFORE you purchase a system. Hands on personalized service will offer you money saving options as well as peace of mind later on down the road.
Commercial security has come a long way in the last 10 years. Integrated security systems can include not only your cameras, but intrusion, fire and access systems. See how to make these options work for your company.
