How to choose the best security camera system

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Learn how to cut through the noise of a crowded, complicated video surveillance market with this buyer's guide.

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How to choose the best security camera system

Buying the best security camera system is not a matter of conducting a quick Google search, finding the lowest price, and clicking a few buttons.

Investing in a commercial security camera system is critical for any business. When done right, a security video camera and related equipment can protect your business, minimize any potential losses, and ensure that your business can prevent any potential security problems.

A security camera system is best viewed as an investment, not an expense. That's because a security camera and security camera system can:

  • Help deter criminal activity in a preventative manner. Security systems should be prominently displayed in a business, as doing so can ensure that individuals tempted to commit a crime will know that they are being actively monitored.
  • Ensure the productivity of staff. When used properly, you can use a security system to ensure that staff is doing their job and working appropriately.
  • Integrate with larger systems, including those run by law enforcement. These days, advances in cloud-based systems ensure that law enforcement professionals can easily access footage. As such, you can turn your security system into a weapon for the police, helping them capture criminals while deterring crime in your establishment.
  • Provide real-time alerts on certain items, like if cameras detect motion at a time where none should be detected. With this real-time access, you can rest assured that your property is monitored 24/7.
  • Fold in the latest technology, like Artificial Intelligence, to prevent security issues or solve crimes. For example, many security camera systems – like those used by Spot AI – fold in facial recognition, AI for search, and ability to monitor specific events. These enhanced systems can protect your business and make it easier to determine when a security issue has occurred.

There are many features of the best security camera system. Some of these include:

  • The latest technological integrations with Artificial Intelligence. AI can detect faces, identify certain behaviors, and preemptively warn you about blind spots within the security system.
  • Cloud-based monitoring abilities. Cloud-based systems ensure you can access, monitor, and receive alerts from systems in any location. These systems also have larger storage requirements, thus ensuring that you can go back and access footage that is months or years old.
  • Technologically agnostic to cameras. Security systems work best when they work with any number of cameras. You want to ensure you purchase a system that will work with any camera.
  • An easy-to-use dashboard that makes it easy for you and your team to search and access your footage.

Learn more about our AI Camera System in an upcoming webinar.

The benefits of cloud security

A regular security system that records data on a computer is no longer sufficient for today's modern technology or security needs. Your video surveillance equipment needs to use the latest technology, including cloud-based security, in order to get the most out of your camera security system. There are many benefits of cloud-based video surveillance, including:

  • Access footage from anywhere: Managing or owning a business means you never know when you may need to access critical technological infrastructure, including security camera footage. By having cloud-based security, you can access security footage at any time and from any place. This ease of access makes it easier for you to pass along data to law enforcement or inform other staff if there is something they need to watch out for.
  • Enhanced storage capacity: From a technological perspective, using a hard drive means being limited by a hard drive's storage capacity. Cloud-based systems have no limits, and buying more storage is simply a matter of clicking a few buttons. It is worth noting that the data captured by security cameras can take up extensive storage space, and what may seem like "enough" memory may run out very quickly.
  • Integration with AI surveillance: AI surveillance is a rapidly changing field, and up-to-date tools may be out of date tomorrow. By using cloud-based security, you can ensure that you always have access to the latest in AI technology and can rely on servers in the cloud to process and store your data.
  • Easier technological upgrades: There is no question that you can update your hard drive on a regular basis to integrate the latest technology, but doing so takes time and money. You are offloading the work to a cloud system by relying on cloud-based upgrades. Doing so can save you time and money.
  • Encrypted footage: By necessity, cloud-based security systems are encrypted. This encryption limits the other people who can access your data, including bad actors who may want to gain access to your private footage. Indeed, generally speaking, cloud-based systems have higher security levels than those you would find on any other commercial system.

Security system use cases

Many potential security system use cases may apply to your business. These include the following:

  • Security system for schools: There is no question that a security system for schools is in demand now more than ever. A security camera for schools can be at critical entry and exit points, and systems with the right features – like Spot AI – can also be linked to detect any potential security event and violation, automatically alerting authorities if certain problems are detected. These systems can be centrally monitored at a school or a main security office, allowing for centralized and robust security management.
  • Industrial security system: Industrial security systems can ensure that all operations work smoothly. This is even more important for some highly automated industries, as such a system can allow you to deploy your limited and expensive human capital elsewhere. With the assistance of smart technology, you can be alerted if there are ever certain security events.
  • Warehouse security system: A warehouse security management system can plant cameras throughout a facility, monitoring workflow and handling loss protection. Furthermore, such a system can be designed so that certain automatic features – like facial or vehicle detection – trigger alerts.

In all these cases, a business camera security system has many potential uses: It can protect you from loss while monitoring your employees. Furthermore, cloud security use cases apply here, as systems can be monitored remotely, off-site, or from a central location. In other words, the best cloud security system use cases enable you to create a security system that fits your needs.

The best security camera system for businesses is the one that meets your needs, is customizable and is affordable. As such, the best business security camera system must offer various features and work for your specific type of business.

Security camera software

Remember that you can have the best camera security system in the world, but if it doesn't have matching security camera software, you won't get the most out of the system in question. To that end, you need video management software that will fit your specific needs and provide an easy answer to this important question: What is the best security camera system, and how can it help your business?

To that end, the best video surveillance software should have:

  • Proactive health monitoring: In most businesses, you simply cannot afford to have your cameras break down. With proactive health monitoring, you can always know the condition of your cameras and if there is the potential need to replace hardware or software features.
  • AI-based detection software: Certain AI programs can automatically detect certain features captured on security cameras, including vehicles, specific faces, or the presence of anyone at all. These features can be linked to real-time alerts, thus ensuring that you or a trusted team member is always aware of what is happening at your facility.
  • Cloud computing: The power of the cloud also applies to software. By linking your security system software to the cloud, your operations can be automatically updated with the latest programming and backed up off-site. Cloud-based systems can thus ensure that you can always access the footage your cameras take and the software you are paying to use.
  • API: An Application Programming Interface (API) allows users with advanced programming capabilities to customize software to better fit their needs. With the right assistance, an API - like those run by Spot AI - can ensure that you can create a security system that can be programmed to explicitly fit your needs.

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