Your business has multiple priorities each day, ranging from meeting revenue targets to ensuring that you maintain customer satisfaction. With all these things to focus on, it might be easy to overlook the security needs of your business. Security cameras can be the most straightforward method you can use to increase the organisation’s safety.
Importance of cameras in a business
Security cameras play a crucial role in your company’s security and crime reduction. In a survey that was conducted with over 400 burglars, the results found that security cameras were most effective for crime deterrence. Among these burglars, 60% stated that they were likely to skip that target if they detected security cameras on the premises. In the workplace, the organisation can utilise security cameras to improve safety. Using security cameras will assist in monitoring conditions and identifying potential hazards within the workplace or behaviours which could lead to injuries while on the job. The footage captured could provide insight into the factors that led to the incident and assist in taking the proper course of action to reduce the chances of similar incidents occurring.
High-quality security cameras capture footage that can assist in identifying and prosecuting criminals. Security cameras are also effective for retail businesses as they discourage shoplifting. In the event that there is shoplifting, they help in catching the shoplifters in the act. The company can also access this security footage remotely through smartphones or other mobile devices. Security cameras are essential for criminal evidence as the footage can be used for crime validation and can also be used when pursuing legal action. In cases when employees have been wrongly accused of theft, they provide evidence of what happened.
What type of cameras are best for businesses
- Analog cameras
Analog cameras are the most popular security cameras, and they are what people usually imagine when you mention security cameras. Analog cameras transmit the images they are recording back to the recording device, such as a DVR. For the cameras to work, they need to be connected directly to the recording device, such as cables. If your business already has a surveillance camera system installed, there is a huge possibility that it is an analog camera. Since they are the original technology, they are prevalent and well understood. Therefore, if you choose to install these cameras, it will be easy to find installers who will work with the cameras. These cameras are also inexpensive to install or upgrade.
The disadvantage of using analog cameras is that they do not produce high-quality images. If the space you want the security cameras to cover is large, you will need to invest in boosters to amplify the signal and prevent the camera from producing low-quality images. They also need to be within a certain distance of the recording device for the image to transmit effectively as they have to be hardwired. In the case when you want to monitor activity remotely, analog cameras will not allow you to do that as they are hardwired to the recording device, which makes it challenging to access the image stream if you are not physically on the premises.
- IP cameras
IP cameras are considered an upgrade from analog cameras in terms of image quality. IP cameras stand for ‘Internet Protocol’, which is how these cameras work as they rely on an Ethernet cable for them to connect the camera to the local network and to transmit the data. IP cameras are the perfect option for businesses who want to access security footage remotely since they connect to the local network. The cameras share the images captured, and they can then be accessed off-site.
IP cameras, however, do have some challenges of their own. Since IP cameras capture higher quality images than analog cameras, they need higher bandwidth to transmit the data they capture successfully. Therefore, you should conduct some research before purchasing an IP camera to ensure that you have the capacity to handle the influx of data from the cameras without interrupting any of the other functions and services you handle. Another issue that IP cameras have is that they use up a lot of storage space. Therefore, you need to plan how you will store the images they capture.
Conclusion
Security cameras are one the best decisions that businesses can take towards increasing their company’s security. You must also choose the best security camera that will be able to handle your business’ security needs.
We explore the 6 Physical Security Measures Every Small Business Should Implement.
