Enterprise Video Surveillance Systems: 5 Features to Consider

For a major enterprise, office building security can seem deceptively easy. There’s just something about being inside a sturdy building surrounded by hundreds of employees that provides a sense of ease. Certainly, nothing terrible would ever happen here.

However, if you work in operations, you know the truth: There’s nothing easy about keeping your entire workforce, valuable assets, and company secrets safe and secure. You must maintain constant vigilance against threats from outside the building—and from within.

On the inside, disgruntled employees may be a threat to others in the building. Similarly, you may want to restrict certain areas to a small number of highly credentialed employees. That means you’ll need modern security solutions to keep the non-credentialed employees from gaining access.

From the outside, criminals know how to blend in with the hundreds or thousands of folks who report to work each day. They take advantage of the fact that your employees don’t know every one of their coworkers. That makes it easier for criminals to pose as employees to gain access to the building—such as by walking through a door an employee politely holds open.

Below, you’ll learn more about the common security threats large enterprises face, how enterprise video surveillance can help, and essential features to consider before buying.

Building Security for Enterprise-Level Companies

Large organizations have unique security needs.

Because of the false sense of safety created by a huge building, team members can become complacent. They hold the door and allow someone behind them to enter, even though they don’t know them. Or they eschew designated walking paths in favor of dangerous shortcuts.

After hours, employees can feel as if no one’s watching—because the “boss” isn’t around. This may lead them to poke around in sensitive building areas where they’re not welcome, participate in dangerous horseplay, or rummage around in other employee’s offices.

Finally, there’s the threat of workplace violence. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 392 workplace homicides and 37,060 nonfatal injuries in 2020. In addition to physical harm to employees, workplace violence can poison workplace culture and slow productivity.

To protect against these threats, you’ll want to draft a comprehensive business security plan. In the plan, include the protocols, equipment, and personnel you’ll use to protect:

• High-value equipment such as servers or centrifuges
• Restricted areas, such as biohazard storage
• High-risk areas, such as a parking garage
• Entrances and exits
• Vulnerable areas, such as a loading dock
• Employee belongings

Though your needed security measures will depend on various factors, you’ll likely need to develop several security protocols (such as how you’ll handle visitors), install access control technology, make sure all walkways and parking areas are well-lit, and invest in enterprise video surveillance. A surveillance system with the right features can provide ample protection for even the largest property.

Enterprise Video Surveillance Features

When comparing business security camera systems for your property, look for these must-have features.

Cloud-Based Streaming and Storage

Older security cameras didn’t connect to the cloud. That required several onsite security guards to view the footage.

Today’s cameras can stream their footage via the internet to any device, anywhere in the world. That means you or a security team can monitor and view live video feeds from anywhere without needing onsite personnel. As you can likely imagine, this technology comes with a substantial cost savings.

High-Resolution Footage

The higher the camera’s resolution, the clearer the image. Resolution refers to the level of detail in an image. It’s calculated in megapixels (MP), so you’ll see cameras ranging from 2MP (considered high definition) to 8MP (ultra-high definition). A camera with extremely high resolution provides a lot of detail, but it will generally be more expensive and require more data storage capacity. Find the right balance for your needs, as long as the camera is HD or higher resolution.

Two-Way Audio

This feature is essential for cameras you mount at an entrance. It’s what allows front office staff to talk directly to visitors, saving valuable time.

However, you may also want to include this technology for cameras mounted at critical locations inside your building. For example, let’s say cameras catch a couple of curious employees trying to sneak into a restricted area. Cameras with two-way audio allow your security team to give them a terse warning.

Night Vision

Cameras with night vision capture crisp, clear footage in low-light situations. It’s an essential technology for any cameras mounted outdoors. If your camera doesn’t have true night vision, you should at least ensure that the area it covers is adequately illuminated by floodlights or similar lighting.

Artificial Intelligence

Traditional “dumb” cameras require humans to monitor them. As a result, a company with an older security system must employ many security staff to sit and continuously watch the feeds.

An AI-powered device automates a lot of the “watching.” These smart cameras rely on pattern-recognition software to quickly and effectively separate harmless activity from potential threats. The AI software alerts a guard to check the feed when it senses something is off.

Though AI-assisted cameras may cost more than older cameras, they’ll save you a lot of money in the long term because you’ll need fewer guards to monitor the feeds.

Tips for Setting Up Your Enterprise Video Surveillance Cameras

When purchasing and setting up your system, consider the following:

• Camera placement and coverage: Make sure your cameras cover critical areas such as entrances and the lobby, parking lots, warehouses, and high-traffic zones.
• Scalability: Will you need to add cameras over time as funds become available? If so, you’ll want a system that can expand alongside your business.
• Storage needs: How long will you need to maintain the footage? That will affect your needed cloud storage.
• Your data security needs: Especially if the cameras record highly sensitive personnel, areas, or events, you’ll want to use strong encryption to protect your feeds from hackers.
• Live video monitoring: For large businesses, have professionals monitor your feeds. This can be on-site security guards (more expensive) or a remote security monitoring service (less expensive).
• Redundancy: In highly vulnerable areas, you may want to install different types of cameras to create a backup in case one fails (say, due to battery failure or power outage). Your business continuity plan may dictate what makes the most sense.
• Privacy: Consider where you shouldn’t monitor (for example, bathrooms) to ensure privacy.

Make Enterprise Video Surveillance Part of Your Security Plan

At Deep Sentinel, we offer business surveillance systems equipped with all the latest features and second-to-none security camera monitoring. Live guards watch over your property after hours, intervening and calling the police at the first sign of trouble. Get the best business security system for your company by calling 833.983.6006.

Need a Solution that Prevents Crime?
Deep Sentinel is the only security technology that delivers the experience of a personal guard on every customer’s home and business. Visit deepsentinel.com/business or call 833-983-6006