With so many different options to choose from – currently over 45 major brands of security cameras readily available online – it can be overwhelming to make a decision for your business. If you choose wrong, you may find yourself with an unreliable, inadequate system, to address your business’s surveillance needs. Or possibly worse, you may spend way too much on an overly complex system that requires an IT professional to operate! Don’t navigate this decision on your own, look at the experts to help guide you through this decision.

Factors to Consider

There are many factors to consider when selecting your security camera system.

• What problem are you trying to solve, what do you hope to see on your cameras? Crime and theft is common concern. You may want a face shot of everyone entering and exiting a building, or read license plates of vehicles entering your lot. For employee monitoring, you may need more widespread coverage without the need for close-ups. If you expect some or most of your incidents to occur in the dark or at night, powerful infrared or super low lux cameras may be necessary. For businesses with on-site security actively monitoring the cameras, a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera may be ideal.
• How many cameras do you anticipate needing, and do you expect to expand? We can generate a camera layout map to determine exactly how many cameras you will need. In order to make the best recommendation for your business, we need to have a general idea. Many brands of systems are suitable only for a small number of cameras and can be a hassle to view multiple locations at the same time. If you anticipate needing a large number of cameras or would like to grow your facility or expand your business to multiple locations, this is something that should be considered from the start.
• Do you have an existing system in place? While IP systems are next up in technology, some brands offer hybrid systems that accept both IP and coax inputs. This would allow you to reuse the cabling from your existing system. While also saving the installation team tons of time which translates to a much lower installation price. 
• How much storage space do you need? Many businesses want to be able to come in on Monday and review footage from the weekend if they have an incident. Some businesses may not discover the need to review footage for weeks, months, or even years in some cases. Long term storage can be a big portion of the cost of systems, so it is important to understand your need for storage.
• What is your budget? While you may not be comfortable sharing your budget with your installer right away, it is important to have a general idea. You can find cameras online for as cheap as $25 per camera. That’s before installation, wiring, troubleshooting, and figuring out how the features work. That’s why it’s better to go with an installer. While the cost can be as little as $500 per camera, you’ll also receive professional installation and have the option to talk to a real technician about any problems that may arise.

The best security camera system for a small business is Uniview. Uniview is our top selection for best bang-for-your-buck business-grade security cameras. It is practical for business systems, with as few as 4 cameras in production their higher-end recording servers can support over 100 cameras. Uniview is ideal for businesses with multiple locations, as they can each be viewed on the same viewing app on your smartphone or PC. Cameras are available in resolutions from 1080p to 4MP, 5MP, all the way up to 4K resolution. Multisensor cameras are available at resolutions of 12MP. All major specialty cameras including PTZ, LPR, super low lux, varifocal lens, fisheye, and 180-degree are available.

When compared to other brands in the same price range as Uniview, a few things set them apart. Notably, the 3-year manufacturer’s warranty backed by Camera Security Now’s worry-free installation guarantee is the best support you can find without a monthly fee.

Uniview does offer some valuable technological advancements when compared to other brands. They have pioneered H.265 Ultra, an advanced version of H.265 compression that reduces bandwidth and storage requirements by as much as half when compared to standard H.265. When you are looking for longer-term storage for a large number of cameras, this feature can save you thousands of dollars. Their higher end NVRs and recording servers also boast features like RAID storage and hot-swappable hard drive bays, making this a practical solution even when storage needs are high.

2. Axis Enterprise-Grade Cameras

Many other businesses can justify purchasing an enterprise-grade solution, and Axis is the best in this space. It is suitable for large enterprises with any number of cameras or sites and is ideal for organizations with the need to use enterprise VMS like Milestone for advanced analytics and integrations.

Axis offers some of the most interesting and powerful security camera systems on the market. The P3719-PLE takes fisheye cameras to the next level with adjustable lenses. An issue with a fisheye camera is that when you have a 360-degree view, some of that view is dedicated to watching something uninteresting, like a wall. This adjustable multidirectional camera allows you to focus all 3 lenses on the most important areas, for a total of 15MP of resolution.

Another amazing feature is their multidirectional cameras with PTZ. The Q6010-E is a remarkable combination of a PTZ and a fisheye camera all in one. One of the main drawbacks of the PTZ is that when you are viewing playback footage you can’t pan, tilt, or zoom on the playback. However, this camera offers a fisheye view as a default, which even during playback can be manipulated like a PTZ camera. While they offer some lower-priced models expect to pay a premium for an Axis system. Most businesses should expect to pay as much as $1,000 or more per camera if they select an Axis system.

3. Dahua Hybrid Cameras

Dahua offers an excellent solution with their Penta-brid DVR. This DVR can accept inputs from coax and IP simultaneously, meaning you can reuse the cabling from your existing system, and add new IP cameras where you would like to expand coverage or are in need of a specialty camera. Not only does reusing your cabling save you money on the installation, but coax cameras and DVR systems are a bit less expensive than IP systems. While installation prices vary depending on many different factors, you can purchase a replacement coax system with cameras, storage, and video recorder starting at as low as $200 per camera.

A World of Options, Simplified for You

For help selecting the best security camera system for your business and designing the optimal solution for your business. Please contact us today. We do more than just quote you a price, we will work with you to understand your business needs and engineer the optimal solution for you.

Offering straightforward pricing with no hidden fees or recurring costs, so you know exactly what you’re paying for with no surprises. With over 10 years of collective experience, it has led us to recommend these brands for most business needs.

If your business has unique needs not satisfied by these brands, do not worry, we are not limited to these solutions but have a wide selection of products available to us and the understanding to navigate these options. Don’t wait, fill out a contact request form today, and have all of your questions answered!