Most business owners understand the importance of security and protection. However, they may think installing a surveillance camera system may be too expensive. The opposite is true; it’s too costly—and risky—not to install video surveillance. This blog will weigh surveillance camera installation costs against their value to your business.
Understanding the Costs of Business Camera Surveillance Systems
Business video surveillance systems can cover a lot of ground, both inside and outside a business. Many systems today can integrate with mobile or web devices and can feed you or a security team video in real time so you can see what’s going on. Imagine receiving a text from your video surveillance software that lets you know there’s a trespasser in your parking lot.
There are myriad benefits a modern camera surveillance system offers that go beyond capturing video images of someone breaking into your building.
Today, you can watch customers or employees in real time. The video your surveillance system captures can be useful for insurance, handling worker’s compensation claims, or for law enforcement. You can even use modern camera technologies to scare off criminals by sounding audible and visual alerts.
For full protection, virtual guards can monitor your cameras, and as you’ll see, they are much more cost-effective than a traditional on-site physical presence.
But how much will installing a surveillance system cost you? The price of any technology installation varies by the number of features you select. When considering a new surveillance system, a variety of factors come into play that increases or decreases costs.
For example:
Wireless IP cameras save money on installation costs; there’s no wiring needed. Wireless cameras are generally easier to set up as well as easy to use. However, the camera itself may be slightly more expensive.
It’s a good idea if you’re worried that thieves or vandals could take out your cameras. This could add slightly to the cost.
You can select weather-hardened cameras that can stand up to some very rugged conditions.
Using visible vs. discreet cameras can have different benefits.
While we don’t know why you would consider anything less than HD quality, the higher-end cameras are more expensive. However, if the resolution is poor, you’ll have a harder time discerning detail. Today’s cameras offer crystal clear viewing, not just in HD, but also with night vision viewing. This will help you see exactly what’s going on after hours at your business.
This is a tricky issue that requires a careful analysis of your business. What blind spots exist? Do you want to monitor the parking lot, where crime is often prone to happen? The number of cameras, as well as the features you’ll need, requires some experience in setting up surveillance systems. Look for a vendor with proven experience in this area.
Surveillance camera installation costs include more than just the installation itself. If you’re adding video surveillance to your business, the process will be typically broken out into three primary categories:
Hardware
Hardware is typically the biggest cost of the entire system. You can expect to pay somewhere between $1,000 to $10,000. Typically, we see about $3,000 invested in hardware. But all of the factors we’ve written about (e.g., the number of cameras and their features) play a role.
Installation
Installation and activation costs can vary from $300 to $700. Installation is less if your cameras are wireless. But they still will need to be hooked up through the cloud to record and store the video you capture.
Business monitoring
Business monitoring is particularly important for all-around protection. The idea of a virtual security guard service is that you have a trained team monitoring your video surveillance system 24/7. Instead of traditional security guards, who can be exorbitantly expensive, trained off-site guards can monitor your business and save you considerable money. Live guards cost an average of $13.50 per hour. Virtual guards at Pro-Vigil cost a fraction of that.
Let’s explore the point raised in that last bullet a little more fully: Is virtual surveillance more effective than a private security guard company? Virtual guards come out ahead on costs, but are there other pros and cons to consider when installing this service?
A live guard offers a physical deterrence. But a live guard cannot see all the nooks and crannies of your property simultaneously. Virtual guard services watch a bank of monitors connected to the video cameras at your property. They see just about everything going on in real time. They can also remotely activate your video surveillance cameras to zoom in or even sound an audible or visual alarm to scare away intruders.
Virtual guards do not have a risk of being injured on your property. A live guard could trip and fall or otherwise injure themselves. This could leave you open to legal trouble or worker’s comp claims.
Pro-Vigil knows a thing or two about surveillance system installation. We offer a full video surveillance package that includes 24/7/365 monitoring for 30-cameras that can cover every area on your property. Virtual surveillance acts in the same as a live security guard; but the savings are substantial.
If you’re weighing the surveillance camera installation costs, the most important question you should ask is: Can I afford not to install security cameras in my business? Pro-Vigil is one of the leading security companies in the nation and we can help design a protection package suitable for any need or budget. Talk with our team today to find out more.
