Category: Commercial Security Solutions
by Chris Robinson | Jul 11, 2017 | Commercial Security Solutions
Security matters to your business, and thanks to technological advances, it can do more for you than ever before. One of the best ways a cutting-edge security system can protect your assets is through video verified alarms.
What does “video verified” mean?
Gone are the days when all you had to rely on was a loud alarm to scare away potential thieves. Today, you can literally catch the bad guys in the act, thanks to video verified alarm systems.
Simply put, video verified means that any security breach is captured by a video clip that is triggered by the security system’s motion detector. Rather than simply sending out an alarm, a video verified system also sends a video clip that lets the security monitoring center know immediately that a break-in is in progress.
Unlike CCTV surveillance, video verification does more than record footage that has to be reviewed later. Instead, video verification covers all crucial entry points in real time, and immediately sends a video notification to your system’s central monitoring center whenever security sensors are tripped.
This makes it easy for monitors to distinguish between false alarms and real emergencies. With actual video footage of a crime in progress, security monitors can quickly dispatch police and provide crucial identifying information.
Video verified alarm systems eliminate questions about false alarms and help improve response times from law enforcement. This means your potential losses can be drastically reduced. Video verification also helps police identify and catch criminals, so that no other businesses become victims of the same perpetrators.
Why it matters to your business
You don’t want to take chances when it comes to the security of your business and its assets. That’s why it is worth the time and investment to make sure you’ve protected your company in the best way possible. Here’s what video verification can add to your overall security strategy.
- 24/7 monitoring: Video verified alarm systems come with the bonus of someone watching your business around the clock. If an alarm is tripped, a video clip is instantly sent to the monitoring center, allowing them to quickly assess whether or not your business is under threat of burglary.
- No more false alarms: Those instant video clips mean no more false alarms in the middle of the night. Both law enforcement and you will only be notified if a real threat is detected in the video clip. False alarms are inconvenient and expensive, as many alarm companies charge for false alerts. Video verification takes the guesswork out of your business’ security.
- Faster police response: Because police know for sure that a real crime is happening, response time is faster. Verification of an actual break-in is a higher priority than a potential false alarm call, which means help will be on the way faster than ever before.
- Fewer losses: When police arrive faster, criminals have less time to do their dirty work. That means fewer losses for you to contend with, less insurance paperwork to deal with, and less downtime before you’re back to business-as-usual.
- Better odds of catching criminals: A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video of a crime in progress is worth a hundred police man-hours. Even with DNA, fingerprints, and other crime scene analysis, nothing helps jump-start an investigation better than a photo of the criminal. Video verification gives you a big leg-up when it comes to identifying—and ultimately convicting—the perpetrators.
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How to get started
Fortunately, video technology is more affordable than ever, making a video verified alarm system a practical choice for nearly any size business. When you combine video verification with other state-of-the-art security system features—like central monitoring and motion detection—you’re giving your business the strongest protection available.
Don’t wait another day to give your company the security it deserves. Contact American Alarm Systems today to find out how a video verification alarm system can take your business security strategy to the next level.
by Chris Robinson | Jul 11, 2017 | Commercial Security Solutions
No matter what kind of business you are in, your assets are worth protecting. People, buildings, property, inventory, network servers, and data are just some of the elements that make up your business and contribute to your success. The best way to preserve these assets is with a security system—but it has to be the right system.
You need look no further than an “integrated security system” to get all your security needs covered.
Today, security tech and building management go hand-in-hand, which is where integrated security comes in. Security integration is when an organization merges its physical security solutions (such as building access control) with its logical security applications (think of network user IDs and password authentication).
The result is a one-stop security solution that addresses every aspect of your business—and makes your life as a business owner and manager a whole lot easier.
What makes up an integrated commercial security system?
An integrated system involves more than a control panel and alarm. Integrated security systems can include any of the following:
- Intrusion detection
- Burglar alarms
- Commercial access control systems
- Video surveillance and analytics
- Fire and life safety systems
- RFID systems for loss prevention
- Technology integration and security
- Reports on users and building access
- Remote control and access via smartphone
- Central monitoring
If you haven’t considered integrated security before, now is the time to give it a closer look. Here’s an overview of why streamlining your security operations with an integrated system makes sense.
Visibility and Monitoring
With an integrated commercial security system, you’ll be able to know what’s happening—when employees are coming and going, when the building is accessed, and even if the alarm system was properly set—in more detail than ever before. Not only does this help keep your employees honest, it also gives you the peace of mind you need to when you have to be off-site.
Access Control
Whether you want to use security passcodes, access cards, or biometric scanning, an integrated security system gives you more control over all access points of your business—including backdoors and computer logins. It also makes it easy to immediately terminate an employee’s access or instantly set up a new hire’s access.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
If you incorporate window and door sensor, glass break sensors, and motion detection into your integrated security system, you’ll know about a potential problem sooner, and be able to summon help faster. The addition of video alerts also minimizes the risk of false alarms , which means emergency personnel will be on their way immediately. You can also put the building on lockdown if an intruder or other threat is detected.
Cost Savings
It might seem like such a comprehensive security system will end up costing you more money, but over time it does just the opposite. You’ll be able to better manage time theft by employees and discourage or stop every type of employee theft. You might also get a break on your insurance, which can make a big difference in the long run.
Proprietary Protection
Whether you sell services or goods, your company’s inner workings, policies, customer info, and other proprietary information is priceless. An integrated security system safeguards this crucial information just as well as it keeps intruders out of your building. By incorporating IT security within your overall security plan, you’re putting extra controls in place that are easy to manage. It will also simplify the management of access credentials, and minimize the number of calls to your IT department.
Operational Efficiency
Because an integrated commercial security system gives you remote access to your security system via your smartphone, you can stay on top of everything from just about anywhere. This lets you see who’s getting into work late or leaving early, which users are accessing which locations on the network, and identify the break room thief who keeps helping themselves to the K-cups for the coffee maker. You will also get mobile alerts when anything unexpected occurs, and you can check in to make sure all entry points are secured.
Upgrading to an integrated commercial security system can seem like a big step, but it’s one that’s worth taking. At American Alarm Systems, we can help you identify the unique security needs of your operation and recommend a customized system that integrates all the elements you need, without any extras you don’t. Let us help you find the perfect integrated security solution for your business.
by Chris Robinson | May 5, 2017 | Commercial Security Solutions
No matter the size of your business, it deserves the protection—and you deserve the peace of mind—that comes with a security system.
Business security protects your company in multiple ways. Not only does it help you look out for your buildings and assets, but it can also help you prevent, and even solve, criminal activity that can impact employees, vendors, and/or customers.
How Crime Impacts a Business
Businesses can be vulnerable to a number of crimes, including robbery, vandalism, burglary, employee theft, fraud, and shoplifting. The resulting costs of criminal activity can drain a business of thousands—or even millions—of dollars each year.
Internal crime, like employee theft, undermines the very fabric of a business, and can impact the confidence that both customers and employees have in the company. Employees can steal property, supplies, and company trade secrets. When small businesses are victims of any kind of crime, the fallout can be so devastating that the future of the company may be put at risk.
With so much at stake, it simply isn’t good business to put off installing the security measures your business needs.
How Business Security Systems Prevent Crime
Cameras and alarms help you keep an eye on what’s going on, and their mere presence can be enough to make would-be criminals think twice. When you do install security measures, don’t keep it a secret. Be sure to let everyone know that your business is under surveillance and that there are alarms in place.
Security systems that include alarm codes or security badges to access buildings and offices provide the extra assurance that only people who belong there can get inside your business. It also helps employees and clients feel safer while on the premises.
When you monitor what’s happening, as well as who is coming and going, you minimize the opportunity for criminals to hurt your business. In fact, the right security system can virtually remove your business from consideration as a target all together
How Business Security Systems Solve Crimes
Unfortunately, sometimes even the most security-minded business can fall victim to a crime. In the event that your business is targeted, a security system can help you gather evidence and catch the bad guy.
Security cameras that record and store video provide documentation of everything that happens at your business, including nefarious activities. This means that even if someone gets away with committing a crime on your property, you probably already have their face somewhere on the video backup. This is a huge boon to law enforcement when they conduct their investigation.
Video evidence not only helps police identify criminals, but it can also help them prosecute the offenders. It’s hard to argue with a recording showing the suspect committing the offense.
What to Look For in a Business Security System
Once you decide to install a business security system, you want to make sure you get a system that delivers everything you need. At a minimum, your business security system should include the following:
- Surveillance cameras: Look for cameras that let you watch live video and also records footage for review later. You also want cameras both inside and outside of your business, and make sure that they also have night vision capabilities.
- Access control: Keeping track of who can get into your place of business—and when—is vital to your security. Make sure your security system includes either card readers, access codes, or fingerprint readers at crucial entry and exit points.
- Alarms: It’s important that you, and the bad guys, are alerted when your security system is breached. Seek out an alarm system that includes video verification to help you see exactly what’s going on when an alarm is triggered. This helps eliminate false alarms and can help you stop criminals faster.
- Monitoring: One of the best things a security system provides is an extra set of eyes on your business, even when you’re not there. For the most security look for a system that includes both remote monitoring via your smartphone, and professional, 24/7 monitoring from a monitoring center.
You’ve worked hard to make your business a success. Don’t put everything you’ve accomplished at risk by neglecting to protect it with a business security system. Contact American Alarm Systems today to find out how we can help keep you and your business from becoming a victim of crime.
