For Mountain West business owners, protecting employees, assets, and daily operations should be a top priority — and installing video surveillance is an ideal place to start. Still, some businesses opt to go without this essential safeguard or simply skate by on a DIY approach until a better strategy seems more within their budget.
The reality is that installing video surveillance creates a protective measure that could actually save your business from financial damages — and stress — on a regular basis. Read on to learn why.
A Professional Approach to Installation
Though DIY systems may seem convenient, they often lack the advanced capabilities and reliability necessary for commercial applications. When a surveillance system is properly equipped, your business can see reductions in both package theft and opportunistic shoplifting while minimizing false alarms. In this short guide, we’ll cover the basic considerations for installing video surveillance — and how PEAK Alarm makes it all easy.
How Installing Video Surveillance Works
As a cornerstone of a comprehensive security strategy, installing video surveillance involves more than just mounting a few cameras. Each step demands careful planning to tailor your new system to achieve your goals. Here’s how you can start:
Step 1: Define Your Goals in Surveillance
The first step is to nail down what you want to achieve with video surveillance. Are you aiming for facial recognition to monitor access points, or is your priority just detecting motion in restricted areas? Clearly defining your goals will shape the type of features your system will need.
For example, businesses focused on theft prevention might only need real-time monitoring and proactive alerts, while others may also need long-term video storage for legal purposes. A professional approach to installation brings the advantage of expert insights into your security needs, which can set you up for more successful results.
Step 2: Consider Strategic Placement
Camera placement plays a key role in the effectiveness of any video surveillance system. Critical zones like entrances, exits, points of sale, and storage rooms should be first on the list. At the same time, it’s important to consider visibility — obvious cameras are known to deter criminal activity, which is often preferable to catching it in progress.
This is one area where DIY methods fall short, as improper placement can result in blind spots or tampering. PEAK Alarm’s professional technicians conduct thorough site assessments to ensure every key area is covered and that cameras are installed securely — out of reach and optimally positioned for maximum coverage.
Step 3: Determine Your Storage Needs
Storage requirements can vary drastically from business to business. How much video storage you’ll need will depend on factors like hours of operation, levels of risk, and the analytic capabilities of your chosen system. Commercial surveillance can demand months’ worth of storage, far exceeding the capabilities of most DIY systems, which may need to overwrite footage after just a few days or weeks.
PEAK Alarm’s video surveillance technology offers flexible storage solutions, including local, cloud, and hybrid options, which allow us to fine-tune installations to individual needs. Our systems are equipped with advanced detection technology to minimize the recording of empty or irrelevant footage.
Step 4: Choose Your Monitoring Approach
The pressing question is whether your video surveillance system is intended to be a proactive or reactive security measure. Do you only need to record footage for later review, or do you need real-time monitoring to act on events as they occur? Historically, video surveillance has been purely reactive. With modern advancements, however, proactive monitoring allows for real-time intervention during active security threats.
Here at PEAK Alarm, we integrate 24/7 real-time monitoring with professional-grade systems to provide instant alerts and notifications directly to your business. If a threat is detected and an alarm is tripped, our dispatch team will have help on the way in moments.
Step 5: Invest in Advanced Analytic Features
Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have revolutionized video surveillance, enabling smarter systems that can differentiate between meaningful events and routine activity. Installations like XV Gateways with AlarmVision allow cameras to distinguish between animal, vehicle, and human activity, implementing different protocols for different scenarios.
AI-driven analytics empower surveillance systems to capture only relevant footage, cutting down on unnecessary storage requirements while minimizing false alarms, which can ultimately save your business money. While some DIY systems offer basic motion detection, they typically lack the robust capabilities of professional systems.
How PEAK Alarm Empowers Your Surveillance
Taking a professional approach to installing video surveillance means taking advantage of the most cutting-edge tools and techniques available, ensuring your security strategy remains sound for years.
At PEAK Alarm, we empower our professional surveillance services with more than 50 years of firsthand experience in diverse industries across multiple states — that’s why businesses like yours trust PEAK with their security first,
Ready to elevate your business’s security? Trust the Mountain West’s leader in business video surveillance. Get in touch with our experts to schedule a free consultation.
Protect what matters most to you. Contact PEAK Alarm today.