1300 877 353
Email
Whether you have a family-owned small business or are a part of a large franchise business, an excellent security system is likely to be one of your top priorities.
So why do you need a security system? Even in sleepy Adelaide, you need to protect your physical assets, including equipment and sensitive employee paperwork, from being stolen or damaged by burglars and vandals. The damage and loss of these assets can be a difficult financial hump to climb over.
That cost doesn’t even take into account the time that could be lost – your business needs a lot of tools to run, like computers, phone systems, equipment, etc. Will you be able to afford to stop work while you replace every item after you’ve been broken into?
Luckily for businesses, commercial security systems have come a long way. Far from just sounding an alarm and alerting the cops if someone is acting suspiciously, modern systems can provide video surveillance, manage your heating and cooling systems, regulate lighting, automatically put equipment on time-based controls, and allow you to choose who can access the property and when.
That’s a lot of functions for one security system! You can choose one that’s as basic or as complex as you like. For example, a larger business might need a coded system with multiple access codes. A smaller business might only require a simple burglar alarm.
So how do you know which functions are likely to be the right ones for your business? Take a look at some of the current trends and the benefits of each one to help you decide which functions would suit your business.
CCTV – Live streaming and Digital video recording
Recording video of your premises has a variety of benefits. You can see if someone’s acting suspiciously before they actually set off an alarm and observe everything that happens on your premises 24/7.
If you don’t need 24 hour footage, you might choose to use conditional recording instead. This means that the video only starts recording if a preset condition is met. For example, it might be set off when a window is opened, when the camera detects motion, or at a certain time of the day.
In the event of a break-in, recorded footage can be used to help identify perpetrators and used as evidence.
The presence of a camera alone can stop a thief in their tracks. If you’re worried about employee or customer theft, adding video surveillance to your security plan is likely to help deter potential thieves.
Wired vs Wireless
Wired and wireless security systems are available. Wired systems use a map of sensors at key points which send a signal when triggered to the alarm company or relevant emergency service. It’s increasingly common for businesses to go for a wireless alternative that sends the notification over WiFi or mobile network.
If you’re using wireless monitoring, many security services will also give you the ability to access your security system via an app. The app gives you access from home to perform updates, view CCTV, or monitor your business’ status straight from the palm of your hand.
Access Systems
How many people need access to your business property? That’s going to determine the best option for access systems. If people only need access during business hours, an intercom system allows you to screen all potential visitors. It does mean that someone needs to be available to man the intercom access at all times or you could miss a valuable customer or client.
Using an alpha-numeric keypad allows you to give access to a number of people. Protect your assets with unique codes for individuals to track who last armed or disarmed the system. You could also consider remote control access to avoid entering (or forgetting) codes.
Hazard Detection
Everyone knows how important a well-maintained smoke alarm is, but did you know that there are a number of other environmental hazards that your security system can watch out for? Certain security systems will monitor smoke, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and increases in temperature to help prevent a fire before it has a chance to start giving off smoke.
Equipment Monitoring
While it isn’t exactly a security feature, a security system that has the ability to monitor other systems on your premises can be incredibly beneficial in a number of ways. Shutting down the power supply to energy guzzling machinery, resetting thermostats, and switching off lights when the office or factory is empty cost-effectively maintains your property.
Alarms
Generally, burglar alarms consist of loud noises, flashing lights, or some sort of signal or notification sent to a designated person. This person could be someone at the company who can identify the next step that needs to be taken or the signal could be sent directly to the police or fire department.