How to Research Video Surveillance Systems
Finding the best solution is not so much about one camera being better than the other, but rather which camera best fits your office security needs. Some cameras are better for small businesses, and some security camera models are better for large commercial facilities or outdoor monitoring systems with a lot of surface area to cover. Some have more user-friendly software and access control integrations, which is a crucial aspect for maintaining business security.
To make this decision easier, we identified two major categories that we think are the most important factors to consider when choosing a security camera system:
Hardware
Video resolution, frame rate motion detection, night vision/infrared are the most important hardware specifications to consider when looking at security cameras
Software
The most important features in security camera software are analytics and reporting, cloud storage capacity, and integration with access control.
Top 10 Best Security Cameras for Businesses of 2021
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Connect Access Control to Video Surveillance
Review and validate door entries with automatic video snapshots.
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Comparing the Best Security Camera Manufacturers
Cisco Meraki, Rhombus Systems and Verkada are the three biggest players in the cloud-based surveillance space. Meraki and Rhombus are our top picks as they are better value, in our opinion, than Verkada in terms of integrations and price point.
Here’s a quick comparison of the camera manufacturers.
Verkada vs Meraki
Both systems have their unique use cases that should be determined based on your functional specifications. In terms of primary solution specifics, Verkada has a slightly more advanced solution with additional features such as dedicated fixed storage recording time, improved analytical features, and a dedicated mobile video security application. With Cisco Meraki being specialists in wireless, switching and security appliances, the platform provides all the tools to integrate and manage such services. Still, they don't come as primary features. The Cisco Meraki security cameras are overall more affordable and come in the price range of $1299-$2399 while the Verkada comes in at $798-$3199.
Verkada vs Rhombus
Rhombus has a much lower cost than the other two cameras but comes with similar if not better features, which is why we consider it one of the best security camera manufacturers on the market. A unique feature to Rhombus is the coordinated line of sensors which include an object sensor, a door or window sensor and an environmental sensor, which can measure temperature. The Rhombus Systems price range is $299-$1699, and the annual enterprise cloud license is the same price as Verkada ($199). But Rhombus also has a cheaper professional annual license which costs only $149. This makes the Rhombus a good pick for smaller companies or companies that are looking at integrating cameras with access control.
How Access Control Can Enhance Your Security Camera System
Many of the above camera brands can be integrated with cloud-based access control to provide even more oversight and flexibility for office operators. With an access control integration, IT administrators and office managers can:
Take live snapshots of unlock events to strengthen overall security
Enforce proper use of credentials and prevent tailgating
Assign and deassign cameras to specific doors
Streamline dashboards for easy management and navigation
