Office security cameras are essential for preventing crime and maintaining a safe business environment. They may be placed outside business entrances to monitor who comes and goes, in lobby and reception areas, in parking areas, and even in work spaces.
If you want to protect your office building with top-notch security on a limited budget, or without going all out on an enterprise system, there are many options that can meet your needs. Read on for our top 10 choices of the best office security cameras for your small business.
What Can You Do with Office Security Cameras?
- Secure building entrances against intruders
- Detect and respond to any break-ins the instant they happen
- Gather business data and actionable analytics
- Collect video evidence
- Deter people from attempting crimes in your business
- Check in from anywhere with a cloud-based mobile app system
- Remotely verify guests by pairing office cameras with video intercoms
- Monitor employee performance
- Resolve workplace disputes
1. Digital Watchdog
Digital Watchdog (DW) combines a wide range of features with a simple interface and ease of use, which makes it an ideal solution for small business office buildings. DW security cameras, digital recorders, and VMS software systems provide top-quality security. DW cameras are ideal for small offices thanks to their clear 4k resolution, affordability, flexible installation, and mobile app compatibility.
Digital Watchdog surveillance cameras offer high-definition video recording and sturdy weather-resistant hardware. DW’s streamlined engineering process enables the manufacturer to create high-quality cameras that still offer affordability to small businesses. For offices that want high-quality, contemporary recording without sacrificing their budget, Digital Watchdog cameras offer a great commercial security solution.
DW Cameras
DW offers a range of camera types for different applications. These include bullet cameras, dome cameras, corner-mount cameras, PTZ cameras, license plate readers, thermal imaging cameras, and more. DW’s wide range of surveillance cameras ensures you can find the right blend of devices for your unique space. You can also get Digital Watchdog cameras with license plate reading capabilities. 4MP DW cameras can capture license plates at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, even at night or with the glare of headlights.
Digital Watchdog App
Many customers appreciate DW cameras’ compatibility with secure mobile apps that users can access from any location with an internet connection. This lets you view live and recorded security camera feeds, right on your mobile device. Whether you’re on vacation or at home after hours, you will know the second a security threat is detected in your facility. You can also access the system through a web browser on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Data Analytics
DW’s feature rich cameras have built-in data analytics, letting them detect intruders crossing customized lines and perimeters. This means you can set specific areas for cameras to watch and make sure no unauthorized individuals come in. Anytime someone intrudes into the area, the cameras will send an instant alert on their mobile device. This keeps you in the loop about your business security, around the clock, without requiring you to travel to the office building to see if a crime is happening.
Image Correction
DW features heighten your business security with advanced recording quality, durability, and flexibility in your surveillance system. For example, DW cameras come with high-quality night vision that allows cameras to capture color recordings in near-total darkness. DW’s wide dynamic range ability also renders higher quality images no matter your lighting situation. DW even leverages smart IR features to provide automatic infrared compensation in poorly lit images. This ensures everything in your video footage is clearly visible, which is essential if you want to identify perpetrators and make out everything that is going on.
2. VIVOTEK
VIVOTEK is a great cutting-edge option for small-to-medium offices that want to balance great quality with a low price tag. VIVOTEK’s focus on intelligent video analytics helps office facilities cut down on crime while gathering actionable insights. If you want to see visual data about traffic in and out of your office building, VIVOTEK may be for you.
Mobile Security Management
VIVOTEK is an ideal solution for businesses looking to stay at the forefront of modern technology with their security system. VIVOTEK’s cloud-based cameras pair with a convenient mobile app to let you access video camera footage from any secure location. You can use your smartphone app or a web browser to see your video footage and business analytics. Worried about hackers gaining access to your data? VIVOTEK partners with Trend Micro to provide an added layer of cybersecurity, ensuring your information stays safe and private.
VIVOTEK Features
A wide range of features make VIVOTEK great for small business settings. VIVOTEK cameras with a 180 or 360-degree multi-sensor view can capture the entirety of a wide area using just one security camera. This keeps expenses such as installation costs and the price of camera hardware low. VIVOTEK PTZ cameras also offer high-quality surveillance up to 360 degrees around the camera.
- Unite your entire surveillance system into one easy-to-use interface
- Easily manage video monitoring, playback, events, and more through an E-map
- View hundreds of live camera streams on your network at once with the VAST Matrix video wall solution.
Smart Technology
VIVOTEK cameras automatically pick up on suspicious activity and detects patterns that could be of concern to your business security. The VIVOTEK smart engine recognizes people and objects in your property to cut down on false alarms caused by harmless things such as a swaying tree or a bird moving through the area. Smart IR features also ensure your footage is properly illuminated so that everything is visible, no matter the lighting in your area.
VAST VMS
VIVOTEK pairs with high-quality VAST VMS software to collect data from your security camera footage, such as counting reports and more. Then the system displays your business information in visual tables, charts, and other documents for easy reviewing. Other smart features include:
- Line crossing detection
- Loitering detection
- People counting reports
- Windows Active Directory integration
- Logical tree management
- Failover solution
3. Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye surveillance is a flexible and cost-effective office security camera solution for small businesses, which is completely based in the cloud. Eagle Eye offers wide integration possibilities, mobile access, and data analytics for today’s business in need of a cloud-based surveillance system.
When you use Eagle Eye cloud surveillance in your office building, you get a scalable network of smart cameras that you can control from an easy, intuitive interface. Eagle Eye systems let you search recorded video footage for the specific object, person, or event you want to find, saving you hours of manually going through your camera footage.
100% Cloud Based Solution
Thanks to Eagle Eye’s use of cloud storage, it is not necessary for you to install an NVR or DVR with your surveillance system. This is convenient for modern businesses because storing a physical server can require expensive maintenance and can take up space in your building. Going fully cloud-based also automates updates and routine maintenance. Fully encrypted cloud storage saves you from needing to deal with a server when you need to access your footage: All you have to do is sign into your app. Or if you want, you can combine an NVR or DVR with your Eagle Eye system for a non-cloud backup. This is especially useful if your business already has a server.
Easy Integration
Eagle Eye’s open API platform lets you integrate a wide range of third party security systems, such as access control and burglar alarms. This is great for office buildings that are already using security hardware or software, letting you cut costs by using your already-existing system. The Eagle Eye system can integrate with either analog or IP cameras, on Mac, PC, iOS, and Android devices. Eagle Eye Cloud VMS also pairs with thermal cameras, which is great for office buildings that are instituting contact-free temperature reading and fever scanning.
Eagle Eye Cloud VMS
The Eagle Eye Cloud VMS has a simple interface that lets you save and search video footage, adjust settings for office security cameras or system users, and manage or view your system’s business analytics functions. The Eagle Eye VMS is an especially good option for small businesses that want to improve their operations and marketing, because of the people counting function that tracks the number of people that pass through its field of view every hour. Each security camera can be individually configured through your VMS, letting you adjust resolution and storage based on your cameras’ requirements.
- Set custom motion alerts
- Search camera footage for specific events
- Add your own notes and timestamps
- Add unlimited users to your system, giving each one their own unique account and permissions
- Designate first responders to automatically be granted access to your camera feeds
- See identical platforms across iOS devices, Android devices, and desktop browsers
Data Protection
Storing everything in the cloud also allows for increased security, thanks to full encryption that protects your footage. With Eagle Eye Networks’ two-factor authentication or biometric verification, you can add an extra layer of security to your private data, ensuring only authorized people can access the system. Eagle Eye’s affordable cloud based system isolates your cameras from the internet, protecting them from remote hackers and malware.
4. Arcules
The Arcules platform gives you next-generation cloud surveillance to protect your small business, which can scale to meet business growth in the future. This is a more all-in-one choice than the previous brands on this list, because Arcules combines video surveillance, analytics, and access control into one united system. If you have existing security cameras, there is a good chance you can pair them with the Arcules cloud platform.
Arcules security saves time and money across your business with a unified cloud-first platform, saving you from the costs of buying and maintaining server hardware. This lets your office reduce fees spent on server upkeep and IT management.
Low Bandwidth Solution
If your office building has limited bandwidth, Arcules has a low-bandwidth solution for your needs, which only uses 10-50 Kbps bandwidth while recording. The Arcules low bandwidth option uses local storage on a server in addition to cloud storage, keeping local backup copies of your footage. Storing footage locally at the edge is a great hybrid solution if your business has limited outbound bandwidth, is using a lot of security cameras, or just needs to save bandwidth for other operations.
- Avoid bandwidth bottlenecks
- Remotely view and manage footage from your security cameras
- Have backup copies of your footage stored locally
- Use case management feature to hang onto specific footage for video evidence
Arcules VSaaS
Arcules VSaaS (video surveillance as a service) technology uses a fully integrated security system to enhance business efficiency and safety. Arcules integrates video surveillance and access control, increasing the effectiveness of your entire security system and enabling a wide range of features.
System administrators can easily send alarms and access security camera footage from their mobile device or a desktop web browser. This is great if you have multiple office cameras or locations you want to manage simultaneously, or if you want to simplify gathering information about the events going on in your office. By combining access control with security cameras, you or your staff can remotely grant access to authorized people entering the building.
Arcules VMS
Arcules pairs with Milestone XProtect to give you powerful and flexible cloud security management, This Arcules-XProtect hybrid VMS solution makes your office security more scalable, allowing you to easily add new cameras or locations to your system. If you are looking forward to future business growth, this scalable solution could be what you need. The Arcules-XProtect VMS gives you powerful functionality and many options without making your system too complex. Easily access your office security camera footage from any device, anytime and anywhere.
5. Verkada
Verkada cameras are a perfect choice for businesses in 2020, using a sleek hybrid-cloud infrastructure to add convenience, flexibility, and consistency to your system. Verkada’s use of cloud-based and offline storage means you can use it in office buildings with limited internet connection, or even no connection at all. Verkada systems minimize downtime and make sure your video footage is always backed up, ensuring your office security system always runs smoothly.
If you want, you have the flexibility to choose to keep your footage completely in the cloud and eliminate on-site servers, or you can opt to use only on-site storage. Verkada cameras offer easy out-of-the-box installation and surveillance, no VPN configurations or plug-ins necessary, which also makes them useful in small business settings.
Verkada Command Platform
Verkada uses the Command VMS platform, which lets you access your Verkada system from a web browser on any device. You can log in, see live video of everything going on in your business, see footage recorded in the past, and more, no physically servers necessary.
- Search Verkada camera footage for specific people and events
- View interactive business maps and floor plans
- Set up centralized security management across all office locations
- Easily manage user access permissions with Multiple UsersGrant technology
- Remotely monitor the health of your Verkada surveillance system and receive alerts when cameras fall offline
Verkada Video Analytics
Verkada cameras are ideal for businesses that want high-tech intelligent features to keep their commercial security strong and convenient. With Verkada’s advanced video analytics, your cameras can automatically distinguish between people, objects, vehicles, events, and other criteria. This lets your cameras recognize everything in and around your office, and catalogue them so that you can easily search for them later. Searching your video footage saves you from spending hours having to manually go through all the video looking for what you want.
Facial Recognition
Verkada cameras can use facial recognition to distinguish between different employees and visitors, cataloguing all authorized people who enter. If someone comes in and causes a disturbance or commits a crime, you can blacklist them from your business, meaning if they ever try to enter the office again, you or your security staff will receive instant alerts sent to an internet-connected device.
Instant Alerts
Many businesses appreciate Verkada’s instant security alerts, which keep you in the loop every time an intruder is detected in your business. If an unauthorized person is detected breaking into your facility, your system can be programmed to send instant alerts to your device, your security staff, or even local law enforcement. This means you never have to learn about a break-in or theft later from your camera footage — you will know the moment it is happening, so you can stop the crime in its tracks.
- Video Sharing: Share live camera feeds with others via SMS or email, making it easy to let authorized system users and/or law enforcement know what is going on.
- Automatic Downloads: Cloud-based updates ensure your system gets all the latest features automatically.
- Live Video Feeds: See live feeds from security cameras, and see rolling feeds of footage captured across multiple locations.
- Motion Plotting: Easily track movements across all office locations, view real-time motion across floor plans, and even see heat maps of people in your business.
- Time Lapse: View 24 hours of video footage in under 20 seconds with Verkada’s convenient time lapse feature, available on a daily or hourly basis.
6. Rhombus
Another top-notch hybrid cloud choice for office security cameras is Rhombus Systems. Rhombus offers cutting-edge cloud-based security and a range of advanced functions, which is also scalable and easy to manage from your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Rhombus’s intelligent PoE cameras and software offer flexibility, simplicity, and a low price tag for what they provide, making Rhombus a favorite among small office buildings in need of top-notch security.
Hybrid Cloud System
Like Verkada, Rhombus uses a hybrid-cloud architecture, meaning it can store footage locally as a back-up alongside cloud storage. This lets your business security system keep running smoothly, even if your office building has network outages. You cloud footage will benefit from full encryption, ensuring your commercial video footage is only accessible to authorized system users.
Rhombus Video Analytics
Rhombus offers an impressive array of smart features that use video analytics to enhance your business security. With high-tech machine learning, Rhombus cameras continuously evolve to get better at recognizing potential threats. Rhombus’s robust, easy-to-use AI features give your office building an added layer of security and intelligence. You can search your Rhombus footage for specific people, objects, vehicles, and more, seeing categorized footage to easily access whatever you’re looking for. Rhombus also offers license plate recognition, people counting analytics, and unusual behavior detection to give you 24/7 peace of mind.
IoT Tracking
Rhombus Systems is well known for its IoT (Internet of Things) tracking features, which make it easy to manage deliveries and prevent office theft by tracking individual items in your business with high-quality sensors. Want to prevent items such as office supplies from being stolen? You can attach IoT-enabled tags to any items you want, making it easy to track these items by seeing their current location. You can even get instant alerts sent to your device any time your tracked office supplies exit the facility.
Rhombus Asset Tags
The Rhombus Asset Tag makes it easy to track office supplies and prevent theft of items in your workspace. Asset Tags provide Bluetooth and plug-and-play compatibility for small business flexibility. Rhombus Asset Tags are also battery operated, making it easy to attach to any object without unnecessarily taking up your business’s time and money.
Asset Tags track movement patterns across floor plans and sense every time an object is carried out of a specific location, sending programmable alerts to your device. You can use the Rhombus Console and Rhombus mobile app to easily manage your sensor data, even across multiple office locations. Asset Tags even automatically attach to your security camera footage, making it easy to find specific footage of when an item was taken.
- Get real-time alerts sent to your smart device
- Run AI-powered analytics for advanced people and object recognition
- See interactive maps and business floor plans
- Search your video footage for specific people and events
- Track objects in your facility with IoT sensors and get alerts when items are removed
7. OpenEye
OpenEye cameras protect your small office building with high-quality security cameras, recorders, and web services to help you manage business security around the clock. High-definition OpenEye’s scalable camera systems fit all sizes of business, and make it easy to accommodate business growth in the future with a flexible cloud-based system, compatible with a mobile app. Another reason OpenEye is well-suited to small business office spaces is the built-in PoE capabilities that make OpenEye cameras compatible with plug-and-play operation. This is a great option for small business with fewer security camera channels.
OpenEye VMS
OpenEye hybrid cloud-based VMS gives your office building power, flexibility, and high performance. OpenEye cameras can store footage in the cloud and on local servers for secure backup of your video footage. OpenEye Web Services cloud surveillance software work smoothly with OpenEye recorders to provide simplified, easy-to-use business security management. OpenEye provides easy cloud management to authorized system administrators, who can configure cameras and recorders using only their credentials — no VPN access or opening inbound ports necessary.
- Complete remote operation and administration
- Simple online user management with role-based user groups located in your portal
- Cloud-based health monitoring with real-time alerts via text or email in the case of a hard drive failure or exceeded storage level.
- No port forwarding or entering IP settings needed for remote clients with network setup using OpenEye Web Connect technology
- OpenEye cameras are remotely accessible, remotely power cycled, and ONVIF compliant.
OpenEye App
The OpenEye app puts your business security at your fingertips 24/7. You can use the OpenEye app on Android and iOS devices to view both live and recorded video footage, anytime, from any location. Users can easily add new camera recorders, which automatically show up in your mobile app as soon as they are linked to your account. The app also lets you search for video footage, control playback speeds, rewind, save snapshots, and get alerts with thumbnails and links to the actual video footage.
Two-Way Audio
The OpenEye mobile app lets you use two-way audio to video chat with people seen through your security cameras, similarly to an intercom system. The ability to see visitors and through your cameras and speak with them at the same time makes it easy for office receptionists to let in authorized employees, visitors, and deliveries. With the convenience of a cloud-based smartphone app, paired with impressive features that give you advanced control over security cameras and recorders, the OpenEye mobile app boosts office security and dramatically shortens response times to anything that happens.
8. Hikvision
Hikvision is a large and well-known supplier of security cameras and video surveillance software that goes the extra mile to protect small and large businesses alike. Hikvision provides a full range of video surveillance products to cover the needs of any office setting, including VMS products, high-quality recorders, and many different types of surveillance cameras. Hikvision’s world-class security hardware and software has earned it a trusted position among businesses in need of cutting-edge camera surveillance.
High-Definition Video
If you’re looking for cameras with great night vision to capture clear recordings in any lighting, Hikvision could be for you. Hikvision uses advanced IR night vision and wide dynamic range to provide a high-definition image every time. With long distance recording and night vision, ultra high resolutions, and easily customizable varifocal lenses, Hikvision cameras ensure you can view every detail in your footage, whether you’re recording indoors or outdoors, at night, or in glaring light. Hikvision Mini IR Series cameras provide extra high-performance monitoring at night, using IR LEDs, 3D DNR technology, digital wide dynamic range, and low-light capabilities to record in any lighting situation. These cameras are easy to integrate with other network security systems, thanks to their full compatibility with ONVIF.
Office Temperature Screening
Hikvision has options for offices in need of fever screening for a safe and sanitary workplace. Hikvision temperature screening applications can integrate into your office security system, whether you are using security cameras, access control, or a mix of the two. Hikvision temperature screening cameras scan everyone coming through the entrance of a building, with the ability to scan multiple people at once. The system also includes facial identification and mask detection features to increase the safety of the office environment.
- Combine Hikvision temperature screening with access control, using touch-free MinMoe Terminals. This provides a safe and easy way for authorized individuals to access the office without the need of spreading germs.
- Hikvision’s high-efficiency mask detection features ensure your workplace is sanitary at all times.
- Use accurate facial identification for hands-free access into office entrances or rooms.
- Get convenient visualization of possible emergency events and building statistics for greater safety in the case of an event
Value Series
Hikvision also offers the Value Plus Series and the Value Series for businesses with a limited budget and/or lower bandwidth, that still want to experience Hikvision’s high-quality video monitoring. These options use innovative compression technology to lower the bitrate needed to capture security footage, which reduces storage costs and bandwidth requirements in your security system.
9. Axis
Axis security cameras are the gold standard in IP commercial security. Axis products are ideal for businesses that want the highest image quality, the most durable hardware, and a suite of top-of-the-line surveillance features. Axis security cameras come in a wide range of hardware types and configurations to cover any business’s surveillance needs. Axis also provides a robust suite of video management software that provides user-friendly security camera management from any internet-connected device.
Axis VMS
The Axis Security Camera Software suite gives business owners and operators extensive control over their commercial security system. With a wide range of advanced surveillance features, Axis software puts your business safety in your hands, as well as providing advanced insights via intelligent video analytics built into your cameras. The Axis Camera Station is one example of a VMS software provided by Axis, which provides a powerful set of features while still allowing easy, intuitive management with a simple interface. Users can configure rules in the Axis Camera Station to control security cameras, access control, and even IP speakers, with just a simple click of the mouse.
Axis for Parking Lots
Axis has advanced license plate recognition options, which lets your security cameras scan and database every license plate number of vehicles that enter your business. This helps you make the security of your office parking lot seamless, thanks to a variety of useful features. You can flag certain plates to get an instant alert any time they attempt to enter your business, whitelist vehicles of authorized employees and visitors, and even integrate vehicle gate access control to restrict access to flagged vehicles. Axis provides durable outdoor cameras, including vandal-proof domes and even explosion-resistant models, making Axis cameras suitable for a wide variety of outdoor spaces.
- People counting
- Perimeter Defender
- Line-crossing detection
- Parking violating detection
- Fence Guard
Wide Area Monitoring
Axis provides an extensive range of security camera types to cover the needs of your office building. An especially useful type is Axis’s PTZ camera, which allows you to remotely pan, tilt, and zoom the field of view of your cameras, controlling which details and areas the cameras focus on. PTZ cameras may even be programmed to cycle through various positions on a regular basis, providing shifting view of the complete area. Combining Axis fixed cameras and PTZ cameras can help your business capture a clear and consistent view of every important area.
Axis 360 cameras are another great option if you have a wide area to monitor, such as an office parking lot or a wide room. The Axis 360 camera provides a panoramic view by using multiple camera sensors in one piece of hardware, capturing a 360-degree view of the area at all times. These cameras are also great when used on building corners and in hallway intersections.
Axis Time Lapse Video
Axis cameras make it easy to see time lapse videos of your business footage, helping you quickly scan the video for events, or see the unfolding of a project. You can get daily recaps of time lapse footage, and program more customizable options such as time lapse playback speed, how long the interval is between the video frames your cameras capture, and more. Axis’s consistently clear video monitoring makes it a great option for capturing time lapse videos, since every moment of the time lapse will be visible regardless of weather and lighting conditions.
10. Avigilon
Avigilon cameras are known for their advanced application of AI-powered business analytics. Avigilon’s cutting-edge intelligent software closely analyzes everything that goes in your video footage, identifying people, objects, movement patterns, behaviors, and more. If you want to detect suspicious activities and crimes before they happen, Avigilon is the go-to for high-powered intelligent business monitoring.
Avigilon Object Recognition
Avigilon cameras have object recognition that allows them to tell the difference between humans, cars, swaying tree branches, and other objects. In fact, Avigilon’s self-learning software lets it recognize and classify half a million objects, people, behaviors, and more right out of the box. This wide range of recognized events, as well as advanced self-learning capabilities, lets Avigilon surveillance systems accurately detect threats.
If an intruder is breaking into your business, your Avigilon cameras will detect the event and let you and/or the authorities know with alerts — but if your cameras detect movement from something that is harmless, they will recognize this and disregard the security threat. This helps your business cut down on false alarms triggered by non-human movement, helping you save time and resources for when an emergency actually happens.
Avigilon Facial Recognition
Avigilon cameras scan and database the unique facial features of everyone who enters your office building, letting them identify these people at any time they are in the area. Cataloguing these individuals lets your cameras recognize them any time they enter your business in the future, meaning you can easily track who comes and goes. If a blacklisted individual tries to enter your business, you can get an alert on your device or have your business entrances automatically lock. You can also search your stored footage for specific individuals and instantly see every time they were in the facility. Avigilon provides hundreds of different video search parameters, including movements, facial features, gaits, and more.
Facial Recognition and Access Control
Avigilon makes it easy to control who has access to certain areas of your business, based on their facial identification. When paired with access control, you can have authorized individuals gain access to spaces without needing to use credentials or enter codes. Facial recognition provides the ultimate seamless entry into areas for employees. This is also a great option if you want extra secure two-step verification for everyone entering your office building.
Avigilon Control Center Software
Avigilon Control Center (ACC) software gives you advanced security camera management, available on a web browser or the Avigilon app. ACC users may view live and recorded video footage, use video search functions, and access various other features. For small to medium sized businesses, Avigilon also offers an entry-level version of the ACC software, which offers all the features you need to protect your office building, at a lower cost.
- Search stored footage for individuals
- Flag important events in your footage
- Remotely review all your saved events
- Easily manage and change user permissions
- Broadcast to speakers
- See 3D smart maps of all business areas
- See multiple video streams at once on a smart wall
- Use advanced license plate reading and analytics
- Use multi-site surveillance to control cameras and servers in multiple office locations
- Integrate plugins for video analytics, motion sensing, interface modifications, and more
Want to know more about office building surveillance? Get in touch with Safe and Sound Security experts today to learn more about which office security cameras are best for your small business. We have over a decade of experience helping businesses design and install the perfect surveillance systems for their needs.
