Many businesses today have some form of access control and video surveillance to protect their buildings and assets. Integrating these two systems puts both security measures on one platform, which can make keeping your business secure more simple than ever.
Some of the benefits of integration include increasing security and streamlining management. Learn more about how access control and video surveillance integration works and what the benefits for your business might be.
What is Access Control and Video Surveillance Integration?
Before you can understand what access control and video surveillance integration is, you first need to understand each part individually. Access control systems use access control cards and other devices to grant (or deny) access to buildings and other physical spaces. Video surveillance systems use video cameras to see and record the physical space.
Access control and video surveillance integration, then, is when you combine these systems together so they work in sync and on the same interface. Instead of having a separate system and software for each, access control and video surveillance run on the same server and platform in an integrated system.
This allows video and access control to be monitored and controlled together. It requires combining both the hardware and the software so they work together seamlessly. Typically, this integration is for physical access to buildings or spaces, but it can work for access to networks and devices as well.
Overall, the main benefit of access control and video surveillance integration is that it helps ensure that the person trying to gain access is who they say they are.
How Does Access Control and Video Surveillance Integration Work?
Typically, when somebody attempts to gain access to your building, you can see their credentials and information about their access attempt on one interface. Separately, you can also watch a recorded or live video if you have video surveillance. When these two systems are separate, however, you need to manually pair the access attempt with the video.
When the two systems are integrated, you can see everything together on one interface.
Usually, when the systems are integrated, you see a live (or recorded) camera feed of the space. Overlaid on top of that feed, you can see information about who is attempting to gain access. This information might include:
- Their name
- Their employee number or other credentials
- Their picture
- The date and time
- The name of the door or area they are attempting to enter
- The status of their access: granted or denied
In addition to seeing this in real-time, you can also select any time somebody has attempted access and then view the feed along with additional information from the past. On most interfaces, it’s easy to search by person, date, time, access point, or any other recorded information. Many systems also allow you to access information remotely via an app.
There are two ways to go about managing recordings and live feeds. In one scenario, the camera is recording 24/7, regardless of whether somebody is attempting to gain access or not. In the other scenario, the camera only records when somebody is attempting to gain access. When deciding what’s best for you, think about your security needs and whether 24/7 surveillance is necessary or not.
One exciting and unique feature of access control and video surveillance is AI facial recognition. Rather than hiring somebody to constantly monitor your feed, facial recognition can determine if the person attempting access is who they are supposed to be. If they are, they are granted access. If they are not, the system can trigger an alarm or alert specified people.
What Are the Benefits of Access Control and Video Surveillance Integration?
There are many benefits to integrating your access control and video surveillance, not the least of which is that it makes your life easier. When your systems are integrated, you don’t need to shift through different interfaces or spend time piecing information together because everything is there right in front of you on one platform.
Here are some other benefits of integration:
- Increased security: Threats are more easily identified and stopped with an integrated system. Threats can also be monitored remotely in real-time or on a recorded feed.
- Increased reaction time: You can respond to threats much more quickly when you can see all relevant information in one single location.
- Efficiency: It’s easier and more efficient to manage both systems when they are together on one platform.
- Simpler training: You can spend less time training employees because they only need to understand how to work one platform.
- Streamlining: A streamlined system means updates only need to be done on one system, employees don’t need to flip between different interfaces, and the process of managing access control is much smoother from start to finish. It’s also possible to integrate more than just access control and video surveillance.
By integrating these two systems, you can realize all of the above benefits and improve both access control and video surveillance in your buildings.
Things to Consider When Choosing Access Control and Video Surveillance Integration
Access control and video surveillance integration isn’t for everybody. It can be costly to install and maintain an integrated system. Before choosing this for your business, be sure you can justify the cost. If you have a smaller space or a place where security and access control is not a top priority, then an integrated system might not make sense for you.
Additionally, you need to think about and plan which brands you want to install before you begin an installation. Not all brands will be able to be integrated.
