Start with what you are protecting against
Write down the three things that would hurt most. For a home it is usually a break-in while you are away, a package or vehicle taken from the driveway, and not knowing who is at the door. For a business it is stock loss, after-hours intrusion, and not knowing who was in the building when something happened.
Each of those points to a different tool. A break-in while you are away wants a monitored alarm with video verification. Stock loss wants cameras over the stockroom and access control on its door. Not knowing who was in the building wants access control with an audit trail. A camera alone solves none of them fully.
Cameras: recording versus understanding
A camera that records tells you what happened after the event. A camera with AI detection tells you while it is happening, and tells you only about people and vehicles rather than every cat and shadow. If you will ever rely on alerts, insist on AI detection and ask to see it working on a real site at night.
Placement matters more than the brand. A good camera in the wrong place produces a clear picture of a hood. Ask how positions are chosen and whether the provider will walk the site rather than quote from a plan.
Alarm and monitoring
An alarm that only rings depends on a neighbour caring. App alerts depend on you being awake. Monitoring puts an operator on the event. The question to ask is whether the operator verifies the event on video before escalating. Alarm-only monitoring cannot, which is why false callouts are so common.
Access control
If more than five people need keys, or if people join and leave, you need access control. A cancelled credential is cancelled everywhere in seconds. A lost key means re-keying. Ask whether access events are matched to camera footage, because a badge number on its own is a log, not evidence.
Questions to ask any provider, including us
- Will you walk the site before quoting, and will the quote show camera positions?
- Do cameras detect people and vehicles, or just motion?
- Is monitoring video-verified before anyone is called out?
- Are access events matched to footage?
- What is the monthly cost, and exactly what does it include?
- Who do I call when something breaks, and is it the same company for every part?
- Where is footage stored and who can see it?
What it costs, honestly
Expect two numbers: a one-off installation quote and a monthly plan. The installation covers hardware, cabling, configuration and testing. The monthly plan covers cloud storage, monitoring, software, health checks and support. Providers who publish a single low price are usually quoting the hardware and leaving the rest for later. Ask for both numbers, in writing, with what each includes.
The short version
Decide what you are protecting against, then choose the tools that address it, then choose the provider who can connect them and support them as one system. The camera is the last decision.