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What is the Difference Between Business Video Monitoring and Surveillance?

A closeup of a door sign with text reading "Warning, security cameras in use" affixed to the glass window on a bright blue exterior door.
How do business video monitoring and surveillance differ?

Nowadays, the majority of businesses install commercial video security systems for their properties. In total, the global commercial video security system market will be worth $376 billion by the end of 2028 as more companies seek to reduce crime rates and insurance providers require businesses to invest in security.

Regardless of the business size or industry, commercial security is most effective when its compo­nents work together. Two critical compo­nents that greatly increase the safety of employees and decrease the risk of theft or property damage are business video surveil­lance and monitoring. From a layperson’s point of view, they seem similar.

So, what is the difference between monitoring and surveil­lance?

In the commercial security sector, surveil­lance involves strate­gi­cally-placed cameras in or around your business to take, store, and send footage of suspi­cious activity.

Meanwhile, monitoring involves a security provider monitoring your business 24/7. They will dispatch the appro­priate author­ities if an alarm is triggered and it’s a legit­imate threat.

All businesses can benefit from both surveil­lance and monitoring for compre­hensive protection, whether you own a warehouse or a fine dining estab­lishment. This blog will explain the benefits of a commercial video surveil­lance system and monitoring solution.

  • What to look for in a commercial video surveil­lance system?
  • What to look for in a commercial monitoring system?

Install a Business Video Monitoring and Surveillance System With Bates Security

Bates Security has provided Florida and Kentucky businesses with commercial surveillance and video monitoring systems for over 50 years. From designing a custom video system to upgrading your existing CCTV camera systems, we’ll find the right monitoring and surveillance solutions for your business, regardless of size or industry.


Reach out to a team member for a free consultation; either call us at (800) 403-9471 or click the button below to see why we have hundreds of 5-star reviews.

What To Look For in a Commercial Video Surveillance System?

The side view of a white security camera affixed to an exterior black paneled wall.
Commercial video surveillance systems involve careful camera placement.

As mentioned above, a commercial video surveil­lance system includes multiple strate­gi­cally-placed security cameras around the perimeter and inside of your business. These cameras capture images and videos of any activity and then store the footage or send it for viewing. At the very least, most businesses will install surveil­lance cameras at their main entry and exit points for security purposes.

The benefits of a commercial video surveil­lance system include the following:

  • Preventing theft and vandalism, which can include intel­lectual and company property
  • Improving the safety of your employees and customers
  • You can save money on hiring security guards and have coverage for blindspots and more isolated areas of your property
  • You have a video feed to use for insurance and court purposes

A standard surveil­lance system typically has high-quality indoor and outdoor security cameras, recording devices, video management and appli­cation software, video encoders, and mobile periph­erals. You can choose a surveil­lance system that provides live video feed, records and stores clips of suspi­cious activity, or records and stores all footage.

If your company has a surveil­lance system that hasn’t been updated in years, it might be worth consid­ering installing a new one. You’ll be able to take advantage of cutting-edge features like cloud storage, remote live streaming, intel­ligent video analytics and acces­si­bility through a smart­phone app, and high-defin­ition video feeds. Modern surveil­lance cameras have better temper­ature resis­tance, wider lenses, night vision, and sharper motion detection. All of these upgraded features make the benefits of a commercial video surveil­lance system even greater.

What To Look For in a Commercial Monitoring System?

A short brunette haired woman wearing a white collared shirt, a blue vest and a phone headset is typing on a black keyboard while sitting at her office desk looking at a pair of computer monitors
A commercial monitoring solution involves a 24/7 central command center.

An unmon­i­tored video security system means you’ll need to call the author­ities yourself in the event of a triggered alarm. This requires that you’re available to hear the notifi­cation and your phone is always on and charged. Or you’ll need to watch the surveil­lance monitors at all times.

On the other hand, a monitored video security system has a security provider’s support team rapidly assessing any triggered alarms and calling the proper author­ities. Commercial monitoring connects your property’s alarm sensors and video surveil­lance cameras to a profes­sional central station. It’s a powerful tool that allows businesses to respond to emergencies within seconds after they occur without relying on property owners or managers to be available at all hours. The solution you choose will include the number of security products that need monitoring and the type of security products being monitored.

A signif­icant benefit of a monitored video security system is having a dedicated surveil­lance team reviewing your footage 24/7. It provides security and peace of mind that your business has protection, even when you’re not there. This is especially important in high foot-traffic areas or if your company works with sensitive infor­mation or valuables.

A monitored video security system also provides compliance and insurance benefits. Most insurance companies require monitoring to be in place for a business to be eligible for payouts in the event of break-ins or property damage. State govern­ments also frequently need commercial businesses to have monitoring for legal purposes.


Install a Business Video Monitoring and Surveillance System With Bates Security

A closeup of a man holding a phone screen that shows toggle buttons turned on and off in a mobile app.
With new convenient mobile apps, you can monitor your business from anywhere.

Bates Security has guarded Florida and Kentucky businesses for more than 50 years. We specialize in designing custom commercial video surveil­lance and alarm systems protected 24/7 by our central monitoring station. We make it easy for businesses to view their live surveil­lance camera footage remotely and access stored video clips and pictures.

Call us at (800) 403‑9471 or click the button below to receive a free consul­tation and experience 5‑star service!