Keeping your surveillance cameras updated and properly maintained is essential to preventing security issues and ensuring reliable performance.
Whether you have analog or internet protocol (IP) cameras, there comes a time when every business that’s invested in their security needs to decide whether to repair or replace their equipment.
Repairing or replacement isn’t a simple decision, and requires taking several factors into account. Here are a few considerations when it comes time to fix your cameras or replace them!
Consider If Upgrading Is Possible With Your System
Cost is a major factor when it comes to your surveillance needs, so you’ll need to consider if upgrading your cameras is even an option, as well as weigh the pros and cons of doing so.
Analog cameras have been used for decades in the commercial security industry, and still provide dependable surveillance for many businesses. However, IP cameras are quickly overtaking analog equipment, and offer advantages that analog cameras simply can’t.
IP cameras offer higher resolution video, wider images—which result in fewer cameras needed—and more flexible solutions with real-time surveillance, resulting in unparalleled benefits for business owners [1].
Recent technology such as IP cameras are also considered more cost-effective than analog, especially when you factor in the maintenance analog systems need to keep running as newer equipment becomes available.
What Type of Cabling Do Your Current Cameras Use?
Your current cabling setup not only factors into cost consideration but into whether repairing or replacing is the best decision for your cameras as well.
IP and analog cameras can use different cables. For analog, RG59 Siamese cables are often used, but Ethernet cables can be used as well. Ethernet cables are also used for IP cameras. Ethernet cables tend to be cheaper, carry data for longer distances, and many commercial properties already have Ethernet cables installed, which can lower upfront costs for your camera installation.
Analog systems typically need longer cable runs, resulting in more cable and a higher total cost with limited cameras [2]. If you have an analog system with existing Ethernet wiring, it could be cost-efficient to replace your analog cameras with IP technology for cost benefits and more advantageous features over the long run.
If you currently have analog cameras with RG59 Siamese cables, repairing this equipment might not have the same benefits as switching to IP cameras, which wouldn’t require as much cabling and would deliver more scalable solutions with better cost control.
Take Advantage of Remote and Online Access
If you can’t access video footage from your current cameras online or remotely, you’re missing out on some significant benefits that could enhance your security.
Modern surveillance systems offer real-time video processing, which is useful in preventing crises in a variety of applications, including healthcare [3].
When it comes to repairing or replacing cameras, it’s helpful to evaluate your security needs before investing in new equipment. Would replacing your cameras better meet your security objectives, or would a repair to your existing ones continue to provide the solutions you need?
Contemporary surveillance equipment has the ability to improve safety and prevent emergencies, especially with analytics integrated into your system such as smoke-detection or perimeter control. By evaluating your security goals, you can better decide whether to repair or replace your cameras.
Is Repair or Replacement Better? We Can Help
Your decision to repair or replace security cameras all depends on your budget, your surveillance needs, and your existing technology. Let us help you determine if repairing or replacement would be the better option at Surveillance Secure. Our industry experience spans both cutting-edge technology and cameras that have been used for decades. Call us today at (877) 388-1248 to speak to our security professionals!
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