Anyone who wishes to employ an office security system normally goes for motion sensors, door/window contacts and  alarms, as these are the most commonly used surveillance equipment. However if you are not content with basic security configurations, there are several things that you can do to beef up your office security system and business alarm.

Advanced Alarm Systems

 There are a few things that you can use to strengthen your business alarm system. Consider having a business alarm service that employs a back-up system. Today, you can find many alarm systems that provide 24-hour backup in case the phone line fails. Radio or GSM (cell phone) is usually used to inform the central monitoring station that the phone line is no longer in operation. But what would you do in the case of a power shutdown? The business alarm system is something that you can’t afford to have fail, even for a single second, especially if your company uses a VoIP protocol for communication. A battery backed-up alarm system service is the answer to the problem.

Some office security and business alarm services also offer a two-way monitoring system which can help make the alarm system service more efficient. This allows the central monitoring station to communicate with the office and help manage the mishap. The system uses the security keypad as an intercom system for two-way communication.

Access Control Systems

Access control systems are another useful modification that you can do to your office security system. Ever hear of a proximity card? You might have seen people flashing a card against a sensor device. That’s a proximity card. The card only allows authorized entry and the system is usually deployed at the entrances. You can embed proximity cards with photo IDs of your employees to allow them access into the office.

Smartcards are gradually becoming popular in access control systems. Employing the latest technology, these cards are capable of storing a high amount of information. Detailed employee records can be stored in and managed using smartcards, which can allow it to be used for additional functions, such as maintaining employee account balances etc. Being a relatively new technology, smartcard-based access control systems are costly.

Video Surveillance

Advanced office security systems often employ cameras to monitor the daily routine in and around the office. Once you have decided for a video surveillance system, you’ll need to choose between the Charged Couple Device (CCD) camera and the Digital Signal Processing (DSP) camera. The latter is a more powerful kind that generates a high definition video, which can be used for detailed monitoring. CCD cameras are analog devices that provide comparatively lower video quality, but are, however, more economic solutions.

Other factors that may be given consideration before making the buying decision include:

• Size of the camera
• Black and white or color
• Types of lenses used
• Advanced features such as tilt, pan or zoom etc.