Criminals are constantly seeking opportunities to make quick cash. In the United States alone, there are approximately 2.5 million burglaries reported each year, with businesses being the target in half of those cases.
The good news is that as technology evolves, business security systems have become more affordable and accessible for businesses of all sizes. Protecting your business has never been easier!
Door stations are one of the most affordable options to when it comes to business security, but, are they really worth it?
What is a Door Station?
The door station is a multi-functional device that enables control of door locks, live video viewing and recording on your CCTV system, as well as two-way communication with visitors. It includes relays for door lock control, a camera for video surveillance, and a microphone and speaker for clear communication. All interactions with visitors can be recorded on your CCTV system for added security and peace of mind.
How Do Door Entry Systems Work?
Door entry systems work similarly to video security cameras, capturing video through its built-in camera and audio through a speaker and microphone. Your footage can be either stored on an SD Card, in the cloud, or on your server.
When your camera detects movement, or a guest pushes the button you will receive an alert that gives you visual and audio cues to decide if you grant or deny access to your premises.
Since door stations are strategically positioned, its cameras will provide a detailed view of any visitors, ensuring facial recognition.
What are The Advantages of Door Stations?
Door Stations Protect Your People and Assets from Unwanted Visitors
These systems make it easy to screen visitors from anywhere. Customers, employees, delivery workers, and anyone else can easily start and finish the verification process before you allow access.
By fully utilizing video door stations, a permanent record of each visitor can be created to ensure fast and accurate investigations. As a result, these systems are becoming a necessary component for access control systems due to the labor, time, and cost saving achieved.
Increased Access Control Capabilities
If you have a retail store, warehouse, or office building, you know the importance of keeping an eye on all the doors. Especially vulnerable are the shipping/receiving doors, usually located on the side or back of the building with limited visibility from inside.
With door stations, your staff can be anywhere on the premises and keep an eye on deliveries and customers arriving at those doors. If you have a receptionist or someone at shipping/receiving who can control the exterior doors, a commercial video doorbell console is a great addition because you won't need multiple employees stationed at door anymore.
Remotely Unlock and Lock Doors
By integrating door stations, staff can now effortlessly grant entry from the convenience of their video doorbell app or console. This game-changing integration is especially valuable for larger facilities with multiple points of entry. With the ability to control access remotely, it's a powerful security enhancement for staff who may be busy multitasking at reception, security desks, or other tasks.
Peace of Mind
Moments before opening or closing a business can be the most vulnerable times of day. During shifts changes, employees often find themselves working alone for a short period of time. That's why it's crucial to take steps to protect them from potential burglaries or assaults.
Door stations allow employees to visually confirm who is waiting outside the building or trying to gain entry after-hours. By using video doorbells, you can significantly enhance the security of your business and ensure the well-being of your employees.
Disadvantages of Door Stations
Door Stations, while useful for certain purposes, are often limited when compared to other physical security solutions like access control and video surveillance systems. Here are a few reasons for their limitations:
Limited Surveillance Applications
Door Stations are perfect for keeping an eye on your front door. However, they may not provide the complete surveillance you need. If you want to monitor other areas like the parking lot or walkways, you'll have to consider installing separate security measures.
Vulnerable to Tampering
Door Stations are exposed to the elements and susceptible to physical damage or tampering. Their location at the front entrance makes them more vulnerable to vandalism or theft.
In comparison, video surveillance systems can be strategically positioned at heights or protected in weather-resistant enclosures, reducing the risk of damage. Hardened steel door stations and housings are available for high vandalism situations.
Limited Field of View
Door stations are designed to capture the immediate area surrounding the front door, which results in a narrow field of view. They are primarily focused on monitoring individuals approaching or leaving the front entrance. In contrast, video surveillance systems can cover larger areas, such as parking lots or entire buildings, providing a broader scope of monitoring and security.
Privacy Concerns
While door stations provide a great level of security, it's important to be aware of the potential privacy concerns. In some states, laws vary and don’t allow biometric data obtainable in some analytics to be permanently stored.
If you are looking for a commercial doorbell camera that maintains compliance including privacy and NDAA, contact us!
Do Door Stations Record at all Times?
Most door stations don't record all the time. Most of them only start recording when motion is detected or when a user interacts with the door entry system. Careful configuration is recommended to get the most from our investment.
How Does Door Stations Work?
Event-Based Recording (EBR)
With EBR, your door station will only record video when it detects an event, such as motion or movement or some other video management or access control event. EBR saves you time and energy by focusing on capturing the moments that matter and tagging them for faster search and video retrieval.
Schedule-Based Recording (SBR)
SBR allows users to set a specific schedule for their video door station recording. With SBR, users can define the start and end time for the recording, and the camera will automatically begin and stop recording at the designated times.
Continuous Video Recording (CVR)
CVR feature allows you to record 24/7. CVR door stations are not commonly found because of their extensive storage requirements and higher price compared to other door entry systems.
What is the best Door Station for My Business? Is Investing in Door Stations Worth it?
The best door station for your business will depend on your specific compliance requirements, available budget, surveillance system, phone system, access control system, alarm system, and door locking hardware.
Some businesses start with a simple cheap one only to realize later they should have integrated it at the start.
Integrating your door station with additional security measures such as video surveillance systems & access control systems will allow you to create a comprehensive security environment in your business while meeting compliance requirements and creating a safe environment for employees and visitors alike.
BTI: The Surveillance System Provider Near Me
Here at BTI we have more than 35+ years of experience in creating customized physical security solutions for small and enterprise level organizations. If you are looking for state-of-the-art security solutions and support for your organization, you are in the right place! Contact us today and schedule a free business assessment!
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