Cameras & surveillance
Security cameras and the network behind them, from one team.
We design, install and support camera systems for offices, warehouses, schools, yards and job sites. We also run the internet and network the cameras depend on, plus your Wi-Fi, phones and door entry, so when a camera drops, you call one team instead of several vendors.
- Indoor and outdoor cameras, day and night
- Live and recorded video on your phone
- Designed around what each camera must see
- Written proposal before anything is ordered
What we install and run
Everything a camera system needs, from the lens to the internet
We match each camera to what it has to see, record video where it suits your sites and your internet, and run the network the video travels on.
Security Camera Systems
Fixed, dome, bullet and pan-tilt-zoom cameras
Indoor and outdoor cameras for entrances, offices, stockrooms, lots and yards, with night vision for after-hours coverage. We choose each camera for its job, from a wide view of a parking lot to a clear look at faces at the front door.
- Weather-rated housings for outdoor mounts
- Night vision and low-light models
- Models that handle bright, backlit doorways
Recording on Site, in the Cloud or Both
NVR (network video recorder) · cloud video · hybrid
Keep video on a recorder at your site, on a cloud video platform, or both. We size storage for the number of days you need to keep, at the quality you need to see.
- Continuous or motion-only recording, by camera
- On-site recording rides out internet outages
- Off-site copies of key cameras or events
Viewing From Your Phone or Browser
Phone app · web browser · clip export
Watch live video and play back recordings from a phone app or a web browser, at the front desk or on the road. One login covers every location you run.
- Access set by person and by camera
- Several cameras on one screen
- Clips you can hand to an insurer or police
Door Entry and Lockdown, Tied to Your Phones
We integrate phones with door entry, video surveillance and lockdown systems, a setup we run for schools. Staff answer the door from their phone, check the entrance camera and buzz visitors in without leaving the desk.
- Door calls can ring a group, not one desk
- Entrance cameras on the same system
- Phones tied into your lockdown system
- Works alongside card or fob access control
Cameras for Remote Sites and Job Sites
Cellular (4G LTE, 5G) · Starlink
Watch yards, lots and job sites that have no wired internet, over cellular or Starlink. We record on site, so the connection carries the video you choose to watch, not a constant stream.
- Starlink where cellular coverage is weak
- Battery backup for the recorder and modem
- Gear in a locked, weather-rated enclosure
The Network Behind Your Cameras
Power over Ethernet · separate camera network
Cameras are only as reliable as the network under them. We give them their own network, power them over the same cable that carries their video, and size bandwidth and storage so video and office traffic don’t compete.
- Cameras kept apart from office computers and guest Wi-Fi
- Switches sized to power every camera
- Firewall rules that limit what cameras reach
Video Search and Alerts
Motion zones · event search · phone alerts
Find the moment that matters without watching hours of video. Search by camera, time or motion in an area you mark, and get a phone alert when something happens where it shouldn’t, like motion at a gate after hours.
- Search a doorway or shelf for motion
- Alerts only for the hours and areas you pick
- Person and vehicle detection where supported
Support, Health Checks and Repairs
We look after the system once it’s in. We check that cameras are online and recorders are healthy, keep firmware current, and arrange repairs or replacements when something fails.
- Firmware updates planned around your hours
- Cameras added or moved as your sites change
- Email scisupport@scitel.net to open a ticket
Recording options
Choose where your video is recorded and kept
All three work well in the right place. Your upload bandwidth, how long you must keep video and the number of sites decide which fits. We put our recommendation in writing, with the reasons.
| Approach | Good fit for | Strengths | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-Site Recorder (NVR) | Many cameras, long retention, or sites with limited upload bandwidth | Records at full quality without using your internet, and keeps recording through an internet outage | Video lives in one box. If its drives fail or it’s stolen, footage goes with it, so it needs drive checks and a secure spot |
| Cloud Video | Smaller sites and multi-location businesses that want video kept off site | Footage is stored off site, away from theft or damage, and every location is managed in one place | Needs steady upload bandwidth, and an outage can mean gaps. Ongoing subscription for each camera, more for longer retention |
| Hybrid | Sites that want full local recording plus an off-site copy | Combines both: local recording through outages, plus off-site copies that survive a break-in or fire | Two places to manage and a cloud subscription. We decide with you which cameras or events go off site |
Retention is a setting you choose. More days or higher quality means more storage on site or a larger cloud plan, and your written proposal shows the trade-off.
One partner
One team for the cameras and everything they ride on
A camera is the last link in a chain: power, cable, switch, recorder, internet and the app on your phone. When different vendors own different links, an outage turns into a round of finger-pointing while the camera stays dark. We run the whole chain, so one team finds the fault and fixes it.
When we also run your internet and network, we design cameras around what’s already in place instead of bolting them on. And we’re your single point of contact with every carrier, whether or not we provide that service.
- Cameras, recorders and the viewing app
- Switches, cabling and the camera network
- Internet at every site, whichever carrier provides it
- Wi-Fi, phones and door entry on the same account
What We Check When a Camera Goes Offline
- Power
- The power supply or switch port feeding the camera, and any battery backup behind it.
- Cable and Switch
- The cable run, its connectors and the camera network settings.
- Recorder or Cloud
- Whether video is still arriving, and the health of the recorder’s drives.
- Internet
- The connection at the site, and the carrier’s ticket if the fault is on their side.
- The Camera Itself
- Settings, firmware, a blocked or fogged lens, or weather and impact damage.
Privacy and access
Your video, kept and shared by your rules
Security video shows your staff, customers and visitors, so it deserves care. We help you set how long each camera’s video is kept and who can watch live, play back or export, to match your own policies. When a policy changes, we change the settings.
Rules for video, audio and signage vary by state, city and type of space. We don’t give legal advice: check with your counsel or local authority before you install, and we’ll configure the system to follow what you decide.
- Retention set for each camera or site
- Live viewing, playback and export rights set by person
- Masks that block out areas a camera shouldn’t record
- Audio left off unless you decide to use it
- Access removed when someone leaves
Questions to Settle Before You Buy
- What must each camera show?
- Activity in a lot, someone at a doorway, or a face clear enough to recognize. Each calls for a different camera, lens and spot.
- How long will you keep video?
- Your policy, insurer or industry may set a minimum. Retention drives storage and ongoing cost.
- Who needs to see it, and where?
- The front office, managers on their phones, or a team watching every location.
- What can you reuse?
- Existing cameras, recorders and cabling may carry over. We check them on the site walk.
How a camera project runs
From site walk to a system your team knows how to use
It’s the same path every SCi project follows, from discovery to life-cycle support, planned around what each camera has to see.
Walk the Site
We walk each area with you and agree on what every camera must see, from a gate to a register. We note power, cabling, lighting and the internet at each location.
Design the Camera Map and Retention
We mark each camera on a floor plan with its model, lens and view, and set how long video is kept and where. You get it in an itemized written proposal, and nothing is ordered until you approve.
Install and Configure
We mount and aim the cameras, run cable where it’s needed, and set up the recorder or cloud service on its own camera network. Then we check every view in daylight and after dark.
Train Your Team and Support It
We show your staff how to find, save and share video and set up each person’s access. Then we support and update the system for as long as you run it.
Where it fits
Cameras built around the places you need to watch
Schools & Universities
Entrance cameras, door entry answered from office phones, and lockdown systems linked to the phones, all supported by one team.
See the industryTrucking & Logistics
Gates, docks and yards covered, so you can see who came and went, watch loading, and pull video when a damage claim comes in.
See the industryConstruction & Field
Job-site cameras over cellular or Starlink, so you can check progress and look in after hours from your phone.
See the industryHealthcare & Pharmacy
Entrances, counters and stock areas covered in pharmacies and clinics, with viewing limited to the staff your policies allow.
See the industryHotels & Hospitality
Lobbies, parking, pools and back-of-house covered, on a camera network kept apart from guest Wi-Fi.
See the industryMulti-Site Business
Every location’s cameras in one app, built to one standard design and supported by one team.
See the industry
Part of one account, not one more vendor.
- One monthly billWe consolidate your carriers’ invoices into one bill from SCi.
- One point of contactTrouble with any carrier comes to us, whether or not we provide it.
- On duty 24/7/365Network technology specialists, nights, weekends and holidays.
- Dedicated engineersEvery project led by SCi engineers, wherever you are.
Questions
Questions about business security cameras
Still unsure? Call (816) 298-4100 and an engineer will walk you through it.
Should we record in the cloud or on site?
It depends on your internet, how long you keep video and how many sites you run. An on-site recorder (NVR) keeps full-quality video at your site, uses no internet to record and keeps going in an outage. Cloud video keeps footage off site and easy to reach, but needs steady upload bandwidth and an ongoing subscription. Hybrid does both. We recommend one in writing after the site walk.
Can we watch our cameras from a phone?
Yes. The phone app and web viewer let you watch live video, play back recordings and save clips, for one location or all of them. Each person gets their own login and sees only the cameras you approve.
Can we keep the cameras we already have?
Often, yes. Many network cameras can join a new recorder or platform, especially models that support ONVIF, an open standard for network cameras. Older analog cameras can sometimes stay in service with a recorder or adapter built for them, and existing cable can sometimes be reused. We check your models and cabling on the site walk and tell you what’s worth keeping.
How long is video kept?
As long as you choose, within the storage you have. Retention is a setting on the recorder or cloud plan, and you can set it by camera. Your policy, insurer or industry may call for a minimum. More days or higher quality takes more storage, so we size it to the retention you need and show it in your proposal.
Do cameras need their own internet connection?
Usually not. Cameras normally share your business internet but sit on their own separate network, apart from office computers and guest Wi-Fi. Recording on site uses very little internet. Cloud recording and heavy remote viewing need enough upload bandwidth, which may mean an upgrade or a second connection. Sites with no wired internet can use cellular or Starlink.
Who can see our video?
Only the people you authorize. We set up each person’s account so they can watch live, play back or export only the cameras you approve, and we remove access when someone leaves. Our technicians use the system only to set it up and support it.
What happens if the internet goes down?
With an on-site recorder or a hybrid setup, cameras keep recording; you just can’t watch remotely until the connection is back. Cloud-only cameras can miss video during an outage unless they store it on the camera and upload it later. A backup internet connection keeps remote viewing and cloud recording going, and we can add one.
Let’s design solutions that enhance and optimize your business.
Tell us about your locations and what you want to optimize. An engineer will reply with a written, itemized proposal. Nothing is ordered until you approve it.