Most buildings end up with two systems. Cameras from one company, door access from another, each with its own app, login and support number. They work. They just don't work together.
Putting them on one platform changes what you can actually do with them. Here's what that means in practice, and when it isn't worth the extra effort.
What "one system" means on a normal day
Someone badges in the back door at 6:40 a.m. In a combined system, that door event shows up in your app with the camera clip attached. You see who used the badge and whether anyone followed them in.
That's the whole idea. Every door event has video. Every video clip has a name on it.
In practice that means:
- One app, one login. Unlock a door, check a camera, pull a clip, all from the same screen on your phone.
- Searchable events. Type a name or a door and see every time that badge was used, with the footage.
- Alerts that mean something. A door propped open or forced gets you a notification with the clip, not just a beep.
- One company to call. When something breaks, there's nobody to hand you off to.
When it saves you money
Two separate systems usually mean two recorders or two cloud subscriptions, two sets of wiring and two service contracts. A combined system often removes one of each.
The bigger savings is time. Finding out who came through a door at 2 a.m. takes a minute in a combined system. With two systems it means pulling the door log, noting the time, then scrubbing camera footage to match it.
When it isn't worth it
Be honest about this part. If you have one door and two cameras in a small office, two simple systems are fine. The combined platform costs more per door and per camera than the cheapest option, and you won't use most of what it does.
It's also not worth ripping out a camera system that works. If your cameras are three years old and recording fine, add door access now. Bring the cameras over when they're due for replacement.
The combined system earns its keep when you have several doors, people coming and going at odd hours, or anything worth protecting after close. Churches, clinics, warehouses and schools all fit that description.
What it costs in extra effort
Less than you'd think, if it's planned up front. The door controllers and cameras share the same network, so the wiring is designed once. Setup takes a bit longer on day one because the two sides need to be linked. After that, there's one system to maintain instead of two.
Done later, as an add-on, it takes more work. The network may need changes and some equipment may not be compatible. That's why we ask about door access on every camera site walk, even when the customer only called about cameras.
How Avigilon Alta does it
We build combined systems on Avigilon Alta, Motorola Solutions' cloud platform for video and door access. Both sides run in the same app. A door event and its clip are linked automatically, and you can search footage by what a person was wearing, not just by time.
Alta also works with many existing badge cards, so adding door access doesn't always mean re-badging everyone. And because it's cloud managed, you can unlock a door or check a camera from anywhere.
Where to start
If you're adding either cameras or door access this year, plan for both even if you only install one. It's cheaper to wire for the second system now than to come back for it.
Read more about what we install for cameras and door access, or ask us to walk your building and show you how the two fit together.