- Plan coverage from a risk map, not from the floor plan alone.
- Size recording storage for the retention period you actually need.
- Keep the CCTV network separated from office IT.
Start with the risk map
Before choosing a single camera, list what you need to see and record: entrances, parking, loading bays, cash points, server rooms and emergency exits. Give each zone a purpose — detect, observe, recognise or identify — because that purpose decides the lens, the resolution and how far the camera can be from its target.
Choosing camera types
Most commercial projects combine three families:
- Turret and dome cameras for corridors, lobbies and indoor areas.
- Bullet cameras with long-range infrared for perimeters and parking.
- PTZ cameras for large open areas that are watched live from a control room.
Outdoor cameras in Riyadh need housings and ratings suited to heat and dust, so check the operating temperature and ingress protection (IP) rating, not just the megapixels.
Storage and retention
Recording storage depends on the number of cameras, resolution, frame rate, compression and how many days you must keep footage. Model the storage per camera group, and leave headroom so the system keeps recording as cameras are added later.
Video analytics
Modern cameras and recorders can detect line crossing, intrusion, loitering and vehicle number plates. Analytics reduce the hours spent searching footage — but they work best when cameras are placed and angled for that purpose from day one.
Network and cybersecurity
Treat CCTV as part of your IT estate: put cameras on their own VLAN, change default passwords, keep firmware updated and restrict remote access. A separated network protects both the cameras and the office systems.
Before you request a proposal
Prepare your floor plans, the zones and their purpose, the retention period, who monitors the system and whether you need integration with access control or alarms. With that, a supplier can propose a design that fits — not just a list of cameras.
Planning a project like this?
Our engineers will survey the site and design the right system.