Commercial Security Camera Systems in San Antonio
Rx Technology designs and installs commercial video surveillance systems for businesses, schools, clinics, and municipal facilities across San Antonio. We are not a residential alarm company that also sells cameras. We are a commercial low-voltage contractor and managed IT provider, which means we build camera systems the way they should be built — starting with the network, the storage, and the cabling, not just the camera on the wall.
What a Commercial System Includes
1. IP Cameras for Actual Conditions
- IP cameras selected for the actual conditions — lighting, distance, weather, and what you need to be able to identify
Camera selection depends on the conditions where the camera will be installed and what you need the camera to identify.
2. Recording and Storage for Retention Policy
- Recording and storage sized to the retention period your policy or regulator requires
Recording and storage are sized according to the required retention period rather than using a generic storage size.
3. Network Design That Does Not Degrade Business
- Network design that keeps camera traffic from degrading the rest of your business
As a commercial low-voltage contractor and managed IT provider, we design the network that supports the camera system so camera traffic does not degrade the rest of your business.
4. Secure Remote Viewing
- Secure remote viewing on desktop and mobile
The system can provide secure remote viewing on both desktop and mobile.
5. Structured Cabling and PoE Infrastructure
- Structured cabling and PoE infrastructure installed to standard
Structured cabling and PoE infrastructure are part of the commercial camera system and are installed to standard.
6. Integration With Access Control
- Integration with access control so door events and video line up
Access control integration allows door events and video to line up when the systems are integrated.
The Mistake We Get Called In to Fix
The most common problem we are asked to correct is a camera system that was sized for the sale rather than for the requirement. Cameras that cannot identify a face at the distance they were mounted. Thirty days of retention promised and seven days delivered. An entire system on the same network as the point-of-sale, slowing both. These are design failures, not product failures, and they are expensive to fix after the fact.
We do the design work up front before anyone quotes hardware. This includes:
- Site walk
- Camera placement plan
- Written retention calculation
The goal is to size the system according to the actual requirements rather than simply selecting hardware first.
Industries We Serve
We serve:
- Municipal and government facilities
- K–12 and higher education
- Healthcare and dental
- Legal offices
- Nonprofits
- Hospitality
- Commercial construction
Public entities can purchase through our TIPS cooperative contract.
What Drives the Cost — Fixed Price, Not Per-Camera
Camera count is the obvious factor and usually the least important one. The three that actually move a quote are cable pathways, storage, and camera selection. Mounting conditions matter too — exterior poles, parking areas, and anything requiring a lift add labor.
Cable Pathways
Running cable in an existing finished building costs several times what it costs during construction.
Storage
Retention is bought in terabytes, and going from thirty days to ninety triples what you need.
Camera Selection
A camera that has to identify a face at forty feet in changing light is a different product from one watching a doorway.
Mounting Conditions
Exterior poles, parking areas, and anything requiring a lift can add labor.
We size all of this during a site walk and quote fixed price, rather than giving a per-camera number that will not survive contact with your building.
Credentials
Texas DPS Private Security Bureau License: B11863 | Serving San Antonio since 1995 | Certified minority-owned business (SWMBE) | TIPS purchasing vendor
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What drives the cost of a commercial camera system?
Camera count is the obvious factor and usually the least important one. Cable pathways, storage, camera selection, and mounting conditions can move the quote. We size all of this during a site walk and provide a fixed-price quote.
2. How many cameras does my business need?
Fewer than most vendors will sell you, placed more deliberately. The right number comes from the questions you need answered — who entered, what was taken, and what happened at that register — not from simply covering square footage. We walk the site, identify those questions with you, and place cameras to answer them.
3. How long will the system keep recordings?
Retention is a design decision, not a product feature. It depends on camera count, resolution, frame rate, and how much storage is installed. Thirty days is common; some regulated clients need ninety or more. We calculate the storage required for your target retention in writing before quoting.
4. Can I view my cameras from my phone?
Yes. The system can provide secure remote viewing on desktop and mobile. Because we are also a managed IT provider, we configure that remote access properly — camera systems exposed carelessly to the internet are a well-documented way for attackers to get inside a business network.
5. Do you service camera systems you did not install?
Frequently. We take over support for existing systems where the platform is serviceable and parts are available. If a system is end-of-life or proprietary in a way we cannot support well, we will say so directly rather than accept a maintenance agreement we cannot honor.
6. Are you licensed to install security cameras in Texas?
Yes. Texas requires installers of video surveillance systems to be licensed through the Department of Public Safety Private Security Bureau. Our license number is B11863. We recommend asking every bidder for theirs.
7. What is included in a commercial camera system?
A commercial system can include IP cameras selected for actual conditions, recording and storage sized to the required retention period, network design, secure remote viewing, structured cabling and PoE infrastructure, and integration with access control.
8. Why is network design important for commercial camera systems?
Network design keeps camera traffic from degrading the rest of your business. Rx Technology is both a commercial low-voltage contractor and managed IT provider, so the network is part of the camera system design.
9. Why is storage important for a security camera system?
Recording and storage need to be sized according to the required retention period. Retention depends on the requirements of your policy or regulator, as well as camera count, resolution, frame rate, and available storage.
10. How do you determine the right camera placement?
We conduct a site walk and develop a camera placement plan based on the questions you need the cameras to answer, such as who entered, what was taken, or what happened at a particular register.
