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What are the common components of business Alarm Systems?

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Security companies tailor business alarm systems to many different types of companies, but in general, security systems include most or all of these ingredients:

Control panel: The control panel is the (usually) hidden power source of your alarm system. All the other components of a system connect to the control panel.
Keypads: Keypads allow access into a secure building. Authorized personnel have a passcode, which they can enter on the keypad to gain entry into the building. In addition, the keypad will usually reveal whether the system is currently armed or disarmed.
Alarm: An alarm, also known as a siren, is the most familiar part of a security system. Sometimes, the alarm will go off as soon as the system senses an intruder while at other times, a delayed alarm will allow time for the authorities to arrive before the intruder knows he has been detected. Smoke detectors and fire alarms also fit into this category.
Motion sensors: Motion detectors are not just for Hollywood anymore. Many alarm systems contain at least a minimal degree of motion sensing capability.
Contacts: Contacts are magnets that hold doors and windows closed. If a door or window is opened, the system knows it immediately.
Glassbreak sensors: Like contacts, glassbreak sensors warn the control panel immediately that a breach has occurred.

In addition to these common features, many companies opt to add additional features to compliment basic security. Video surveillance, two-way intercom communication, panic buttons, and pressure sensors are all common additional features. Some companies also install a backup alarm system that operates by different means, in case something goes wrong with the primary system.

The final component of an alarm system is a central monitoring system. Some alarm systems merely beam bright lights and sound an alarm when security is breached, but monitored alarm systems are watched twenty-four hours a day by a monitoring company. The minute a system is breached, the security company knows it.

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