Physical security stopped being a box of cables
For twenty years, installing video surveillance in a company meant the same thing: a DVR in a hot room, coax or UTP cabling pulled through ceilings, an old PC running the vendor's software to "watch the cameras", per-channel licences, hard drives filling up within a week, someone eventually saying "no, that camera hasn't been recording for two months". The system was expensive to install, more expensive to maintain, and when the moment came that you actually needed it — a theft, a workplace incident, a claim — nobody knew how to retrieve the recording.
Verkada has changed that model completely. It's a cloud-native physical-security platform where every camera, access reader or sensor is a smart device that connects directly to the cloud and is managed from a browser or the mobile app. There's no DVR. There's no local server. There are no per-channel licences. There are no storage surprises. And administrators can see the real state of the installation from anywhere, at any time. At Impulso Tecnológico we're a certified Verkada partner and we deploy it as part of an end-to-end service: design, installation, configuration, maintenance and ongoing support across Spain, Portugal and international markets.
Cloud-native IP video surveillance
Verkada cameras are the heart of the system. Each camera includes its own processor, local storage (up to 365 days depending on model) and built-in analytics (people, vehicle and behaviour detection). The recording lives on the camera itself, encrypted, and is selectively replicated to the cloud only when needed (alerts, events, remote searches). This solves two long-standing problems:
- Bandwidth doesn't saturate: the camera only uploads to the cloud what's requested, not a continuous stream. You can deploy it at small branches on modest connections without penalising the rest of the traffic.
- Storage is "included": the device price covers the full retention window. No monthly surprises by gigabyte or terabyte stored.
Models cover all typical business needs: dome and bullet cameras for outdoor and indoor use, fisheye for 360° coverage of warehouses and large areas, multisensor for large perimeters, mini-cameras discreet enough for retail or front-office areas. All with night vision, 4K quality on the most recent models, and IP66/67 certification depending on location.
Physical access control: cards, mobile, biometrics
Verkada access control integrates door readers into the same cloud platform as the cameras. What makes it particularly powerful is that an access event is automatically correlated with the nearest camera's video — when someone swipes a card at 11:47 pm on Saturday, the administrator doesn't only see the entry in the log; they also see the video of the exact moment, the person's face and what they were carrying. No manual cross-referencing across systems. That integration is the difference between professional access control and a cheap one.
The system supports:
- Mobile credentials (NFC/Bluetooth through the Verkada app on the employee's smartphone).
- Standard RFID cards for environments where the app doesn't fit (operators without a corporate mobile, visitors).
- PIN as a second factor in critical areas.
- Facial recognition on compatible cameras, integrated with the employee directory.
- Advanced rules: per-group schedules, temporary contractor access with automatic expiry, global emergency lockdown button, alerts when a door is held open longer than expected.
All management runs from the same panel as the cameras. One platform, one vendor, one support point.
Environmental sensors: air is part of safety too
One of Verkada's most useful — and least known — extensions is the SV environmental sensor range integrated into the same ecosystem. They continuously and discreetly measure variables that affect safety and workplace wellbeing:
- Air quality (CO₂, particulates, VOCs): relevant for offices, classrooms, meeting rooms and production environments where ventilation is a health and regulatory factor.
- Temperature and humidity: especially useful in pharmaceutical or food warehouses, server rooms and archives where regulation demands traceability.
- Vape detection: in restrooms and common areas, without recording conversations — the sensor only detects particles, not audio.
- Motion and occupancy: to understand real meeting-room usage, optimise space and reduce energy consumption.
- Ambient noise: detects decibel peaks without recording conversations — useful in schools, classrooms or environments sensitive to verbal aggression.
Alarms, intrusion and integrated response
Verkada Alarms completes the ecosystem with indoor motion detectors, door and window magnetic contacts, an arm/disarm panel and, optionally, a professional alarm receiving centre with 24/7 response. Integration with cameras and access readers enables very powerful policies: if the alarm trips at 3 am and at the same time a door is opened with a valid card, the system correlates both events and marks them as compatible (the manager came in before arming); if there's no valid card, it escalates as a real intrusion with live video sent to the response team.
GDPR compliance and responsible business use
A legitimate concern for any business installing video surveillance is GDPR and the Spanish LOPDGDD. Verkada is built privacy-first: end-to-end encryption, configurable privacy masks for zones that shouldn't be recorded, full logging of recording access (who watched what and when), configurable retention to match the legal needs of each sector, and automatic face-masking for investigations where identification isn't appropriate.
At Impulso we help with the associated legal side: mandatory informational signage, register of processing activities, privacy impact assessment (DPIA) where applicable, and training for staff with access to the system on responsible use. The technical platform is only one part of compliance.
Sectors where Verkada shines
It's not the right answer for every scenario, but Verkada stands out in concrete ones:
- Multi-site businesses (retail, hospitality, professional offices with branches): a central platform manages every site with consistent policies.
- Industry and logistics: rugged outdoor cameras, access control differentiated by plant or shift, air-quality sensors in production areas.
- Schools and training centres: vape detection in restrooms, time-based access control, integration with enrolment systems.
- Healthcare and care homes: environmental control of sensitive areas, access differentiated by professional category, full traceability.
- Coworking spaces and office buildings: flexible tenant management, temporary access, billing based on real space usage.
How we work
Every Verkada project enters through a free initial assessment (1 hour, on-site or remote) → coverage study using the customer's floor plans, recommendation of models and positions, simulation of viewing angles → closed-budget proposal (hardware + installation + activation + training) → professional installation by Impulso's own staff → per-device onboarding into the customer's platform, policy configuration and team training → ongoing maintenance with SLA and annual review.
If you want to see a Verkada demo at our offices or yours, call +34 91 505 7575. A 30-minute demo is usually enough to understand the difference.