Designed and installed office security for Auckland tenancies — access control, CCTV, alarms, and server-room protection. After-hours fit-out where required.
Office security risks split into three categories. The largest by frequency is unauthorised after-hours access — a former employee with a key card that was never revoked, a contractor with too-broad access, a tail-gate event during the morning rush. The second is asset loss: laptops, phones, branded marketing material, screens. The third is data and IP risk where a workstation, file cabinet, or server room is accessed by the wrong person.
Most NZ office tenancies are inside multi-tenant buildings with base-build security on lobbies, lifts, and basements. The tenant’s job is the boundary inside their footprint — the main door, any server / comms room, and the workstations or file rooms that contain sensitive data. The two questions every office security spec needs to answer are: who can be in the tenancy after hours, and how do we know who actually was?
For a typical 200–500 m² office tenancy, the standard scope is access control on the main door and any server / comms room, an alarm panel covering after-hours occupancy, 4–8 IP cameras, and a documented commissioning pack. Larger tenancies (1,000 m²+, multi-floor) add audited logging across all controlled doors, integration with HR systems for instant credential revocation, and visitor-management at reception.
Office CCTV should answer two questions: who came in and out, and who was where after hours. The placement that supports both:
Office CCTV is more sensitive than residential because cameras over staff workstations engage the Privacy Act 2020 (purpose, proportionality, signage) and the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (consultation with workers about workplace surveillance). The fix is straightforward: cameras over public-facing areas (entry, reception, lift lobby) frame for security identification; cameras over staff workstations frame for general overview only and are documented as “general security”, not “monitoring of individual performance”.
Footage retention should align with the Privacy Act 2020 default of “no longer than necessary for the purpose”. For general office security, around 30 days is the sensible default and aligns with Privacy Commissioner guidance. We size NVR storage to your chosen retention; we don’t over-spec storage you don’t need or recommend retention you can’t justify.
A real-world example, anonymised: a 320 m² professional-services tenancy in Newmarket, around 22 staff. Brief was “turnover of contractors and the access cards are getting messy.” Final scope: Paxton Net2 on the main door, the server room, and the document store; mobile credentials for permanent staff plus revocable card credentials for short-term contractors; alarm panel with PIRs in main areas, dual-tech in the server room, and after-hours zone configuration; 6 IP cameras (entry ID, reception, server-room door, kitchen, two open-plan overviews); 60 days of NVR storage. Two-day install scheduled outside business hours. Commissioning pack documented all credentials, zone numbers, and the process for adding/revoking users.
For larger sites, the same template scales: a multi-floor tenancy in Britomart with 120 staff used Paxton Net2 across all controlled doors with HR-system integration so a leaver’s credentials are revoked in seconds when they’re marked terminated; Inner Range Integriti was considered but Paxton was chosen because the existing base-build readers were Paxton-compatible and the integration was simpler.
Yes. We routinely work in CBD office towers (Britomart, Queen Street, Wyndham, Victoria) where building management restricts lift use, drilling, and core penetrations to outside business hours. We sign on to building safety inductions, work to the agreed hours, and quote the after-hours uplift transparently rather than burying it in a vague allowance.
A modern access-control system (Paxton Net2, HID Signo) lets you revoke a credential in seconds rather than collecting and replacing keys. Mobile credentials are particularly useful for contractors and casual staff: you issue a credential that works for a defined period and expires automatically. The audit log gives you a defensible record of who accessed what door, useful for both HR and incident review.
Yes — many access-control systems support HR integration via webhooks or scheduled imports. When an employee is marked “terminated” in HR, their access credentials are automatically revoked across all doors. This eliminates the lag between someone leaving and IT remembering to update the security system. We’ll scope the integration as part of the design.
For general office use, around 30 days is the sensible default under the Privacy Act 2020 and Privacy Commissioner guidance. Higher-risk tenancies (after-hours hospitality, retail) sometimes retain 60–90 days as a documented decision. NVR storage is sized to your chosen retention; we don’t over-spec storage you can’t justify retaining.
Comsys installs office CCTV, access control, alarm, and intercom systems across Auckland. Suburb examples: Auckland CBD · Newmarket · Takapuna · Albany · Parnell · Mount Eden · Ponsonby · all suburbs.
Helpful reading: CCTV cost guide · security audit checklist · how many CCTV cameras for an Auckland home
Indicative supplied-and-installed price for a Comsys CCTV system. Move the inputs to match your site — the calculator updates live.
This calculator is a guide only. Final pricing depends on the site visit — specific camera models, mounting access, cable routing, and any access control or alarm integration can move the number up or down. We always quote in writing after a free on-site assessment, with brand and model itemised so you can see exactly what you’re paying for.
