Latest Cloud CCTV Solutions
♦ Latest cloud CCTV solutions include a range of options designed to simplify CCTV installation and management by using infrastructure located in the cloud, including remote servers that are globally accessible.
That said, there are differences in the latest cloud solutions, with some being open to a wide range of CCTV cameras and others built around optimised cameras. There are also variables when it comes to business models – for installers getting this part right can be challenging.
According to Lee Shelford, the key features of Genetec’s cloud CCTV solution, Stratocast, is a consistently secure open architecture platform which supports a variety of cameras including those from Axis, Vivotek, Panasonic, Bosch, Hanwha, and more.
“Stratocast allows users to record video directly to the cloud and eliminates the need to install and maintain recording hardware like network bridges or servers,” Shelford said. “The video is stored in triplicate providing redundancy of recordings, and durability against hardware failure, theft, or vandalism. In the event of an unstable internet connection, it can store video to the camera’s SD card.
“One of the main differentiators of Stratocast is the ability to federate the cloud cameras back into an on-premise or Genetec managed SaaS enterprise solution, giving the customer the best of both worlds, ease and flexibility of having just their cameras on the edge as well as the other cloud benefits while not forgoing the enterprise capability of Security Center and the Security Desk user experience.”
Other key features of Stratocast include:
* Communications between the on-site system and the cloud is encrypted using TLS – Genetec Professional Services also offers annual security penetration testing and vulnerability assessments
* System Level Agreement included with all Genetec Cloud Services: a credit backed uptime guarantee of 99.9 per cent
* Stratocast mobile app for Android and iPhone lets you monitor your sites from anywhere, controlling PTZ cameras and using digital zoom to get a better view
* Stratocast automatically bookmarks and saves video based on motion detected and allows operators to tag videos to help keep track of noteworthy events
Angelo Salvatore says OpenEye provides an open-cloud platform that “empowers users to improve operational efficiency, identify actionable insights and achieve a greater return on investment”.
“The OpenEye solution enables integrators to offer a centralised video management solution for the commercial sector that does not have the budget, IT resources or the appetite for complex architecture that requires ongoing maintenance and costs,” Salvatore explains.
“Our OWS 24/7 Standard option is ideally designed for multisite commercial installations and/or integrators managing multiple customers centrally — the more sites the better.
“In my opinion, the goldilocks application for our solution is from 4-50 cameras per site, with from 4-unlimited sites, supporting an unlimited number of users.”
According to Salvatore, traditional VMS systems are too tech heavy and complex to deploy in the above scenario and are better suited to a handful of larger sites (100 cameras plus).
“In the above examples, the cost of servers, operating systems, SQL and hardware, plus the federation associated licencing fees, are outside the consideration of commercial business budgets and use case requirements in this space,” Salvatore says. “This is one reason why the alternative of direct-to-cloud recording models are becoming more popular.
“However, most customers would not have enough reliable bandwidth available at each site to deliver beyond a handful of cameras. Also, these solutions are more point-to-point than a centrally managed alternative to traditional VMS.”
Other features/benefits of OpenEye for the integrator and customer include management of users, recorders, health, alerts, rules and integrations, on a Windows or Linux-based platform with AES3 256-bit encryption of video streams.
Upgrades for recorders and clients are includes, there’s no additional charge for subscriptions, the system is not proprietary, offers 4GB storage per camera and can support cameras with resolutions up to 10MP. There’s ONVIF Profile S support, as well as support for Axis and Hanwha edge analytics.
Ava Security’s Clint Palm says the company provides an AI-powered cloud-native security solution backed by the powerful video security data platform Ava Aware Cloud.
“This open platform allows connections to existing third-party cameras and integrations with access control systems and intelligent sensors to deliver operational insights across your deployment,” Palm says.
“Our customers say our video security solution is easy to set up and manage. By applying intelligent machine learning-based analytics, organisations can receive real-time analysis and alerts to enhance situational awareness and help make better decisions.”
Ava Aware includes map view with Ava Smart Presence, that can be configured and includes camera views, alarm views, as well as the ability to track and count people, vehicles, and other objects as they move on your premises.
There’s also video view with Ava Spotlight, which is powered by deep learning and can change video streams dynamically to bring only the relevant feeds to the operators’ attention. Real-time alerts and notifications pop-up on the video wall to describe the incident, the time, and the place it occurred.
There’s also Timeline with Ava Smart Presence, a playback timeline in Aware’s video view that provides thumbnail-based browsing of video and highlights people, vehicles, and overall motion separately.
Investigations with Ava Smart Search allow operators to search by event and similarity and perform appearance and image detection powered by machine learning capabilities to comb through countless hours of video throughout an entire deployment. This can reduce forensic investigation time from days to minutes, gaining greater efficiency and accuracy with the same number of operators.
Other features include occupancy counting, heatmaps with alerts for retail, healthcare, schools and more, secure sharing, access integration, mobile app and lots more.
The Cloud Business Model
One of the biggest challenges of cloud CCTV solutions from the point of view of installers and integrators is establishing the best cloud model for their own and their customers’ requirements.
According to Shelford, many installers don’t have the right business model in place to support recurring activity streams such as customer service, operations, sales training/compensation, etc.
When compared to traditional CCTV models, Shelford says the primary difference is that responsibility for system maintenance for cloud CCTV lies with the software vendor rather than the organisation.
“This means that rather than the customer manually updating their systems, the software provider is responsible for all software application updates,” he explains.
“Cloud is generally the best solution for customers who don’t have sufficient staff to maintain hardware. The other main difference is that traditional CCTV systems involve an often-large lump sum payment, while cloud CCTV involves more manageable recurring monthly or annual revenue costs.”
Meanwhile, Salvatore says OpenEye’s channel model is 2-tiered, depending on the product being sold.
“OpenEye has a familiar partner program that has multiple tiers for partners, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum, that relate to sales revenue, training, etc,” he explains.
“Option 1 is based on subscription licences purchased direct from OpenEye. Dealers can sell a monthly subscription licence to their customer and will only be billed for licences utilised at the end of the month. The dealer will make a margin on the RRP price on the channels each month per their channel partner agreement and status.
“Option 2 is based on perpetual licences purchased via distribution. If the dealer wants to sell one-off licenses, they are purchased from the distributor with a channel partner discount in much the same way as traditional VMS licenses.
“Option 3 is based on hardware purchased via distribution channels,” explains Salvatore. “If the dealer chooses OpenEye hardware, this is purchased from the distributor in much the same way as the perpetual licences.”
Ava Security’s Clint Palm says a key difference in the cloud business model centres on capital vs operational expenses.
“The cloud video business model is dependent on annual recurring revenue, usually per device,” Palm says. “Compared to traditional VMS deployments, the investment in ‘watering and feeding’ servers and software platforms is transferred to the cloud subscription, which is managed by the cloud vendor enabling real-time security upgrades and feature updates.”
#sen.news #SEN #SENnews #security #electronics
