Bringing the cloud to video surveillance
James Thorpe
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There are endless possibilities when it comes to the cloud and the new Milestone Kite solution is ideal for many businesses and organisations looking to enhance security.
Chances are, you’ve heard about the cloud. It’s what makes Netflix able to stream the TV shows we love, it’s behind the bidding on eBay and it’s what Siri uses to improve her responses. Imagine what it can achieve for video security. There are a now host of cloud-based VMS options for organisations that are ready and suitable for, the cloud.
A growing market
The VSaaS market is growing fast, at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2022-2032, to hit US $21.1bn by 2032. VSaaS refers to a way for organisations to remotely store, manage, record, play and monitor video surveillance footage in the cloud, with the option of storing video in the cloud or at the edge. It’s vital to understand the benefits and nuances of cloud-based video to make an informed decision on whether it’s suitable for your organisation. There are three main types of cloud computing available: Public, which is available for all to purchase; Private, where IT services are delivered to one organisation over a private infrastructure; Hybrid, which is a mix of the two.
Easily increase capacity
The main benefit of the cloud is its flexibility for storage and computing needs. You don’t have to predict what you’ll be using in a year or five years’ time because you can simply upscale and downscale as needed. That can make it more cost-effective, as you’re only paying for the resources that you use. It can also make it simpler to experiment with new devices and scale to other sites or buildings. You can add new devices and expand analytics, without worrying about having to add additional servers and other infrastructure.
Simple updates and backups
With many VSaaS solutions, updates can be remotely sent to the system, at a predetermined time to avoid downtime during operating hours, with no onsite visits required. Data can also be backed up to the cloud, in multiple places, to provide a high degree of data redundancy. If the worst does occur to a control centre or specific location, operations will continue and data can be restored from another source.
A range of solutions
Cloud solutions may not be suitable for all organisations, especially those in highly regulated industries. On-premises has an edge over the cloud when it comes to control and oversight, as you own your equipment and store data on-site. Costs are largely upfront, which for some organisations can be better for planning.
Recognising the evolving needs of our customers and installers, Milestone has developed a range of on-premises and cloud-based VMS solutions including the market-leading XProtect, XProtect on AWS and Milestone Kite — a new solution for 2023 that’s powered by Arcules. Milestone Kite is the ideal choice for single or distributed multisite organisations that need to easily manage all their sites in one unified system, such as banks, retail chains, schools and residential buildings.
With multiple cloud solutions available, Milestone is actively working to bring cloud computing to video surveillance in a seamless and simple way for its customers, installers and end users. If you’re revamping your video security this year and wish to explore the cloud, start with Milestone for all the benefits of the cloud with the reassurance of our 25-year market leadership in video.
This article was originally published in the March 2023 edition of International Security Journal. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.
