First there was on-site monitoring and CCTV. Then came the cloud. Now, Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) enables a slew of solutions that help security operators work more efficiently. VSaaS also helps security dealers and integrators offer more flexible and effective security options to their customers.
VSaaS applications include cloud-hosted video systems, video verification, remote health monitoring and live monitoring and proactive video monitoring (PVM). Integrators have found that their customers are more proactive about these services than ever before.
“Customers adopting more and more SaaS application in their personal lives has caused an increase in requests for cloud and hybrid options for businesses,” says Laura Armour, service solutions manager at San Jose, Calif.’s RFI.
It’s not hard to imagine why.
“VSaaS lets them focus on their business rather than worrying about how to manage recorders and hardware,” remarks Jim DeStefano, senior vice president of Unlimited Technology in Chester Springs, Pa.
Flexibility is another benefit. Armour recounts a nonprofit customer that was experiencing break-ins and was looking for a solution that utilized their existing security system. “We were able to position video verification using their existing cameras as an intrusion detection solution,” she says. “The customer appreciated a quick solution that did not require them to raise money for the capital cost to protect their current location.”
Fletcher Pinkham, president of Focus Tech in Santa Rosa, Calif., points out the improved security that comes with VSaaS. “VaaS in the form of video monitoring provides the greatest level of security currently available to our clients. Live talk-down from remote guarding agents to would-be vandals or robbers is extremely effective as a deterrent – and a great real-time aid to law enforcement if the criminals ignore the agents’ commands to leave,” he says.
CheckVideo Cloud VMS is a cloud-based video management system. Combining smart cameras and gateways that can be configured, managed and monitored centrally, the solution eliminates the cost and complexity of servers and software on premise. // IMAGE COURTESY OF CHECKVIDEO
Who Needs VSaaS?
Though ease of use, flexibility and enhanced security are strong selling points to any customer, security operators with certain assets and requirements are particularly interested in VSaaS.
“VSaaS is helpful to our business model because it lets us keep skin in the game with clients. Without fail, a client will need firmware updates, password resets, camera cleanings, etc. over the years. When they are subscribed to oar VSaaS, we bundle it with these maintenance and troubleshooting services.” — Fletcher Pinkham, President of Focus Tech
Justin Wilmas, president of Netwatch North America in Lake Forest, Calif., reports, “Industries that rely on heavy machinery such as vehicles and construction equipment need video monitoring the most. Additionally, as cannabis continues to be legalized in states across the country, we've found that cannabis businesses are taking a special interest. Such expensive equipment and stock make a juicy target for vandals and thieves.”
Michelle C. Johnson, North America marketing manager–video systems, Bosch Security Systems, Fairport, N.Y., remarks that businesses with multiple sites, such as retail chains, benefit from the simplified operations and reduced maintenance needs of VSaaS. “For these organizations, managing hardware across tens or hundreds of locations can be challenging and costly,” she says. “VSaaS offers a more reliable, efficient, and cost-effective solution by reducing the amount of hardware at each location.”
Pro-Vigil’s solution provides remote guarding as a substitute for traditional guarding. // IMAGE COURTESY OF PRO-VIGIL
Bill Hobbs, vice president of global sales at 3xLOGIC in Fishers, Ind., concurs. “One example is a regional bank chain with hundreds of branches across ten states. They needed to manage access control across all branches and home office locations from a central point. The redundancy and always on, always up-to-date cloud solution offered them reduced costs, both from a deployment cost and an on-going maintenance view.”
Anthony Novotne, marketing manager at CheckVideo in Falls Church, Va., gives another reason to implement a VSaaS solution: the ability to unify different systems into one. “For example, many universities have surveillance systems based on traditional analog, on-premise, CCTV technologies,” he says. “These systems are often not monitored, need repairs, include a mix of different systems across campuses, and are difficult to use and access. VSaaS lets educational institutions transform their old security systems into a managed cloud video security solution that creates a safer learning environment.”
How VSaaS Helps Integrators
VSaaS is a win-win for integrators since it alleviates burdens and risk of deploying physical solutions, such as reliance on local infrastructure.
VSaaS strengthens customer relationships too. “VSaaS is helpful to our business model because it lets us keep skin in the game with clients,” Pinkham explains. “Without fail, a client will need firmware updates, password resets, camera cleanings, etc. over the years. When they are subscribed to oar VSaaS, we bundle it with these maintenance and troubleshooting services.”
“VSaaS lets [end users] focus on their business rather than worrying about how to manage recorders and hardware.” — Jim DeStefano, Senior Vice President, Unlimited Technology
VSaaS can also bolster integrators’ revenue and financial security. DeStefano notes that “VaaS has increased, and will continue to increase, the volume of RMR/RAR mix in our business, allowing us to be nimbler and recession/inflation-proof our business.”
An innovative model that provides more effective, efficient video surveillance operations, while maintaining price competitiveness and flexibility, VSaaS facilitates better security for end users and better business for security dealers and integrators.
