Cloud solutions facilitate Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS)
Cloud-based video surveillance is growing at an annual rate of almost 17% as the marketplace migrates from brick-and-mortar solutions to cloud-based services. One of the main factors driving the growth of Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) is the combination of large capacity hard drives and 5G throughput that utilize cloud storage. Security solution resellers are embracing VSaaS as a cost-effective and scalable option for storing massive video files.
Solving pain points with VSaaS
Security service providers, systems integrators, and enterprises are migrating to hybrid multicloud and hosted VSaaS platforms because they are a scalable, affordable, and efficient alternative to on-site storage. In addition to reducing overhead and connectivity worries, VSaaS lowers the costs for long-term storage, and makes archived data readily accessible.
Pain point: Storage is costly as it scales
From a financial point of view, VSaaS shifts the cost of video surveillance from CAPEX-intensive overhead to OPEX. System integrators have more room to innovate, and potentially higher profit margins, by offering companies a service with predictable recurring costs. VSaaS also facilitates the ability to offer flexibility and elasticity with a transparent pricing model.
Pain point: On-premise installation and maintenance is time-consuming and complex
Installing and maintaining a VSaaS solution to handle video monitoring and storage is faster and easier than provisioning an on-premise server. This means in-house IT departments and third-party partners can focus more on value-added services and less on time-consuming installation and maintenance tasks.
Pain point: Manual backups for disaster recovery is susceptible
Another advantage of VSaaS is data resiliency and redundancy and less vulnerable to human error. Cloud back-ups and mirrors protect stored data and facilitate business continuity. VSaaS also facilitates the use of machine learning analysis or both monitoring and business insights. Video data can now be used for much more than just physical protection, it can be used to generate business insights and ROI.
Pain point: Loss of agility and flexibility with vendor lock-In
Hybrid and multicloud options also enable companies to customize storage solutions, effectively avoiding vendor lock-in. Highly sensitive data can, for example, be securely stored on-site or in a walled-off secure storage cloud, if desired or required by local privacy laws. Regardless of how data is stored, a managed VSaaS solution gives security providers the ability to manage end-to-end or edge-to-cloud video data on a centralized platform.
Real-time IP feeds are particularly useful for monitoring operations and facilities, but operational data is usually raw video data that is difficult to analyze. By contrast, analyzed and tagged archival data is easier to search.
Streamlining the migration from local hardware and software to a hybrid VSaaS requires a cloud storage solution that is designed to integrate with video and analytics applications. It's also important to use storage devices with built-in security, including protection against ransomware attacks.
Simplifying pricing and provisioning with cloud-based video surveillance solutions
While VSaaS simplifies pricing, network architects must still address differences in costs for various types and tiers of storage, as well as additional costs for accessing or moving stored data.
Key considerations for VSaaS selection
The ideal hybrid solution to support video surveillance is one where pricing is easy-to-understand and predictable, ensures movement between clouds, or between data center and cloud, and is frictionless. End-users want:
- Long-term cost predictability, which helps systems integrators and enterprises optimize total cost of ownership (TCO) for VSaaS storage solutions
- Vendor-agnostic access that removes add-on charges or egress fees
- Scalability built into the VSaaS process so it can be implemented on-demand
- Real-time video access for monitoring operations and facilities, as opposed to archived content
- Connectivity, depending on a direct connection over the Internet or over an on-premise server.
A key consideration for supporting machine learning applications is to work with a service provider that offers API access to stored data files. This will enable real-time access to both live and stored data and will enable the use of AI for video processing and analysis. Seagate Lyve Cloud is not only compatible with leading video surveillance and video storage solutions, but removes costs associated with API set up and integration. This can lead to significant cost-savings both short-term (during setup) and long-term.
Another important consideration for Enterprise end users is identifying VSaaS providers who can customize solutions for specific industry needs. For instance, a retail analytics company needs cameras integrated with a point-of-sale system. A manufacturing or warehouse facility needs real-time access to IP camera feeds for monitoring everything from quality to safety.
Other places in which VSaaS replaces in-house physical systems include:
- Border crossings
- Ports
- Transportation infrastructure
- Educational institutions
- Corporate offices
- Public spaces
- Government buildings
Resellers should consider offering fully white-labeled VSaaS solutions to support video surveillance platform dashboard customization with the user's own branded logo, colors, and content.
Video surveillance systems optimization
A video surveillance system should include video recording, live video streaming, and event handling. When evaluating usability, focus on the dashboard, which is the VSaaS control center. It should include clear status of all cameras and storage devices connected to the system, and provide fast, real-time access to each one.
Greater flexibility
Flexible data storage is essential for optimization. Two kinds of storage used by VSaaS solutions are:
- Operational to support real-time needs
- Archival for longer term backup
Machine learning applications require storage space for processing large datasets and the video data itself requires high-capacity storage.
VSaaS requires a flexible and scalable cloud backup solution that supports on-premises and direct cloud storage platforms. To harness the power of video surveillance data, VSaaS must be available in real-time and on-demand. Video from surveillance needs 99.99% uptime, combined with the lowest possible latency.
Greater capacity
High bandwidth streaming must also support higher frame rate video recording devices without compromising recording quality. Data must be encrypted in transit and for storage. For added security, use encrypted hard drives to safeguard data against lost, stolen, or misplaced storage drives.
For service providers offering scalable solutions, VSaaS will ultimately provide a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) as compared with on-premise solutions. Lower deployment and operational costs, along with flexibility and scalability, are significant advantages for video-intensive enterprises. Instead of worrying about how to store and manage terabytes of data, VSaaS provides access to unlimited amounts of affordable storage.
Converting video surveillance into VSaaS
A state-of-the-art VSaaS platform combines a tested video management software (VMS) solution with an intelligent database system capable of scalability, high performance, and data protection. Data storage solutions should provide a future-proof, large capacity with a small footprint, fast access, and ease of management. For a VSaaS provider building its own data center infrastructure, deploying a combination of traditional RAID storage devices, SSDs, and HDDs provides the best combination of reliability, performance, and security. Alternatively, customers can meet such requirements by partnering with a storage cloud provider that delivers cost-effective scalable object storage that is designed for multicloud mobility.
End-users should locate a VSaaS solution that optimizes the storage and retrieval of archived video data. The system should facilitate surveillance management for storing, archiving, and managing recorded videos from a central VMS. End-users also need the ability to expand the number of cameras in use and the means to increase storage capacity.
With VSaaS gaining ground, successful resellers need to act quickly to develop competitive solutions for a rapidly changing marketplace. Successful vendors assist data-driven enterprises to implement simple, scalable, and economical VSaaS solutions.
Learn more about Lyve Cloud and its ability to round out your existing video surveillance efforts, adding scale, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness within a hybrid or multicloud model.
