This article explains what VSaaS is, what its benefits are and who can benefit the most from its implementation, as well as provides a checklist of the most important questions to consider when looking for a provider.
VSaaS (short for video surveillance as a service) allows you to record, monitor, manage, play and store video surveillance. How it differs from a traditional on-premises VMS (video management software) is that everything takes place in the cloud. You can either use a direct transmission from the cameras to the cloud or use a gateway server to transmit the data to the cloud. In either case, VSaaS requires less hardware compared to an on-premises VMS. This can be a benefit to organizations looking for a lower up-front investment.
- More flexibility
VSaaS allows your operation to scale to size more easily. Adding new locations or cameras is easier and requires less time than when working with on-premises VMS. - Remote access
VSaaS allows access from anywhere at any time through an internet connection, allowing for remote monitoring of operations. - Cost effective
VSaaS requires minimal start-up costs for equipment and installation. Updates are handled by the service provider, which saves on maintenance costs while ensuring access to the latest features. There are also minimal maintenance requirements which leads to a lower overall cost compared to traditional on-premises VMS.
Before deciding on a hybrid or standalone option, however, you should determine if VSaaS is a good fit for your project. One of the main determiners is whether your bandwidth requirements are compatible. A system integrator should be able to advise you on how many cameras your site could handle.
There are two general types of VSaaS setups that fit organizations with these respective needs:
- A standalone VSaaS solution
VSaaS is often a great match for businesses and organizations that need to manage multiple sites, such as franchises, gyms, fuel stations and retailers. There are two common reasons; sometimes just one is applicable, sometimes both. One, they don’t have the requisite technical employees working on-site to be able to maintain a local system. Two, they want to minimize the overall workload of their IT department, regardless of where those employees are located. - A hybrid VSaaS and on-premises solution
This type of setup is ideal for businesses and organizations that have one or more main sites with the necessary IT people, but their dispersed sites don’t have the same resources. In this scenario, the main site can use on-premises VMS and the secondary sites can use VSaaS to save on expenses and additional infrastructure costs, set-up time and maintenance. Because VSaaS often uses wireless connectivity, it reduces the need for extensive cabling and complex network infrastructure. Cameras can be deployed quickly and flexibly, often with built-in wireless and solar power options. Read another of our articles to learn more about hybrid video security.
List of steps for choosing the best VSaaS
- Is the solution device agnostic or proprietary?
If your VSaaS solution is device agnostic, you’ll be able to use hardware from different vendors. This could save on costs if you already have cameras and other security hardware you’d like to keep using. On the flip side, if the VSaaS solution is proprietary, you will have to purchase all your hardware from the same vendor. This will invariably mean that the integration between the software and hardware should be straightforward and relatively easy, but it also means that if you already have cameras, you will have to discard them and purchase new ones from the VSaaS provider. Using a proprietary VSaaS also means that if you want to change your provider in the future, you’ll likely need to purchase new hardware again.
It’s also important to keep in mind that even if a VSaaS solution is device agnostic, you might still not be able to choose any camera model of your choice if you choose direct data transmission (see point 2). - Does the VSaaS solution support your preferred data transmission method?
Direct transmission and gateway transmission (i.e., via servers) have different pros and cons. Direct transmission (also referred to as camera-to-cloud or direct-to-cloud) can be quicker to deploy and can save on your bandwidth costs, as all the computing takes place on the cameras themselves, which is ideal for sites with limited bandwidth. Not all cameras have these capabilities however, so you will be limited to certain devices based on your VSaaS provider.
Meanwhile, using gateway servers will eat more of your bandwidth. The advantage however is that you can probably use the cameras you already have and save some money. With gateways, computing takes place on the server rather than the camera, meaning that the cameras don’t need to be as new or high tech.. Even if you need to buy new ones, your choice of devices won’t be as limited as it would be by opting for a direct transmission.
These factors should be evaluated in the context of your operational needs and budget to determine the most cost-effective approach. For companies that don't have anyone around to take care of a gateway (which is essentially a server) if something goes wrong, direct transmission makes sense. That said, you could also opt for a VSaaS solution that has both direct and gateway transmission, and then mix and match between sites. - Does the VSaaS provider charge extra for analytics
Just as in the case of integrations (see point 7), it’s pertinent to find out if your choice of VSaaS is compatible with the analytics that you need. These could be cloud-based analytics or camera-based analytics.
Analytics like line crossing may be supported by the VSaaS, but you have to pay an additional fee in order to use them with your solution. The VSaaS solution may also support analytics of some camera manufacturers, but not all, which could mean having to purchase new cameras and therefore increase costs. - Is the provider investing in R&D?
You probably want to invest in a product that is not only current and up to date today, but that will remain so in the future. Investing in a VSaaS provider that fails to continually improve their product could end up costing you in the long run if. You don’t want to have to switch providers due to unsupported functionalities or the product becoming obsolete. - Does the provider offer hybrid solutions?
Does the provider offer an integrated VSaaS and on-premises VMS in a hybrid setup that allows you to view camera streams and manage alarms on the same screen without having to switch between platforms? If you’ve chosen a standalone VSaaS solution for your organization, then this will not be a determining factor, but for those choosing the hybrid route, it would be a dealbreaker. - How robust is the solution in terms of cybersecurity?
The importance of strong cybersecurity cannot be stressed enough. There are many steps that you can take yourself, but you can also find peace of mind in knowing that the VSaaS provider that you choose is also doing their part to safeguard your data. The ways in which your provider can do this include ensuring data encryption, providing robust authentication and using secure cloud infrastructure, such as AWS, Azure and Google Cloud, that provide some of the most secure data centers around. - Does the VSaaS solution have the integrations that you need?
If you’re in the market for a VSaaS solution, you might have a wishlist of integrations (e.g., access control). The first step is to check if a specific vendor supports the integrations you need. If the integrations are supported, the next step is to verify whether you will be charged extra for using them. - How reliable is the vendor?
When considering a VSaaS provider, you should conduct thorough research as to how reliable they are and are expected to be in the future. A positive sign is if the vendor has been in the business for a long time, as this is a good indication that their product is actually fulfilling a need. The size and growth of the vendor can also be a good sign for the same reason.
Another way to determine the reliability of the vendor that you’re considering is to read up on what others have to say about the vendor and their product. Some vendors will be able to connect you with some of their existing clients who have similar needs as you so that you can ask them questions, but you can also check what people have to say on software review sites and in Reddit communities.
By following the checklist above, you can narrow down a list of possible VSaaS providers. Consider adding Milestone and our VSaaS product, Kite, to that list. Milestone Kite is a device-agnostic cloud-based video surveillance solution that supports different integrations and thousands of devices. Kite also offers both camera-to-cloud and a gateway version, so you can choose which setup best suits you. It includes built-in video analytics such as forensic search, camera blur, people counting, people detection and traffic heat maps, and it enables camera-based analytics such as object detection and more. Kite is also constantly evolving thanks to ongoing comprehensive R&D, and can be used as both a standalone solution or a hybrid solution with the award-winning on-premises VMS, Milestone XProtect®.
For more information about how Milestone Kite performs based on the above checklist, book a demo today.