At its core, XProtect® is an enterprise platform for security video, providing support for third-party sensors beyond cameras. The technology includes integrations for audio, smoke, building management, video analytics and more. Milestone Systems offers five primary variants of its XProtect Video Management Software (VMS), each tailored to different business needs and scales of operation.
Learn more about each variant’s key features and their suitability for different business types in this XProtect overview.
XProtect Essential+ is Milestone Systems’ free, entry-level VMS for small businesses requiring basic video surveillance. It supports up to eight cameras or devices and offers a single-site solution for protecting employees and assets. The software includes XProtect Smart Client, Web Client and Mobile Client, allowing users to monitor their systems anytime, anywhere. With features like motion detection, an intuitive map function for quick camera location and unlimited video retention, it provides reliable and user-friendly functionality. Additionally, XProtect Essential+ supports a wide range of cameras and third-party integrations, offering flexibility for customization while remaining cost-free. If you want to try XProtect before you purchase, Essential+ provides an excellent starting point for businesses that want to scale their security systems in the future without disrupting operations.
XProtect Express+ is the basic paid tier of Milestone Systems’ VMS. It suits smaller, single-site businesses such as retail stores, parking lots or office buildings. Not only does this variant support up to 48 cameras and devices on a single server, but it also provides essential features like alarm management and integration with third-party systems such as access control and people counting, making it an ideal solution for businesses with moderate security needs that require more functionality than entry-level solutions. Express+ also incorporates optional XProtect extensions to enhance capabilities. It allows seamless integration into larger, centralized security systems. Express+ is also compatible with Milestone Interconnect, providing a way to connect between XProtect systems. With its flexibility, scalability and robust features, XProtect Express+ offers a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to optimize their security operations while maintaining room for future growth.
XProtect Professional+ is for mid-sized businesses and organizations requiring advanced security. Technicians can install recording servers on an unrestricted number of sites or multiple servers on the same site. With central access, operators can see live and recorded video from all connected sites. Professional+ is highly scalable for growing operations. The software includes advanced alarm management to help quickly identify and respond to incidents. At the same time, its multi-layered mapping feature provides enhanced situational awareness by visually representing the location of cameras and alarms. Additionally, XProtect Professional+ supports edge storage, ensuring video data is preserved even during network disruptions. These features make it an optimal choice for businesses such as schools, hospitals, retail franchises and manufacturing facilities that need reliable, scalable and efficient security solutions to maintain safety and operational continuity.
XProtect Expert is an advanced video technology platform for mid-to-large installations with high-security requirements. It supports unrestricted cameras and servers, making it ideal for organizations with expansive and complex surveillance needs. XProtect Expert is compatible with Management Server Failover, an optional product extension providing uninterrupted video recording and management through failover functionality. When enabled, failover automatically switches to backup servers during failures. XProtect Expert enhances security and evidence integrity with features like rule-based bookmarking for efficient incident tracking and video database encryption to protect stored data. This product variant offers the option to integrate the XProtect Smart Wall, a powerful tool for managing and displaying video feeds across multiple monitors. This software option ensures maximum situational awareness when visualized on the Smart Wall, a customizable screen extension where operators can view everything from video feeds to alarms in one comprehensive view. This solution is optimal for large-scale installations, such as warehouses, stadiums or critical infrastructure sites, where maintaining end-to-end protection of video integrity is paramount.
XProtect Corporate is Milestone Systems' most advanced video management platform for large-scale, high-security, mission-critical installations. It supports unrestricted cameras, devices and servers across distributed sites using Milestone Interconnect. Corporate is ideal for complex environments such as airports, data centers and critical infrastructure. The software ensures maximum situational awareness with its built-in advanced security features like two-step verification and Evidence Lock. The features safeguard video integrity and access control, ensuring compliance with stringent security requirements. XProtect Corporate also includes failover recording servers to guarantee uninterrupted access to live and recorded video during server failures. With centralized management, scalability and robust security measures, XProtect Corporate is the optimal choice for organizations that require 24/7 surveillance reliability and end-to-end video data protection.
Business Suitability
Cybersecurity is a critical concern for businesses. XProtect addresses this by providing a robust, cyber-secure set of tools that safeguards sensitive data and prevents disruption. These tools help customers comply with the FIPS 140-2 security standard (used by US government agencies) and GDPR for data protection in Europe. These features ensure that businesses meet regulatory requirements while safeguarding their systems from evolving cyber threats.
Regulated industries like healthcare, government or finance must also adhere to industry-specific regulations. XProtect simplifies compliance with tools and integrations that can help companies avoid penalties and maintain customer trust. Beyond compliance, XProtect ensures operational integrity by preventing unauthorized system access and maintaining functionality even under attack. The added protection is crucial for industries where downtime or breaches can have severe consequences.
Efficient management of security systems is essential for IT and security teams to perform effectively. XProtect centralizes operations to provide complete situational awareness and seamless cross-team collaboration. IT managers and administrators can oversee the VMS from a single interface, reducing complexity and improving efficiency. The centralized view is particularly beneficial for businesses with multiple locations or large-scale operations. By enabling better communication between IT teams, security personnel and operators, XProtect ensures that everyone involved in managing security can work together effectively. Finally, in industries where it is essential to address incidents quickly, security operators rely on intuitive systems that provide real-time insights without technical difficulties. XProtect’s user-friendly design ensures operators can focus on monitoring and responding to incidents rather than troubleshooting software issues.
Every business has unique security needs, and XProtect’s open platform allows you to tailor a solution that meets your needs now – and will grow with you in the future:
- Extensive Device Compatibility: With support for 14,000+ cameras, sensors and IoT devices, XProtect gives you unparalleled flexibility in choosing hardware that meets your requirements. This compatibility is ideal for companies operating in diverse environments or with specialized surveillance needs.
- Integration Capabilities: Integrating with more than 1,000 third-party applications enables businesses to enhance their VMS with features like access control, analytics or AI-driven insights. You can switch third-party systems without changing the core VMS.
- Cost Efficiency: By allowing you to reuse existing devices and servers as they scale their systems, XProtect minimizes upgrade costs, making it an attractive option for growing organizations looking to maximize ROI on their security investments.
Milestone integrates security and privacy into every aspect of our technology. Our approach extends from initial design to ongoing vigilance against new and emerging threats, ensuring XProtect meets rigorous security standards and actively protects your privacy. We build our products in a way that helps you meet key regulatory frameworks. You can learn more about how we develop software that meets global compliance standards on our website.
You can see how XProtect is a comprehensive, cost-effective solution that addresses the core concerns of modern organizations across a wide range of industries. It is more than just a video management software. XProtect is a strategic tool for enhancing security, improving operational efficiency and enabling business growth. XProtect’s combination of robust cybersecurity, centralized management and flexible customization makes it an ideal choice for organizations of all sizes looking to improve their security systems in the future.
If you need help deciding which variant of XProtect is right for your business, you can book a demo with your local Milestone representative. We can explain your options and help you find the right solution for your organization.