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What is VSaaS? It's a ‘Cloud VMS (or NVR)'


When Video Cameras are installed at a location for surveillance they are normally connected back to a separate ‘box’ of electronics (a recorder) which is used to store, manage, record, play and monitor the video coming from the cameras. This ‘box’ or more specifically the software that it runs is known as the Video Management System or VMS.


Depending on the camera technology (analog or digital) and the size of the system, this ‘box’ may be a DVR, NVR or separate Video Server (computer hard drive). If this onsite VMS fails or is damaged the cameras may be unusable and the recorded video may be lost.


VSaaS or Video Surveillance as a Service is a ‘Cloud’ or offsite version of the NVR, DVR or dedicated Video Server (a ‘Cloud NVR’ or ‘Cloud VMS’) created to eliminate the high expense, risk and limitations of onsite CCTV Video Management Systems.


A Cloud VMS can completely take the place of an onsite system (systems) or simply augment them. For example, as a disaster recovery strategy an organization with an existing onsite system may decide to use VSaaS as an inexpensive and convenient way to add offsite backup to a few mission critical cameras. Since this is VSaas, those cameras with also have full VMS capability if the onsite equipment fails.


VSaaS makes it extremely easy for anyone to see and manage all cameras at multiple sites remotely with one simple login. All features are then available via a phone app or web browser from anywhere in the world. Depending on the provider, the system can be completely isolated from the rest of the network yet remain easily accessible without traditional port forwarding and the associated risk of exposing devices to the Internet. There is also no need for a VPN or specially trained personnel to administer the system. Since there is no onsite VMS, organizations no longer need to worry about maintenance, repairs or upgrades. As an added plus, there are no camera licenses to buy and with some vendors, a Cloud VMS is ‘camera agnostic’, any manufacturer’s cameras will work -vs- proprietary VMS’s (cloud or onsite) that typically only work 'well' for a single brand.


VSaaS is delivered as a subscription based service that features ongoing maintenance, product updates, backups and failover redundancy with a predictable monthly or annual expense (OPEX). This has become a popular alternative to supposed ‘one-and-done’ larger capital expenditures (CAPEX) for onsite equipment which in reality tend to be one big ‘known’ expense followed by an ‘unknown’ number of unpredictable additional expenses. To get a better idea of how these two options compare on price over time please see Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) from one of the leading VSaaS providers – Eagle Eye Networks.  


To learn more about the next technological shift [to VSaaS] or to request a Demo Contact Us.


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