CompleteView v3.8.1 is now available
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 | Posted by Brian Carle at 01:41 PM
Version 3.8.1 of CompleteView provides video Backup capability, TouchView Mobile for Android smartphones and the CV SpotLight Client
Features and Enhancements
- Backup capability adds support for scheduled backup of CompleteView recordings. Backup provides the same scheduling capabilities as Archiving but allows administrators to set recordings to be copied instead of moved. Using Backup, administrators can define a backup schedule, volume and choose which type of recording to backup (scheduled, motion, alarm or any combination).
- Enhanced Panasonic IP Camera integration provides H.264 support from many popular Panasonic IP cameras.
- TouchView Mobile for Android smartphones provides live video viewing, PTZ camera control and playback capability for up to 16 cameras for any CompleteView v3.8.1 server on your Android phone. TouchView is available at no cost on the Google Play store (formerly Android Market)--search "salient".
- CV SpotLight, formerly Pop Up Monitor, is a customizable pop up utility for viewing video on alarm or event in a window on-screen, in full screen mode or on multiple monitors. Users can customize audio alerts and pop up video positioning on a camera-by-camera basis.
Upgrading
Any customers using CompleteView 3.x or subscribing to Salient’s Yearly Upgrade Plan are entitled to upgrade at no cost. To obtain the new release please contact Salient’s support department at 512-617-4802.
Total Solution Cost and Not Just License Cost
Thursday, February 09, 2012 | Posted by Grant Cowan at 04:22 PM
Whenever a VMS salesperson walks into a reseller or an end user's office, invariably the main question is “what is your license cost?” Most people in the VMS industry could probably recite the license cost for all of his or her competitors. With that being said, the license cost for a VMS solution is only a small part of the equation for the Total Solution Cost (TSC) for a VMS reseller or end user.
Many times resellers or end users will look at a line item comparison of license costs and forget that most of the cost of an IP video system comes from everything but the license cost. By selecting the right VMS solution, you can reduce the overall cost of the project even if the license cost is higher. This article will explore six components that resellers and end users also have to consider:
- Hardware
- Analog Encoders
- Server License
- Add-on Modules
- Installation Time
- Client Workstations
Installation Time
This component is one of my favorites to address. When installing several VMS solutions, it is like making a sandwich in your kitchen. You have to go to the fridge to get the meat, cheese and mayo. Then you have to run to the pantry to get the bread. Now you have to find a plate, knife and a drink. It’s a lot easier to pick up a sandwich from the store that is ready to go. The same is true for IP video.
If Reseller A has to install a Microsoft OS, a software-only VMS and build the RAID arrays on a 3rd party server, it is going to take multiple hours on site to do the install. Salient can offer Reseller B an easier installation since we offer the Subway method of building a VMS solution. When a Salient server arrives, the Microsoft OS is installed, the RAID arrays are built and the Salient OS is already installed. The only thing the reseller needs to do is add camera connections. Once again, the right VMS solutions can save dollars for the reseller across all facets of the installation.
