As video storage evolves, security integrators and dealers are balancing the continued importance of on-premises recording with growing opportunities for cloud, hybrid and AI-enabled solutions.
Key Takeaways
- On-premises video recording and storage are still prevalent.
- Customers need greater storage efficiency, easier system management and remote accessibility.
- Key considerations of modernization include cybersecurity, privacy policies and more.
As video storage capabilities shift further into the cloud, and as the overall video market continues to adopt AI solutions, security integrators and dealers have an opportunity to extend every video conversation beyond what they would traditionally encompass.
“The biggest opportunity is for integrators to move beyond selling cameras and storage capacity and become long-term technology partners for their customers,” says Darron Parker, senior vice president of sales, IDIS Americas, Coppell, Texas. “Cloud connectivity and AI create opportunities around system management, analytics, lifecycle services, cybersecurity, remote services and ongoing customer support. Integrators can help customers develop a technology strategy rather than treating every recorder or camera replacement as an isolated project.”
This is critical for most end users today, who need affordable, easy-to-understand security systems that can help them address their business needs and provide a proactive solution to protect their assets and employees. “Integrators that can connect AI and cloud technologies to measurable operational benefits — such as reducing investigation time, improving system management or helping security teams operate more efficiently — will have a much stronger value proposition,” Parker says.
The jump to hybrid and cloud solutions, most likely, isn’t going to be immediate. “The biggest opportunity is being a consultant for your customers rather than forcing them into one-size fits all solutions,” says Jason Stoddard, director of systems engineering, Salient Systems, Austin, Texas. “It’s now possible to take advantage of analytics, AI and cloud in a tiered fashion. What’s right for a small location might not be right for the same customer’s larger locations.”
By evaluating customer needs and strategically combining on-premises, cloud, hybrid and AI capabilities, integrators can modernize video systems while addressing cybersecurity, data governance and existing infrastructure.
Where On-Prem Storage Still Thrives
Security experts resoundingly agree that on-premises solutions are still highly prevalent. “It typically makes sense anywhere there are high camera counts, long retention times or upstream bandwidth limitations,” Stoddard says. “After a certain threshold, the uplink cost of continuous cloud recording outweighs the hardware it would replace. Smaller installations are leveraging cloud recording very successfully, as they don’t see the same limitations in smaller numbers of cameras. It makes a lot of sense in smaller facilities with limited IT staff or physical space for servers.”
Critical infrastructure, government, energy and other regulated or operationally sensitive environments still prefer on-premises solutions. “These organizations often require greater control over their systems and data, and many expect on-premises infrastructure to remain their primary approach,” says Wayne Davis, solutions engineer, Axis Communications, Chelmsford, Mass.
Parker also sees strong demand in enterprise security, transportation, education, government, critical infrastructure and other environments where customers value local control, predictable recording performance, resilience and significant retention capacity.
Retail and education organizations tend to show greater interest in cloud-based alternatives, while manufacturing environments fall between the two approaches depending on their operational requirements and existing integrations. “There is not necessarily one industry moving completely away from on-premises recording; instead, adoption is increasingly determined by each organization’s security, operational, regulatory and infrastructure requirements,” Davis says.
“It’s now possible to take advantage of analytics, AI and cloud in a tiered fashion. What’s right for a small location might not be right for the same customer’s larger locations.” Jason Stoddard, Salient Systems
Flexibility Is Key
Hybrid and cloud solutions are on the rise across different environments because the demand for today’s video storage capabilities span greater storage efficiency, easier system management, remote accessibility and faster ways to find and retrieve recorded video. “As customers deploy higher-resolution cameras and expand systems across multiple locations, they are also looking for solutions that don’t create additional complexity for their security teams,” Parker says.
Solutions also need to be more affordable in a world of increasingly tight budgets, especially as integrators and dealers are being asked for longer retention times by legal teams.
What customers really want is for the technology to make security operations easier and more effective. “That means giving them flexibility in how they record, manage, search and access video while providing a practical path to introduce cloud connectivity and AI where those capabilities deliver value,” Parker says.
That leads to the question: what’s the starting point? Where should most video be recorded and stored — on premises, at the edge, in the cloud or a combination? The answer lies in which type of environment an integrator or dealer is managing.
Customers are looking for greater storage efficiency, easier management and remote accessibility while maintaining control, security and flexibility.
Bridging the Gap
Let’s say, as a security integrator or dealer, you’re tasked with modernizing existing on-prem video infrastructure to a cloud or hybrid solution. Evan Rivera, solutions engineer, Axis Communications, says this should begin with a comprehensive evaluation of the end user’s infrastructure and operational requirements. “Partners should determine how video is used for investigations, daily operations, integrations and other business processes before deciding whether cloud, on-premises or hybrid recording is most appropriate,” he says.
Rivera also notes that existing integrations are especially important. “Some organizations have specialized connections between their video management system and platforms such as SCADA or other operational systems,” he says. “These integrations may be difficult to reproduce in a cloud environment and may need to remain on-premises as part of a hybrid architecture.”
After understanding what the customer is trying to improve, Dave deLisser, vice president of product management, IDIS Americas, says integrators can then determine what makes sense to retain locally and where cloud-connected capabilities can add value. “A phased hybrid strategy allows organizations to protect investments that are still performing well while introducing new capabilities over time,” he says.
Notably, modernization doesn’t happen overnight. “It tends to be a slower migration over time rather than a jump all at once because customers want to leverage the systems and hardware they already have,” Stoddard says. “Initially, moving backups, archives or long-term retention to the cloud make sense first — record on prem, but then move your longer-term data to second-tier storage. Modernizing access by putting a cloud access tool ‘over the top’ of the existing system allows IT administrators to give remote access to their users, without the traditional security concerns or hassle of using VPNs.”
Cybersecurity & Other Considerations
There are, of course, fundamental responsibilities to consider when modernizing systems to hybrid or cloud solutions. “Although many of the fundamental responsibilities are not new, they become more important with cloud and AI-enabled solutions,” Davis says. “Integrators should evaluate whether cloud providers maintain appropriate third-party security validation and auditing, such as SOC 2 compliance. They should also understand how customer data is stored, controlled and protected within the selected platform.”
Integrators should be aware of, or ask questions about, the following:
- In which region does the data reside?
- Who holds the encryption keys?
- Who owns the video?
- Are sub-processors being used who can access the customer’s data?
“Cybersecurity and data governance increasingly need to be part of system design from the beginning,” deLisser says. “Integrators should understand where video and associated data reside, how that information is transmitted, who has access, how users are authenticated and how long information is retained.”
Rivera adds, “Partners must also evaluate the cybersecurity implications of transmitting video and metadata across wide-area networks, including the sensitivity of the information and the potential exposure of intellectual property. Migration should therefore be treated as a phased architectural strategy rather than a simple transfer of storage.”
Conclusion
Cloud is becoming less of an all-or-nothing solution, and one of the most important things for end users, dealers and integrators to understand is that there isn’t just one architecture that is right for every environment. “The evolution of recording and storage isn’t simply about moving everything to the cloud,” Parker says. “It’s about giving customers greater choice and flexibility. Local recording, cloud services, hybrid architectures and AI can all play a role depending on the customer’s environment and objectives.
“Ultimately, the technology needs to solve a business or security problem and provide customers with a path to evolve their systems as their requirements change,” Parker concludes.
