IMS Research is a market research firm that was founded in the 1980s. Initially, they focused on the semiconductor industry. Over the last decade, they’ve expanded into most other sectors of the electronics industry, including physical security. Their 70 person team publishes more than 120 reports annually.
IMS published a report titled IMS Top 2010 CCTV Trends. What was their number #1 Trend? Envysion enthusiasts—here it is:
“2010: The Year For IP Video Surveillance as a Service?”
It has a host of names – Managed Video as a Service (MVaaS), Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS), Remotely Monitored Video – but whatever the name, 2010 will be the year it moves out of the shadows into the limelight.
Software as a Service (SaaS) and cloud computing are common currency in the IT world. Simply put, software is run and data is managed on a remote server rather than a local PC. When applied to video surveillance, cameras can be used to monitor a location but the video will be managed and stored remotely. This technology should prove to be attractive to alarm monitoring centers, telcos/ISPs and installers/integrators alike. It will open up new revenue streams, particularly as video verification of alarms becomes more popular, and new applications such as ‘lone worker protection’ or ‘video bodyguard’ are requested.
VSaaS could be the disruptive force needed for network surveillance to penetrate the low-end of the surveillance market. The current high price of network cameras and the need for reasonable IT skills is limiting the uptake of network video surveillance in smaller sized systems with low camera counts. With VSaaS, the initial system cost is reduced by removing the need for local management and storage, and replacing it with a subscription-based monthly service. Furthermore, users are not required to be proficient with IT as the system management is performed remotely.
Low camera count deployments in offices, retail outlets and commercial premises are currently the domain of analogue cameras. However, VSaaS has the potential to disrupt these markets by providing a similar cost product with the additional advantages of remote monitoring, added features such as ‘lone worker protection’, and no need for ongoing maintenance.
Envysion coined the name “Managed Video as a Service (MVaaS)”. I personally think it the most sticky of the names above. The excerpt from IMS Research’s report only scratches the surface on why MVaaS will have a major impact—and this impact will not be limited to “surveillance”, as MVaaS helps businesses achieve greater profitability and brand consistency through practices that would not be viewed as “security” or “surveillance”.
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