Have you ever thought about transitioning your security cameras and video surveillance to the cloud? This can seem like a scary, complex process but it doesn't have to be.

Cloud-based software has made running a business easier and more affordable. As the costs of building and maintaining an IT infrastructure continue to rise, more businesses are moving their tools and applications to a cloud-based infrastructure. And it’s no surprise, given that cloud-based services offer flexibility, reliability, scalability and availability previously unavailable to on-premise applications and IT departments.

Solutions overview

VXG's new, revolutionary cloud camera plug-in technology makes cameras plug & play and connected directly to the cloud. You can connect it directly to:

1. your own cloud infrastructure (cloud data center)
2. a cloud data center of your choice (any S3 compatible storage), or
3. VXG Cloud

The key benefits include no recurring fees, and use with any VMS (video management system): VXG's simple VMS, your existing VMS, or a standard VMS user interface (UI). Most people think they need to use a sophisticated VMS to manage their security cameras, but this is not always the case. Depending on your needs, requirements and use case you may not need to. The majority of the 100+ features of a VMS are never even used. So when we say you don't need a sophisticated VMS, you can watch your cameras directly from a simple UI from VXG, or replay and download video directly from your cloud storage provider.

Technology

The technology is much simpler than you would think. It is an embedded firmware module that sits directly on the camera. There is no physical "plug-in" as the name presumes, it can be thought of as the camera having an application (extension) downloaded on it, making it connected directly to the cloud.

Camera plug-ins with direct cloud object storage recording allow selecting object storage per customer account.

Architecture

Cloud storage can be any S3 compatible storage service such as:

1. AWS S3
2. Seagate Lyve Cloud
3. Wasabi
4. Backblaze
5. Minio, etc.

This approach allows the customer to pay for cloud storage directly to the cloud provider. Many cloud storage providers offer a free tier that makes the entry barrier even lower. A customer will need to specify object storage credentials using VXG open API or through the VXG dashboard:

• URL
• Access ID
• Bucket name
• Secret Key

The video recorded in cloud storage can be accessed and played without VMS using any standard object storage browser, for example S3 Browser. The data is stored in standard MP4 files for video and JPEG files for images in simple and self-explanatory folders and files structure:

S3 Browser Example

Each camera has its folder and subfolders for each date, for example the folder “20211215” contains footage for December 15th, 2021. The file names contain the start time and the file duration, for example the file “034855.000032_main_d60.mp4“ contains 60 seconds (1 minute) of video, starting from 3:48:55 am.

The same recorded videos, as well as live video from cameras can be watched using VXG Cloud VMS and traditional Cloud VMS UI:

Value

The key values and advantages are you are not locked into any proprietary systems/services, and no recurring fees. It is a very low entry barrier with a simple one time perpetual based model. At VXG, we provide unlimited scalability and unmatched flexibility. We believe in the power of choice, with an open platform, and unlimited possibilities. The company is built from the ground up with this framework and core values in mind, with an open API, powerful integration tools, full customizations and white-labelling, and the power to make our solutions/technology your own. All with the goal to help you turn your operations more efficient, make intelligent business decisions, and receive significant cost savings. You can take our source code and technology, and build your ideal video management solution.

Only a few other companies are doing this, but they are locking you into using their cameras, VMS or other proprietary systems. Imagine paying for Netflix and then deciding to cancel your subscription and your TV stops working!

The cloud camera plug-in technology is already completed for AXIS cameras and is now being done for Hanwha (Q2, 2022). The roadmap is to complete this for all major camera brands and is customer driven for other manufacturers. So if you have a camera brand you would like to have this cloud plug-in built for, contact us to learn more.

With such a rise in the ubiquity of cloud adoption, it’s fair to say we’re living in the golden age of cloud services.

About VXG

VXG delivers the fastest, most robust path to true cloud video surveillance. The secure, open platform (no vendor lock-ins) is easy to use, works with any new or existing IP camera and provides the flexibility and scalability to meet your evolving needs. You can fully white-label and customize the entire solution to your exact specifications, with industry leasing pricing that achieves up to 100x cost savings.

VXG now has cloud camera plug-in technology that makes cameras plug & play and connected directly to the cloud. Our Knowledge Base is a great resource for more information.

Contact

Andrew Hurley, VP Sales & Marketing andrew@videoexpertsgroup.com m: 1-866-416-0159 ex. 104