gdp's Comments

Managed Video as a Service : One 2011 Retail Trend that Could Cost You

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 05:36:36 +0000

I don't see the value of mobile PoS in QSR. Can you comment on the fit?

Managed Video as a Service : Envysion is not a VSaaS provider

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:00:12 +0000

I agree with the commenter above. The other distinction I would make is the target market of these offerings. Envysion, more than anyone else with the VSaaS label has focused at building a solution for multi-site retailers/restaurants. Most of the other solutions are residential or SMB focused. To that end, I'd actually be surprised if Envysion ran into these other 'VSaaS' providers.

Managed Video as a Service : Are Your Free Samples Costing You? Find out with MVaaS.

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:19:35 +0000

Thanks, Hayley, lots of systems having PoS integration. It's not a unique feature to Envysion nor managed video. I am still a little confused on the workflow. Let's say I am the cheese sampler and you are the auditor. Who can you tell if I bought the cheese? When you see me eating the sample, there's no other known information about me. At best, it seems you could guess that I bought the cheese if I picked it up but I am not sure how you can know via PoS unless you first scan forward and find me at the register (which will have to be manual because you don't have any knowledge of the subject personally).

Managed Video as a Service : Are Your Free Samples Costing You? Find out with MVaaS.

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:53:25 +0000

Hayley, how do you do that efficiently? Let's say I am the manager/investigator/auditor. I watch the video but then what? Do I just watch in real time and try to see if someone picks up a block of cheese after eating a sample? Second, what does managed video enable that I cannot do with a 'regular' DVR and a remote client?

Managed Video as a Service : Is service built-in to your video management system?

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 02:32:30 +0000

Darren, What do you do if someone asks a basic 'how to' question? - e.g., I can't find video from last tuesday, i am not sure how to export a video clip, etc.? When you say you have online help, do you use an embedded chat tool? In other words, how do you help? Do they need to call in a phone number?

Managed Video as a Service : Envysion Video adds Firefox and Windows 7 support

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 03:08:52 +0000

Hi Darren, Do you require a Java Applet or Flash to run in Firefox? Are any functionalities restricted in Firefox that are available in IE?

Managed Video as a Service : Integrator (or Value Chain) Evolution? Customers will drive change

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 06:38:07 +0000

If you are using managed video, why do you need the integrator of the future? Why do you need an integrator at all? Without having to configure servers on site, the need for skilled integrators goes down. Why not simply get an installation company to drop in cameras and cabling? The SSN piece talks about policy and software development, Stanford MBAs, etc. Managed and hosted video reduce the need for such complexity and sophisticated personnel.

Managed Video as a Service : MVaaS one of IMS top trends for 2010

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 04:57:24 +0000

Why is 2010 going to be a 'game changing year'? No doubt managed/hosted video will continue to gain adoption and recognition but it's not clear what specific technologies, trends or events is going to make it 'game changing'? It seems more likely that 2010 will be more of a steady increase but not a dramatic breakthrough. Granted IMS prediction is fairly vague (move into the limelight) but I am curious to understand more of what specifically will happen.

Managed Video as a Service : More thoughts on state of market

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 05:54:20 +0000

Thanks for sharing what you are seeing in the retail market. I think all 3 themes make a lot of sense. I am wondering if your retailer customers/prospects are concerned about going out of business in the next year (or if they should be concerned). I was just reading the NYTimes article on the poor 'back to school' sales figures. I am wondering how long some of these retailers can continue with such downward pressure on prices and volume. Thoughts?

Managed Video as a Service : Don't confuse Managed Video, SaaS and Hosted Video

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:35:26 +0000

"I fundamentally disagree with the premise that the future of Video Surveillance as a Service is eliminating on-site recording" While I do not believe that eliminating on-site recording is practical (now or in the near term future), most of the vendors and industry people who are excited about this are advocating/premising the eliminate of on-site recording. As such, it needs to be addressed. SaaS model appeal: "scalability of the solution and the ability to continually update and enhance the service" For video surveillance, i think remote upgrades from the managed provider are a nice to have. Most users would certainly welcome but I don't many would pay more or choose one vendor based on that feature. For scalability, I just don't think remote access of video surveillance is as important as remote access of e-mail or CRM. I do think some organizations will choose a vendor because of this feature (especially in QSR where the sites are so distributed) but I don't think this will generally be the case in many other surveillance markets (offices, hospitals, utilities, etc.). "We’ve seen customers drive 10-15% improvements in bottom line profitability by using our service extensively as part of their standard operating practices. " What features are driving these improvements? How much comes from managed video versus PoS integration and exception based recording? I think most of the value drives from the later, meaning that if you suddenly stopped offering managed video but still provided PoS and EBR, that the profitability improvements would be similar.

Managed Video as a Service : The Hawthorne Effect

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 18:23:20 +0000

A similar concern is raised about public video surveillance systems. Often, immediately after a system is installed, the crime rate drops. One theory is that this is simply because people see the cameras and temporarily shift behavior. Some argue that this effect wears over time. I think the critical question to determine the long term impact is whether a system can really identify and/or stop crimes. If they can, the savings should carry long term. If they cannot, people will realize that the system is simply a 'scarecrow' and return to their (criminal) activities.

Managed Video as a Service : Axis talks about SaaS benefits

Tue, 26 May 2009 21:42:19 +0000

Hi Matt, I agree about the confusion with the market about what SaaS means. The reality is that most video surveillance professionals are focused on the promise of recurring revenue. Details like architecture and actual implementation is, unfortunately, secondary.

Managed Video as a Service : Point of Sale Integration Reality

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:18:20 +0000

Hi Matt, Very True. It's tough because when you ask most DVR/VMS manufacturers about PoS support, their response is "Yes, we have it" rather than what systems they support. I think some is ignorance but it's also a manipulation issue where certain vendors figure they can always add support after they win the deal. In general, 3rd party system integration suffers from this problem. You see the same pattern of problems with access control support as well. I wonder about ways to solve this problem. Perhaps an independent directory of features and systems supported could be established that would provide a reference of what really is supported. Best, John

Managed Video as a Service : Securing IP Cameras

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:03:09 +0000

Hi Darren, Great post. As you are surveying and testing IP cameras for Envysion to support, do you see major differences between camera vendors? As in, do you think some vendors are significantly more secure than others? From a network/IT management perspective, would this be an important factor in deciding on cameras to recommend? Thanks, John

Managed Video as a Service : Economy Hits Video Providers

Fri, 5 Dec 2008 05:50:23 +0000

Hi Matt, Interestingly enough, March is looking at SaaS/hosted services as a key growth driver. See: http://www.marchnetworks.com/Resources/AppNote/69...http://www.marchnetworks.com/Resources/TechnicalP...http://www.marchnetworks.com/News/15/9/2008/322.a... Best, John

Managed Video as a Service : More than enough is enough

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:15:53 +0000

Hi Matt, What are users going to store? I don't see a broad need for a lot of storage. Let's say each store has 1 event per day that is a few minutes and consumes 10MB of storage. That's 36GB per year of storage needed. I think 1 event per day is really high in terms of evidence one would want to keep. I assume there are niche use cases out there. However, I have done central storage for a number of end users and while they enjoy the safety and convenience of permanent off-site storage of video from key incidents, the storage consumption in GBs has been trivial. Thoughts?

Managed Video as a Service : Downloadable appliance?

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:20:33 +0000

I think segments with large camera counts but low IT skills would benefit. Example would include schools, big box retailers, prisons.

Managed Video as a Service : Downloadable appliance?

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:40:05 +0000

Hi Darren, once you have to install capture cards on site, I feel it defeats the purpose of virtual appliances. If you have a QSR with 500 sites, the cost and complexity of installing capture cards becomes quite inefficient. I pretty much think you are stuck with deploying appliances until IP cameras become mainstream in your core markets (which may not be for years).

Managed Video as a Service : Downloadable appliance?

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:11:57 +0000

One of the aspects I like with virtual appliances is that they reduce the risk of the installer making a mistake and cut down on the time to set up. How would you support analog cameras? One of the big advantages of traditional appliances is the built in encoder card. And given how significant analog cameras are to Envysion's core market, how would this work?

Managed Video as a Service : Companies are still spending

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:19:10 +0000

Hi Matt, First, I think it's great that you are sharing such information. I am pleasantly surprised as I am used to CEOs with happy ears, committing the prospect's entire account to the next quarter's number, regardless of what the prospect actually said. Two questions: The title of your post is "Companies are still spending." However, only 2 of the 4 are interested in pilots and, from your description, none are claiming to do broad roll-outs right away. So are companies really spending or are they "kicking the tires"? How would you compare retailer's outlook for video surveillance spending today to 6 months ago? From my discussions with retailers, the outlook of many has deteriorated over the last 6 months. Best, John