Value-added resellers (VARs) and systems integrators (SIs) with expertise in video surveillance have an opportunity to capitalize on a growing market. Prescient & Strategic Intelligence predicts the global Video Surveillance as a Service market, valued at more than $2.992 billion in 2021, will grow at an 18.3 percent CAGR to reach $25.584 billion by 2030.
Instead of installing video surveillance equipment and leaving updates and maintenance up to the end user, Video Surveillance as a Service is a complete, managed video surveillance solution. Additionally, the system can include sensors, smart cameras, in-system analytics, and a range of cloud services to enhance video surveillance capabilities.
Cloud is key. Video captured at a facility can be quickly shared to the cloud for access by remote teams and business leaders. It enables faster responses and protection from evidence tampering. Solutions providers can add value with data compression services, system configuration, updates, data storage and backup, remote management, and setting up alert triggers.
Current Video Surveillance Trends
Although the market declined during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it rebounded with growth beginning in 2021. Component shortages and supply chain disruptions caused a bump in prices, which Novaira Insights points out is the first time network camera prices increased. However, pent-up demand overcame finances, and the market grew – and demand continues.
Strategic Partnerships characterizes demand as “never greater” among public safety organizations that link to cameras that enable information to first responders, particularly in high-crime areas. Transit authorities are upgrading video technology to help protect riders and protect assets. Government agencies are also deploying video surveillance to protect employees.
Peter Heinicke, CEO of Precision Computer Methods, Inc. and a member of The ASCII Group since 2017, says his company is seeing an increased demand for Video Surveillance as a Service.
“We have seen an increased demand for video surveillance because of societal unrest. We do some work for politically sensitive service organizations, and they have seen threats of vandalism and actual vandalism in other states for the same type of organization.”
The changing workforce is also driving demand. Smart video surveillance systems can allow companies to reduce the number of security guards necessary to protect a facility and the ability to surveil vacant commercial buildings without posting guards at those sites. With labor in short supply, Video Surveillance as a Service allows a security team to monitor more locations remotely.
How to Provide a Video Surveillance as a Service Solution
Heinicke says today’s optimal solutions are quite different than it was two decades ago. “The system is Power over Ethernet (POE), with Ethernet-based video cameras which can be remotely controlled, zoomed, aimed, restarted and heated if necessary.” He adds that the most secure systems are hardwired with data stored on a local hard drive before it’s sent to cloud storage the same day.
Heinicke’s company partners to provide Video Surveillance as a Service to clients. “We outsource our video surveillance system installation and procurement to a local provider. Then, we monitor the software which can be installed on any workstation or smartphone,” he explains.
Sell on Value
Offering Video Surveillance as a Service decreases the upfront costs of a surveillance system, but cost isn’t necessarily what will capture a prospect’s attention.
Because a bump in crime may be driving the purchase, it may be more beneficial for you to focus on the system’s reliability and redundancy. These cloud systems have high uptime SLAs and built-in redundancy that would be cost-prohibitive with an on-premises system. Additionally, Video Surveillance as a Service systems allow a company to monitor more sites with fewer employees, but they also require fewer on-site IT resources. Your business provides managed services to keep the system optimized, secure, and maintained so their in-house IT teams can focus on other tasks.
Cloud-based Video Surveillance as a Service systems also scale more easily, allowing a company to add cameras, manage bandwidth, and connect to other systems more easily than an on-premises solution.
Explain these advantages along with a reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) to demonstrate to your prospects that Video Surveillance as a Service is the right solution for today’s climate, workforce, and continual change.
About The ASCII Group, Inc.
The ASCII Group is the premier community of North American MSPs, MSSPs, VARs and solution providers. The group has over 1,300 members located throughout the U.S. and Canada, and membership encompasses everyone from credentialed MSPs serving the SMB community to multi-location solution providers with a national reach. Founded in 1984, ASCII provides services to members including leveraged purchasing programs, education and training, marketing assistance, extensive peer interaction and more. ASCII works with a vibrant ecosystem of major technology vendors that complement the ASCII community and support the mission of helping MSPs and VARs to grow their businesses. For more information, please visit www.ascii.com.
