Video Management Software Saves Installation Labor and Increases RMR

OpenEye Web Services (OWS) is a powerful Web-enabled video management platform that improves operational efficiency and drives value across the entire organization, the company stated. Designed and developed from the ground up, the OpenEye Web Services platform makes the integrator and end user more profitable by delivering innovative solutions that reduce installation labor, decrease support costs and create new recurring revenue.

As a managed video surveillance as a service (MVSaaS) that can also be sold as a traditional VMS, OWS lets integrators generate recurring monthly revenue by offering customers convenient remote access to recorders, centralized user management, trouble-free remote connectivity, and the ability to store or share video clips in the cloud. The OWS platform can be branded with the integrator’s company logo and includes features to enable time-based service or lease sales programs.

“OWS is designed to enable recurring revenue for our integration partners,” said Rick Sheppard, CEO, OpenEye, Liberty Lake, Wash. “In today’s world most end users are used to paying for Web services. OWS is truly a service that most end users will become reliant on very quickly, given the real-world problems it solves for them. It is designed to enable a number of actively managed services such as updates, user permissions, monitoring the overall health of the system through the cloud, and more.”

OWS makes jobs more profitable by streamlining recorder installation and configuration, reducing labor costs. The plug-and-play recorders automatically connect to Open Eye cameras and begin recording. Complex port forwarding and routing are eliminated, thanks to OWS’s automated network setup functions. The Apex Web Client eliminates the need to install remote software on client PCs and all configurations can be performed remotely, saving valuable time in the field.

“Many VMS platforms require some specialized networking skill sets,” Sheppard said. “This platform can be installed by a much less skilled technician in terms of their IT capabilities. The reason for that is upon installation, the NVR or appliance automatically connects to OpenEye Web Services. You don’t need to port forward or open any inbound ports. For the integrator it can simplify that onsite installation experience and all system programming can be done by a specialist at the office, without any VPN access.”

Because it doesn’t require an open port, OWS also protects the data on both the client side and the integrator side, he added.

OWS saves integrators money by centralizing management of customers’ recorders, and decreasing time spent on non-billable support hours. Remotely access recorder settings, push software updates, and manage recorder access from a central Web location, all without needing to log in to individual systems. Connection settings and permissions are stored in the cloud so you never need to manually enter connection information into mobile apps or remote software.

“Because all servers and client software maintain a thin, lightweight persistent connection with the cloud, it can detect when the server or client software is in need of update and enable the integrator to deploy that update with a single click,” Sheppard explained. “A lot of the functions the system is capable of are currently available in other products, but the key difference is the end user is not required to deploy and host their own enterprise servers to handle all of the user management, software updates, health monitoring, etc. We have moved all that functionality into the cloud and it is completely accessible through a very easy-to-use Web front end.”

OWS merges core security needs into a single integrated platform.

“These NVRs can be deployed in a traditional manner,” Sheppard said. “But it is really the Web service that sits over the top of it that ties everything together and works the magic in terms of reducing the complexity of networking, simplifying enterprise management of the solution, keeping the system up to date and monitoring the health on an ongoing basis.”

OWS will be officially launched at ISC West in April and can be viewed at the OpenEye booth #17101.

Visit www.openeye.net/products/software/openeye-web-services for more information.

As the Editor-in-Chief of SDM, Karyn Hodgson is responsible for the overall editorial direction of the magazine, its supplements, e-newsletters and website. She works with the SDM editorial staff to develop content that helps security dealers and systems integrators operate successful businesses. Karyn represents SDM at trade shows and conferences, and directs exclusive research studies such as the SDM Industry Forecast. She also manages SDM’s Dealer of the Year and Systems Integrator of the Year Award programs. Karyn has an MSJ in Journalism (magazine publishing) degree from Northwestern University, and more than 25 years’ experience writing for and about the security industry. Contact Karyn with article ideas.

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