5 Questions You Should Ask Your Video Surveillance Provider About Its Cloud

Not all clouds are created equally. There are public clouds, offered by public companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud, that cater to a large number of users. Users pay as needed, but are subject to the policies and security measures implemented by the cloud provider. Then, there are private cloud computing platforms, which are cloud storage options specific to a particular company. These clouds can be hosted independently by a company or offered through a third-party cloud vendor, allowing for maximum flexibility and security at an affordable rate. Finally, there are hybrid clouds, which use a mix of on-premise, private cloud, and third-party public cloud services. 

Regardless of which option you choose for your video surveillance system, you should know what it’s costing, how it’s architected, where your video is being stored, and how secure it is. Ask these questions to better understand your vendor’s offering …

Q1. What are the costs associated with cloud computing?

Storing video in the cloud can be an expensive proposition, particularly if you go with a public cloud provider, many of which make significant gross margin on storage. Private clouds, such as Eagle Eye’s, provide better pricing in the long run because they use their own storage. In addition, users avoid gross margin stacking with private data centers.

Customer TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) is lower with a private cloud because users:

• Get cost-effective long-term storage
• Have no software to install or manage
• Only pay for storage used
• Reduce IT staffing costs
• Lower upfront capital expenditures 
• Gain compliance assurance
• Avoid technology obsolescence
• Redeploy (or reduce) staff
• Incur no maintenance/warranty fees

Q2. For what specifically is your cloud architected?

The Eagle Eye cloud is architected specifically for storing video, as opposed to many public clouds which are architected for object storage. Because it’s purpose-built, the Eagle Eye cloud is more efficient and faster for video, as it’s designed to minimize latency within the data center. In addition, by eliminating the middleman, Eagle Eye and its technology partners have much more freedom to innovate on the platform. 

Another important differentiation between public clouds and the Eagle Eye private cloud is it doesn’t just store your video – it enables users to manage, play, retrieve, share, archive, and delete video securely through its entire lifecycle. And, it allows for remote maintenance, flexible retention, and scalability. 

Q3. In what country is our video recording being stored?

Let’s say you work in a country with specific regulatory requirements around data privacy (think GDPR in the U.K). Or your company has a corporate policy that dictates where your data is stored. Or you need the ability to quickly and easily comply with legal requests for data from various government entities. In any of these scenarios, you would need your data stored in the same geographic location where you do business. 

Eagle Eye Networks operates 10 data centers throughout North America, Asia, and Europe, for the storage and management of surveillance video. Contrarily, public clouds like AWS don’t always provide data centers in locations customers want or need.  

Q4. How cyber secure is your solution?

Eagle Eye’s own cloud can provide enhanced cybersecurity because Eagle Eye controls the architecture of the data center. To further secure customers’ data, Eagle Eye Cloud VMS offers:

• Secure encryption to buffered and locally recorded video
• Constant monitoring against threats
• No open ports or onsite firewalls
• No onsite software to patch (updates are automatic)
• Triple redundant storage for events
• Two-factor authentication 

Q5. If your cloud service doesn’t meet my needs, can I easily change providers?

Cameras can be expensive and laborious to install. Many require lifts or scaffolding; some may even need permits and inspections. Make sure you don’t get locked into proprietary hardware with a VMS provider. Eagle Eye Cloud VMS is compatible with more than 3,000 cameras from leading manufacturers, so there’s no need to rip and replace your entire technology infrastructure, which preserves and protects your existing investment.