One of the most effective ways to keep a site secure is through video surveillance. However, video management software can be expensive to maintain and take up valuable space, depending on the server setup behind it. This article covers what VMS is, the common deployment models, and how Scale Computing solutions help organizations consolidate their VMS infrastructure into a streamlined, reliable, and easier-to-manage system.
What Is Video Management Software?
Definition: Video management software, also called a video management system or VMS, collects and stores video footage from cameras and provides a user interface for viewing recorded video. Other features can include:
- Motion detection
- Distributed processing
- Audio and visual capture
- Alarm inputs and outputs
- Pan/tilt/zoom control
- License plate detection
- Digital recording
- Point of sale integration
- Fisheye dewarping
Video Management Software at the Edge
Traditional VMS software required large servers on site to run applications and store data, taking up valuable space. In addition, this legacy infrastructure needed dedicated IT staff to maintain it. To compound these issues, video surveillance systems have gotten far more complex, as the feature list above shows, and video quality has continued to improve, both of which put greater strain on the processing and storage systems required to run them. That's why Scale Computing has built VMS infrastructure solutions dedicated to reducing space and maintenance requirements at every location.
Types of Video Management Software
VMS deployments generally fall into three models, and the right one depends on factors such as the number of locations, connectivity, storage requirements, security needs, and how the system will be managed day-to-day.
On-Premises VMS: Footage is recorded, stored, and managed on servers physically located at the site, giving full local control over data but requiring hardware and IT support at each location.
Cloud-Managed VMS: Footage and management functions run through a cloud service, reducing on-site hardware but depending on reliable connectivity to move and access video.
Hybrid VMS: Recording and storage happen locally, often for bandwidth and reliability reasons, while management, remote viewing, and some analytics run through the cloud.
No single model is universally the right choice. An organization with strong, consistent connectivity and a preference for centralized management may lean toward cloud-managed VMS, while one with many remote or bandwidth-constrained locations may find a hybrid or on-premises approach more practical.
Scale Computing Solutions for VMS
Running VMS software on top of SC//HyperCore™ hyperconverged and edge computing IT infrastructure provides the storage capacity and performance needed for high-resolution cameras, helps organizations adhere to regulations and legal requirements, and provides immediate access to historical footage even if disks or servers have failed. SC//HyperCore adds further benefits, including high availability, failover, data redundancy, rolling upgrades for infrastructure maintenance, and the ability to scale compute and storage capacity as needs change.
With Scale Computing solutions, organizations can:
- Migrate video management software and access control applications from legacy IT infrastructure with less disruption
- Reduce complexity by simplifying deployments, improving security, and reducing operational risk
- Increase performance and lower costs by standardizing the delivery of video management software on SC//HyperCore software, which is built on virtualized, highly available, autonomous infrastructure
Popular VMS Platforms That Run on SC//HyperCore Software
The following video management platforms have been tested and verified to run on SC//HyperCore. It serves as the underlying infrastructure layer, while each company listed below provides the VMS software itself; this list is not a ranking, and no platform is positioned as the best fit for every organization.
Milestone XProtect: Confirmed as Milestone Verified and listed in the Milestone Marketplace for compatibility.
Genetec Security Center / Omnicast: Runs on SC//HyperCore software as part of a broader unified security platform deployment.
Digital Watchdog DW Spectrum: Dedicated Scale Computing partner detailing compatibility and joint deployments.
Blue Iris: Runs on SC//HyperCore software for organizations using this platform for video management.
Pelco VideoXpert: Compatible infrastructure for video management deployments.
Identiv Velocity Vision: Confirmed through a dedicated Scale Computing partnership.
Conclusion
Video management software is a core part of modern video surveillance, but how reliably it performs depends heavily on the infrastructure running underneath it. SC//HyperCore software gives VMS workloads the storage capacity, high availability, and remote manageability they need, while reducing the IT infrastructure footprint required across distributed locations. For organizations weighing centralized versus distributed infrastructure approaches to video and security systems, the right VMS deployment model paired with the right infrastructure can meaningfully cut both cost and complexity.