Video storage focused on Milestone

CCTV Handbook 2021 Surveillance

Video Storage Solutions (VSS) was formed with the single objective of providing system integrators who are part of the Milestone Community with verified video recording and storage appliances through authorised distributors.

A division of the BCD International brand of companies, VSS specialises in offering video appliances that are pre-engineered with Milestone XProtect, Seagate Skyhawk surveillance-grade drives and its Storage Accelerator, which significantly increases storage scalability, performance and reliability for Milestone Systems’ projects. (VSS is distributed in South Africa by First Distribution’s Digital Security & IoT Division.)

In its decade-old relationship with Milestone, BCD International currently has more than 37 000 Milestone-infused systems recording over 3 000 000 cameras on six continents.

VSS is a one-stop-shop for pre-engineered Milestone-verified appliances that can withstand the taxing video data write load of systems with high camera counts.

Practical benefits

Here are six key reasons why Milestone users and integrators should consider the VSS portfolio.

Guaranteed performance. The VSS engineering team certifies the bandwidth capabilities of each appliance ordered through one of its authorised distributors. System integrators can rest assured that they are delivering an effective video recording and storage solution with guaranteed performance, provided bandwidth requirements do not exceed the appliance’s specification.

Performance with VSS Storage Accelerator. Unique to VSS (and other BCD International-branded appliances) the VSS Storage Accelerator eliminates disk I/O bandwidth bottlenecks. With the ability to process 700 Mbps of throughput on a single 1 GbE NIC, data captured by up to 700 cameras can be efficiently recorded on a single server – all without the expense and space requirements of 15 000 high-speed drives. Since there is more storage in a single appliance, fewer appliances are needed which ultimately creates a more competitive environment for Milestone.

Privacy compliance. Unlike standard warranties that do not allow users to retain hard drives which have failed, both the 3- and 5-year global on-site, next business day, Keep Your Hard Drive Warranty negates the need for customers to have to choose between risking sensitive data falling into the wrong hands or insisting on keeping a faulty hard drive. The latter option likely means they will be breaking the terms of most existing standard warranty agreements.

Pre-sales support services. VSS customers have access to a broad range of services, including RFP response assistance, as well as support with network architecture design, value engineering proposals and bandwidth and storage requirement calculations.

Post-sales support. VSS appliances have a proven track record of reliability. However, should a fault occur, a certified engineer will be assigned to provide first-line hardware and OS support. VSS customers can be assured that this support will remain in place for the lifetime of a project.

Lower cost of ownership. When you take all the above factors into account, VSS delivers solutions that lower the total cost of ownership and are the most cost-effective over the three or five years that the integrator has the project under contract.


Harmonize iDRAC Plug-in for Milestone Systems XProtect VMS

BCD International announced its Harmonize iDRAC plug-in integration with Milestone Systems XProtect VMS. iDRAC, which stands for Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller, is a health monitoring agent for secure remote and local server management, powered by Dell Technologies, that resides on BCD servers and appliances.

BCD has taken the iDRAC service and tightly integrated it with XProtect so that hardware events, notifications and alarms are now presented within the VMS. Now, end-users and system integrators can monitor iDRAC features, such as hard disk status, temperatures, fan speed and power supplies, through XProtect.

BCD’s Harmonize software suite ingests the iDRAC API and listens for specific events, such as drive failure and shares this critical system information in real-time to operators. The integration ultimately empowers end-users and system integrators to be ahead of failures and proactively manage any server crashes that may happen. It also gives them insight as to how well or poor the server resources are being utilised by being able to monitor central processing unit (CPU) and random access memory (RAM) consumption.




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

AI human detection cameras vs outdoor detectors
Provision ISR SA Surveillance
The advancement of technology has revolutionised many aspects of security systems, notably in the transition from traditional outdoor alarm detectors to modern, AI-based, human-detection IP cameras, which offer many benefits.

Read more...
Safeguarding farmland with digital solutions
Axis Communications SA Surveillance
Marlenique Estate, located in the Western Cape, opted for an Axis end-to-end solution to protect its premises with access management, remote monitoring, and property and asset protection.

Read more...
Cutting costs and enhancing security
Secutel Technologies Surveillance
[Sponsored] Visual verification, powered by the Secutel Visual Verifier, detects and verifies intrusions and physical attacks and ensures comprehensive protection in areas where high-value losses are at risk.

Read more...
Supercharge surveillance with AXIS Camera Station Pro
Duxbury Networking Surveillance Products & Solutions
Designed to put efficient surveillance at users’ fingertips with an intuitive interface that is easy to operate, AXIS Camera Station Pro 6.2 provides a customisable video management and access control solution for companies of all sizes.

Read more...
Easy, secure access for student apartments
Paxton Access Control & Identity Management Surveillance
Enhancing Security and Convenience at Beau Vie II Student Accommodation, a student apartment block located at Banghoek Road, Stellenbosch, with Paxton's access control and video management solution

Read more...
SMART Surveillance at the Indaba
SMART Security Solutions Editor's Choice Surveillance Videos
SMART Security Solutions hosted its second SMART Surveillance conference, focusing on a range of topics related to the video surveillance market, on July 11th, 2024, at the Indaba Conference Centre in Fourways.

Read more...
Horn speakers from Sunell
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Horn speakers are an effective tool for actively deterring intruders from entering estates. By emitting loud, clear audio warnings, horn speakers can alert trespassers that they have been detected and are being monitored.

Read more...
Sunell’s range of thermal cameras
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Thermal cameras offer significant value to estate security. Their ability to provide reliable surveillance in all lighting and weather conditions ensures continuous monitoring, providing a constant sense of security and reducing the likelihood of security breaches.

Read more...
Integrating radar and surveillance
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Integrating radar with CCTV video systems significantly enhances estate security by providing long-range threat detection and comprehensive monitoring capabilities. This combination leverages the strengths of both technologies, offering several key benefits.

Read more...
Sunell anti-corrosion cameras
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
With Sunell’s anti-corrosion range of cameras, the initial investment in anti-corrosion CCTV cameras may be higher than standard cameras, but the long-term benefits outweigh the upfront costs.

Read more...