The cloud on

the horizon
How to make the transition to cloud
technology simple and easy
2

CLOUD COMPUTING
HAS TRANSFORMED
ENTIRE INDUSTRIES.
There are few organisations today with business models or
products and services that aren’t influenced by the cloud.

Now, the technologies available today allow us to
rethink the way we design business systems, and video
management systems (VMS) in particular. Both on-premise
and cloud-based VMS systems offer different benefits, and
an organisation should consider what best meets its own
needs. This white paper will help you make that choice.
According to Gartner, the cloud computing market is
expected to grow by 17% in 2020 to total $266.4 billion
worldwide, up from $227.8 billion in 2019. As Gartner
reports, cloud adoption has become mainstream with many
next-generation solutions only accessible to businesses that
use the cloud. That’s why up to a third of total IT spend is
on cloud investments - preparing many businesses for a
cloud-first future. For example, the majority of smart city
infrastructure will use the cloud to communicate, transfer,
and analyse data to improve operations and public safety.
Yet, for many, the cloud and the terminology surrounding
it can be difficult to understand. Especially because the
common understanding of ‘the cloud’ and its opportunities
is constantly evolving.
To help you figure out the cloud and how it fits into your
video management strategy, Milestone has created
this white paper. It will help you better understand the
opportunities for cloud computing (and its use cases), the
benefits of using cloud computing, the security of the cloud,
how Milestone is embracing cloud computing, and the
benefits of this move to end-users and resellers.

The cloud on the horizon

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WHAT IS THE CLOUD?

Cloud computing, also known as the cloud, is the use of computing resources
such as servers, databases, data storage, data analysis, networking, software
applications, and automation/machine learning, over the Internet.

This provides the ability to innovate and iterate more
quickly with less risk (due to scalable costs), scale
operations more cost-effectively and flexibly, and benefit
from economies of scale.
It signals a big shift from the traditional way that business
leaders think about IT resources, from the large upfront
investment needed for on-premise solutions to the
ongoing and flexible regular costs associated with different
cloud solutions.

The types of cloud computing

Public
There are three types of cloud that organisations can available to anyone to purchase
use, public (available to anyone to purchase), private (IT
services are delivered over a private infrastructure for one
organisation), and hybrid (a mix of the two).

The vast majority of organisations use public cloud services Private

like AWS (Amazon Web Services). In a recent survey, the IT services are delivered over a private
number of respondents adopting the public cloud is 91%, infrastructure for one organisation
while those using a private cloud is 72%. Some 69% of these
respondents use at least one private and one public cloud
solution, taking a hybrid approach. For the purposes of this
white paper, we will focus on the public cloud, as it provides
the global infrastructure, system performance, product
Hybrid
a mix of the two
innovation and scalability necessary to run a VMS effectively.

The cloud on the horizon

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WHY MOVE TO
THE CLOUD?
You may be wondering why your organisation should invest in cloud computing in
the first place, especially if on-premise solutions have served you well for decades.
Simply put, today’s cloud computing services are only the
beginning of what’s in store for business leaders. Forward-
thinking technology like automation, advanced data
analysis, and artificial intelligence (AI) are underpinned by
the cloud.
By 2022, Gartner predicts that the market size and growth
of the cloud services industry will be three times the growth
of overall IT services. Some software vendors are already
Benefits are leading adoption
The benefits of moving to the cloud are also encouraging
more leaders to experiment with cloud technology. Cloud
computing is scalable to each business’ needs, making it
more cost-effective and responsive to up and downturns
in the market. Organisations only have to pay for the
resources that they use. There is also a faster time-to-
market for mission-critical services and applications, and the
ability to scale to new markets and locations. Vast amounts
shifting to cloud-only business models (30% of technology
providers’ new software investments were cloud-only in
2019). By failing to invest in the cloud, your organisation is
writing itself out of many incoming innovations.
This is why cloud computing is a top priority for many
business leaders. More than a third of organisations see
cloud investments as a top-three investing priority.
of computing resources can be provisioned in minutes,
taking the pressure off of capacity planning.
The cloud computing services offered by Amazon run on a
worldwide network of secure data centres that are regularly
upgraded. This gives greater performance compared to
a single corporate data centre, as well as continuity and
reliability benefits.
The cloud on the horizon
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THE CLOUD AND VIDEO

MANAGEMENT
Using the cloud for VMS usually removes much of the friction associated with
cost, maintenance, and the hardware dependencies involved in setting up and
maintaining an on-premise system.

The cloud can provide the same, full-feature compatibility
as an on-premise VMS, with instant access to the power and
storage necessary to run a system.
A cloud-based VMS can also be dynamically scaled to meet
an organisation’s needs, removing worries about capacity
planning, storage hardware, software maintenance or the
‘heavy lifting’ often involved in installing an on-premise VMS.
Lower total cost of ownership is also possible through the
lower upfront capital costs moving to the cloud typically
provides, as well as the greater efficiency and utilisation it
can deliver.
Again, that’s not to say that the cloud will – or should –
replace on-premise VMS completely. As has been made
clear already, each approach has its benefits: what works for
one organisation may not work for another.
Even then, it’s expected that cloud and on-premise solutions
will overlap in various forms of converged and hybrid
set-ups that will serve to protect the investment made in
on-premise video management technology and allow for
optimum functionality and load distribution - while adding
elements of cloud capabilities.

The cloud on the horizon

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SECURITY AND
THE CLOUD
The major service providers invest significant sums in securing their data centres,
both digitally and physically. This is because many have built their entire business
on the same cloud platform.
It makes security a top priority for cloud providers, any
breach will impact the core operations of the provider
as well as any customers hosted on its cloud. This is why
the likes of Amazon invest billions in security research,
innovation, and protection.
Cloud providers such as AWS are responsible for securing
the global infrastructure that underpins your cloud service,
including the hardware, software, networking, and facilities
Cloud versus on-premise security
Beyond this, the cloud offers higher security compared
to on-premise networks that may have become overly
complex as they have grown, and which typically
incorporate aging IT infrastructure - creating vulnerabilities
in the system. These networks tend to accumulate many
different security technologies (more than 20 on average)
that do not integrate or share a common management
system. Making it difficult for an in-house IT team to
maintain. Worse still, the various technologies may impede
one another on threat detection and enforcement.
In comparison, cloud providers use the same security
capabilities throughout their infrastructure, making it
much harder for potential hackers to find and exploit
vulnerabilities. Coupled with consistent patching and
monitoring, this makes the solutions extremely well
protected and - if an intruder does manage to get in - data
is nearly always stored in an encrypted format that must
be unscrambled to be of use. Essentially, the cloud gives
organisations of any size enterprise-grade security that
may not have been affordable to them otherwise.
that run AWS services. Its data centres are sited in different
locations around the world, while data is stored across
different servers, with different power supplies, providing
so-called ‘redundancy’ and allowing users to access their
data at any time in the knowledge that it is safe and secure.
What’s more, cloud providers’ systems and processes are
often audited by third-parties as a way to instil confidence
and ensure compliance with a variety of global security
standards and regulations.
Up-to-date capabilities
The cloud’s infrastructure also makes security architecture
changes much easier to implement. Whereas with an on-
premise system, changing vendors or tool types is often
difficult and expensive due to complexity, with the cloud,
such capabilities are done ‘as a service’. This means that
customers can easily trial new capabilities in their cloud
environments to assess the suitability and effectiveness
of each tool. Helping them to build effective and efficient
security processes that are up-to-date with the latest
advancements and threats.
Physical security
Cloud data centres are highly physically secure. Certified
data centres have 24-hour monitoring, fingerprint locks,
and guards. Such data centres are more secure than
almost all on-site data centres. Plus, because redundancy
is built in, business continuity is ensured regardless
of physical threats like fire, earthquakes or other
emergencies.
Covered by the cloud provider
A final security benefit comes in costs and maintenance.
When securing your data in the cloud, there are no costs
to maintaining the facilities or hardware. This is done
by the cloud provider. So, all you have to invest in is
software-based security tools to monitor and protect the
flow of information in and out of your cloud resources.
The cloud on the horizon
7
CLOUD BENEFITS
TO END-USERS
The benefits derived from using the cloud makes it particularly ideal for large and
multi-site enterprises, as well as public organisations and those investing in smart
city solutions. For end-users shifting to using a VMS in the cloud, there are several
benefits to the move:
Investment shifts
The cloud offers a reduced upfront investment (CAPEX
- capital expenditure) as organisations don’t have to
pay for server and storage hardware. Instead, ongoing
costs (usually monthly or annual) allow organisations
to procure the hardware needed to operate but as an
operating expense (OPEX). This allows for variable costs
that scale with usage. Not having a CAPEX investment
can also improve cash-flow as there are more financial
resources available to invest in other areas. OPEX costs
are also more predictable and can be planned for. Plus,
with a CAPEX infrastructure investment (like with on-
premises solutions) you will often have to buy for your
organisation’s maximum workload, instead of scaling to
demand.
Cost-efficiencies
Users only have to pay for the computing power, storage
and other resources used. This offers greater utilisation of
resources and cost-efficiencies. Some operations such as
server maintenance and physical security are carried out
by the cloud provider, which provides further cost-savings
for the end-user.
Scalability
End-users will also benefit from greater scalability as new
resources can be provisioned within minutes if needed.
If demand suddenly spikes, with a cloud solution you
can quickly upscale to meet this new demand and then
downscale to regular levels when appropriate. In contrast,
with an on-premise solution, you have to set a maximum
workload level in advance and, once this ceiling is met,
it can take days if not weeks to provision the increased
resources. If these greater demands are no longer
required, the upgraded on-premise resources often have
to be retained.
Global scalability is also easier. Multi-site installations, for
example, can be rolled out in any of the cloud provider’s
covered regions (for AWS this is North America, South
America, Europe, China, Asia Pacific, South Africa, and the
Middle East). Finally, devices and sites can be temporarily
added to the service when needed and then taken down
with minimal effort.
Increased hardware reliability and security
As discussed previously, moving to the cloud enables
end-users to benefit from a cloud provider’s significant
investment in security. The major providers have multiple
data centres across the globe and data can be mirrored
in more than one location, allowing for business and
information continuity in the event of a local catastrophe.
The cloud on the horizon
8
Benefits to system integrators
For system integrators, several benefits enhance
the use of Milestone products like XProtect, and
that continues the natural development of the
VMS on-site:
Growing your business
Instead of doing most of the heavy lifting in installing
and maintaining a customer’s XProtect solution, you can
focus on value-added services like consulting. Instead of
ordering, buying, and unboxing, racking and stacking the
solution, when deployed over the cloud, installation can
take mere minutes.
A competitive edge and differentiator
Supporting the use of the cloud in video management will
help set your business apart from the competition. Helping
you to cater to customers across the entire cloud adoption
spectrum, from those looking solely at on-premise
solutions to others who wish to embrace the cloud.
Addressing new market segments
Support installation via the cloud will help system
installers meet the need of a growing segment of
customers who are increasingly leveraging cloud services
in video management. It taps into the growing trend of
bringing the cloud to on-premise applications like video
surveillance. Furthermore, it can offer a global scale, with
providers like AWS operating out of regions worldwide,
from North America to Asia, Europe to the Middle East.
Reduced friction
Simplified dimensioning, ordering, and installation of
server hardware creates a more seamless customer
journey and reduces risk. Whereas before, it could take
weeks or even months to specify, buy, and install the right
hardware and software, installing XProtect via the cloud is
possible within 20 minutes.
Reducing on-site service visits
Trivial support cases can be addressed remotely, reducing
the number of on-site visits you have to make and
decreasing associated time, resource, and financial costs.
The cloud on the horizon
9

MILESTONE ON THE
CLOUD: XPROTECT ON
AWS
Deploying Milestone XProtect on AWS provides the best of Milestone will offer two products within the
both worlds to existing customers, prospects, and installers. AWS Marketplace:

XProtect on AWS offers a new way of designing XProtect
systems. It reduces on-premise hardware and leverages
AWS’ Infrastructure and Platform as a Service to remove the
friction involved in setting up and maintaining on-site VMS
systems.
XProtect Essential+: This is Milestone’s free fully-
featured XProtect product for up to 8 cameras/devices. The
product is staged with virtual cameras, pre-recorded Stable
FPS streams, and web/mobile access to provide an instant
out-of-box experience.

The result is a highly flexible VMS solution with elastic

XProtect VMS - BYOL: This is Milestone’s XProtect with
compute, storage, and networking, that can be scaled in
the same full feature compatibility as XProtect on-premise.
minutes to adjust to the distributed needs of any business.
It can be activated to run any XProtect product and requires
XProtect on AWS provides a user-experience identical to that
a paid license sold through Milestone’s existing channels.
of on-premise, allowing organisations to benefit from cloud
computing and deploy a solution with minimum friction and
maintenance requirements.

The cloud on the horizon

10

THE BENEFITS OF
XPROTECT ON AWS
With XProtect on AWS, customers will benefit from dynamic
scaling of compute, storage, and networking, so they no
longer have to worry about capacity planning, storage
hardware, or software maintenance. The solution can
be rolled out in any AWS Region, including within AWS
GovCloud (US) regions for government facilities and highly
regulated organisations. Cross-regional deployments and
multi-site installations are also possible, catering to global
organisations’ video management needs.
installed without redeploying the entire system. XProtect’s
deployment can also be complemented with AWS’ other
services, enabling customers to design systems that fully fit
their needs.
Using XProtect on AWS, customers will only have to pay for
the resources that they use, optimising their cost structure
by turning OPEX into CAPAX.

Remote or temporary sites can be easily added to your VMS

system in just a few clicks, and XProtect upgrades can be

Licensing Training courses Availability

Milestone will follow a BYOL (Bring
Your Own License) model. Using any
XProtect license sold by Milestone’s
current distribution channel further
simplifies the migration to the cloud
and ensures that no customer is left
behind in this new transition to the
cloud.
For those interested in learning how Milestone’s first product in AWS
to run XProtect on AWS, Milestone Marketplace will be the XProtect
will offer a training and eLearning 2020 R2 release available from June
program to all channel partners and 9, 2020, in all AWS availability zones
end-customers free of charge. The worldwide.
following courses will be available.
Visit our website to book your place.
a) Exploring Milestone Cloud Solutions
b) Communicating AWS value
c) Designing XProtect on AWS
d) Deploying XProtect on AWS

The cloud on the horizon

Ready to start
exploring?
Whether you are an end-user interested in XProtect
on AWS, or a system installer keen to see how
offering XProtect on AWS can provide new business
opportunities, find out more by visiting here.

For more information visit:

www.milestonesys.com