Subscriber Discussion

Briefcam New Outsider CEO Promises Exponential Growth

Avatar
Brian Karas
Jul 25, 2017
IPVM
Briefcam has struggled in the market since their launch a decade ago, failing to achieve widespread adoption, though they have managed to close some notable accounts. Now, the company has a new CEO, f...

Read the full report here
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Aug 01, 2017

The usual challenge.

The sales team is told "Bring us the opportunities!"  What they hear is "Bring us opportunities to decline".

This happens with almost all integrations because the risk/reward is hard to calculate.

Chicken, meet egg.

(1)
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
Aug 01, 2017

"Though Briefcam has not achieved the massive adoption they may have hoped for"

Although they have a great product and relatively "cost effective" licensing per channel, they position themselves in the high-end projects. They will never be able to target the mass market and lower end (not even low end as in a cheap project, but lower camera count projects) because of their minimum channel licensing policy. It is hard to convince a small site of about 20 cameras to use briefcam when their minimum licensed camera count is so much higher than that, which brings the price of the product to top-tier level, not suitable for the "mass" market.

That is what I think... I could be wrong though... Briefcam know their market better than we do... 

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #4
Aug 01, 2017

Check FLIR RapidRecap. They launched their service in consumer a while ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-nwfFg5yiI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xgqlaWnKmo

U
Undisclosed #3
Aug 01, 2017

"they position themselves in the high-end projects. They will never be able to target the mass market and lower end"

 

(2)
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
Aug 01, 2017

I think you pretty clear saw that this is FLIR version of Briefcam, which is targeted for any size of project.

I was talking about the pure Briefcam product

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #6
Aug 15, 2017

AFAIK Briefcam has patents for this; they will probably complain/suit/negotiate;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_synopsis#Patents

anyway, looks like Russians dont care about patents; see http://www.axxonsoft.com/products/axxon_next/time_compressor.php

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Aug 01, 2017

The full Briefcam product needs to integrate to other VMS platforms to work.  My point was, without those developments it will reduce the ability to grow and this is common in our industry as a limiter. 

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 01, 2017

I personally was a fan of BriefCam.  It's a solid analytic, that's easy to use and extremely effective for reviewing a day's worth of video in minutes.  I brought them into several end users who were excited about the retail LP benefits.  Whenever it came to pricing, they priced themselves well out of the job, even before I could put my margins into it.  In my opinion if they want to compete, they need to offer large project discounts and competitive pricing to other analytics out there.  

(2)
(1)
JH
John Honovich
Aug 01, 2017
IPVM

#5, good feedback!

Whenever it came to pricing, they priced themselves well out of the job

I believe that. A fundamental problem i see for them is that they are a separate component that needs to be sold separately, developed separately, integrated independently, etc.

It is too bad that this type of model cannot work economically better as it would allow for more outside innovation and add ons to systems but the way systems are sold and integrated, such add-ons are tough to sell, develop and support separately.

(2)
Avatar
Brian Karas
Aug 01, 2017
IPVM

It is too bad that this type of model cannot work economically better

VMS vendors need an "app store", where customers can easily buy/install/manage supported add-ons. Not just a listing of supported 3rd party products where the user needs to contact other companies to even get the software and figure out pricing, but an Apple/Google style app store.

Briefcam could be much more successful in a model where they did not need to have outside sales people, and the associated costs. 

(6)
MM
Michael Miller
Aug 01, 2017

UI#5 We have seen the same thing.  Customers love the demo and the solution but soon as it comes down to the price they can't justify the cost.   We would be way more successful with better pricing. 

(1)
JH
John Honovich
Aug 01, 2017
IPVM

Or Avigilon could acquire them and add Briefcam as a feature? I assume you'd approve :)

In all seriousness, Briefcam would be an interesting acquisition target for a larger VMS / video surveillance player that could 'plug' it in.

MM
Michael Miller
Aug 01, 2017

They are already fully integrated into ACC though most of the interest I have seen is in their standalone version which allows you to pull in 3rd party clips.   

JH
John Honovich
Aug 01, 2017
IPVM

To your price point objection, being owned by Avigilon would almost certainly reduce the total cost.

As for 'fully integrated', is Avigilon's website description wrong?

It implies that searching needs to be done in Briefcam's software?

MM
Michael Miller
Aug 01, 2017

Correct Breifcam can access the cameras directly in ACC without the need to export video and import it. 

JH
John Honovich
Aug 01, 2017
IPVM

Can you review / play back the synopsis inside of ACC or do you need to use Briefcam software for that?

MM
Michael Miller
Aug 01, 2017

Briefcam server connects to ACC server and accesses the cameras/recorded video.  You use Briefcam interface to run the synopsis.  

JH
John Honovich
Aug 01, 2017
IPVM

You use Briefcam interface to run the synopsis.

That's not fully integrated into ACC. Having to switch clients is a drawback.

(1)
MM
Michael Miller
Aug 01, 2017

Some people say it is an advantage and others do not.  All depends on how the customer uses the system.   

(1)
JH
John Honovich
Aug 01, 2017
IPVM

When you use Avigilon appearance search, do you use an Avigilon appearance search client or is it inside ACC?

Of course, it is inside ACC.

Overwhelmingly, users want video surveillance functionalities within the single video surveillance client, not to switch to other clients for different functions.

(1)
MM
Michael Miller
Aug 01, 2017

I have better things to do than argue with you about how customers use their systems.   I have seen some customers that want everything in one software interface and I have others that absolutely do not want everything in one interface.   I don't care either way as both have advantages and disadvantages.

(1)
JH
John Honovich
Aug 01, 2017
IPVM

Mike, you said it was 'fully integrated into ACC'. I have proven you wrong. Can't you just be fair and admit it?

(3)
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Aug 01, 2017

Having sold similar products myself to similar customers I concur with Michael that both ways are acceptable to some customers.

I would add that in order for adoption to be "exponential" it will have to work both ways equally as well. 

What the customer accepts isn't always what they desire.  

Customers manage value for things they accept and pay a premium for things they desire. 

JH
John Honovich
Aug 01, 2017
IPVM

both ways are acceptable to some customers.

But integrated is preferred easily 90% of the time.

Just look at products out there. Companies strive to have as many functionalities into a single client. That's why Avigilon does not give the 'option' of doing live video in one client and search in another client, and appearance search in a third client, and camera configuration in a 4th client, and maps in a 5th client, etc.

And this is not an academic debate - the fact that Briefcam is not fully integrated into most VMSes is a major barrier for their adoption and sales growth.

(3)
MM
Michael Miller
Aug 01, 2017

Price has way more to do with it then integration. 

JD
Jean-François Delaigle
Oct 10, 2017

""the fact that Briefcam is not fully integrated into most VMSes is a major barrier for their adoption and sales growth.""

 

There is more than that. They have 2 versions FS/FS+ (autonomous) and EP/EP+ (integrated in market leaders VMS).

FS series can handle files and EP series can handle streams from VMSs.

Investigation (police/state) forces prefer FS because they are used to work with video footage extracted from any type of NVRs in the course of the investigation process.

Police officers affected to city surveillance prefer the EP series, since it is integrated in their favorite VMS.

Unfortunately, most of the time our clients would prefer to benefit from the features of both the FS and the EP series, which is not possible (except for very large projects???).

This is a major drawback for the adoption of this product in more City surveillance product. Police can only use BRIEFCAM with the cameras already integrated within their VMS. External video footage cannot be processed by BRIEFCAM Syndex EP series. Of course, you can always acquire the FS and the EP, but this doubles the price.

Eventually, I have the impression that the product is more adapted to special forces/ investigation forces, but then it is much more difficult to sell than being on board of large city surveillance projects (even if we have managed to win some together with BRIEFCAM). 

That said, it is a remarkable video analytics product.

The breakthrough they are lacking is the capability to mix information for different cameras. The video synopsis is processed on a single stream-basis. You can not exploit the work done on the synopsis of camera A on camera B. Inter-camera processing would be incredible for investigators!

 

(1)
(1)
U
Undisclosed #7
Aug 15, 2017
IPVMU Certified

In all seriousness, Briefcam would be an interesting acquisition target for a larger VMS / video surveillance player that could 'plug' it in.

A company who wants too much for its product would want too much for the company ;)

(1)
UE
Undisclosed End User #8
Oct 03, 2018

Wow...the new CEO says Briefcam is "absolutely not [for sale]" but then a year later..."SOLD!" Oh, you mean things changed a lot in 12 months....we get it. 

FM
Frantz Mathias
Jun 18, 2019

What's up with Briefcam in 2019...?

 

Seems that after decade of hype and smokeware,  Video Analytics is still immature or/and too costly and too kludgy... :(

New discussion

Ask questions and get answers to your physical security questions from IPVM team members and fellow subscribers.

Newest discussions