I will agree that Pelco's video management software, VideoXpert (aka the ecosystem) is manufactured with a guiding principle to deliver maximum performance from Pelco products (for example, IP cameras). After all, if Pelco doesn't build the ideal ecosystem for its own products, who else will have the motivation to do so? Additionally, Pelco product management develops the VMS platform to offer the flexibility of hosting third-party products like cameras, storage, and video analytic platforms. The Pelco VMS isn't open source by definition because Pelco does not freely distribute the source code but neither does Milestone.
I'm having a difficult time envisioning a scenario where you may have received Pelco pricing that was 20x higher than Milestone. Pricing strategy is a huge part of my role at Pelco, as it was when I spent five years on the integrator side supporting Milestone, Genetec, Avigilon, etc. Are you able to support this statement with apples-to-apples quotes that show Pelco pricing 20x higher than a major player like Milestone? If so, perhaps we can work together to find a Pelco reseller that will be able to provide a price that better aligns with current market prices? Feel free to shoot me a DM and we can find a way to ensure you have an optimal pricing strategy for your customers who already demand the Pelco ecosystem.