Avigilon Shifts Cloud Strategy - Merges Blue and ACC

By Sean Patton, Published Jan 23, 2020, 09:19am EST (Info+)

Avigilon is shifting its cloud strategy, phasing out its Blue web-managed surveillance platform as a stand-alone brand and merging it with its ACC VMS.

In this note, based on a briefing with Avigilon, we examine:

  • Avigilon's shifted cloud strategy
  • Why Avigilon made this change
  • New ACC Cloud connectivity
  • What this means for Blue customers
  • When will new features be available
  • Competitor Comparison to Exacq, Milestone/Arcules and Genetec
  • Outlook on how VSaaS should be sold

March **** ****** - *** *** ***** ********* *** **** ******** ***** ********

**** ** ** ****** ****** ** Avigilon's ******* ***** ********, *** ** instead ****** ** *****"****** ********".

******** **** **** **** *** *** cloud ********* *** ***** ********* ** ACC ********* ** ******** ***** ********, and **** *** "*** ******** ******* Blue ** ********* *** [****] *********". Existing ********* *** ***** ******** ********** Blue ************* *** **** **********.

**** ***** **** ********* ***** ***** connections ** ******* ******* ********** **** remain ** ****, ** *** *** and *** *********** **** *** ********* offer *** ************ ******** ** ****.

** **** **** ***** *** ********* migrations, ***** ***** ** **** ********* for *********** ** ***** ********* * particular ******** ** ********* **, ***** the ********* ** ********.

************, **** ******** **** ** *** end ** **** *** **** ********* will ** ******** ** ***:

** *** ** **** *** **** customers **** ** ******** ** ***. We **** ******* * ******** ******* to ******* **** ********** ** *** appliances.

** ******** *** *.* **** **** so *** *** ******** *** ******* their **** ** *** *** *****, access ***** *** *** ******* ******, and ****** ***** ****** ************. *** can ****** ** ** ** **** launch *** ****** ****** ***** **** provide * ****** ********* ** ******* and ******** ***** *********** *** *******.

**** **** ** ******* *** ********** a ****** ** *** / *** integration.

Blue ******* *** / ******* **** *** *** ***

******** *** ********* ** **** **** the **** ******* ******** (******** **** ***** ****) ** ***** ****** *** *** merging **** *** ******* ******* *****, ACC *** ***. ******** **** *** merged *** ******** **** ** ****** Avigilon ***** ******** (***) ******** ** version *.*. *** ******* ******* ** Blue ** *.**.

******** **** *** *.* **** ** released **** *** **** ** ********* globally ** ******.

Cloud ******** *******

********'* ******* ******** *** **** *** targeting ****** ***** ********** *** ******* service *********. **** ******* ** ***** analytics-centric ******** *** ********** ***** ******** / ********** ***** ***** ***** **** motion-based ***** *************. *******, ******** ******* out * ********:

  • ******* ******* ********* **** **** ** add **/* ****** ***** **********
  • *********** ******** ******* ******* *** **** not ******* ** ******* ************-***** ******* services.
  • **** *** *********** ****** *** ***** to ** **** ** ***** **** VMS ********

Adding ****** ***** ****** *** *** *** *******

******** **** *** ******* *** ******* for *** ** ****** ***** ************ for *** ******** ** *** (****, Standard, **********) ***** **** *** ******* any ********** ********. ** ********** ********** are ******** ******* *** *** **** connect ** *** ***** ******* *** existing *** *** ******** *******.

************, ******** **** **** **** ** updating ****** ****** ********, *** ****** camera/server ************* ******* ** ***. **** said **** **** ***** *********** ****** cameras ** ************* ******* ************* ******* directly **** ***.

***** ******* ******** ** **** **** an ****** ** ******* ** **** (icon *****), ******** **** **** ** not ********* ** ********** ***** *** 3.0 ** ********.

No *** ***** ******* ** ************* ** ******

******** **** **** **** **** ******** (e.g. ***** ***** ******* *** *************) will ***** ** ********* *** **** subscribers, *** **** *** ** ********* for ********* *** ******* ** ******. They **** ***** ******** *** ** their ******* *** **** *** ******** for * ******* ** **** ****.

*** *** ***** ****** **** **** be **** ** ******* ** ***** servers ** ******, ****** ** **** Blue/ACS ********* *******. *** ****** *** web ****** **** ** **********, **** the **** *** ****** **** *******.

Focus ** ***** *********** ******* / ******-******* ************

******** **** **** * **** ** ACC *** **** *********** ******* ******** when ******* **** * ******** ***-**** types:
  • **** *****, ************** *********** *******
  • ******-******* *********** *******
***** * ***-**** ***** **** *** a *********** ***** ********** *********, ********'* ****** *******.*******'* ********* ******* ******-******* ********** **** * *********** **** ** its ***** ********.

No ********* ****** *** ******** **** *********

******** **** **** ***** **** ********** will ** ****** ***, ***** **** not ** *** ******* *** ******** Blue ***********, ****** **** ******** **** servers *** ******** *** ***** *********. However, ** ** ******** ****** ******** additional ****** ********, **** **** ** steered ** ********** *** ********** ** Blue ******** ** ****** ***.

**** **** **** *** ****** ******* will ** ******* ** ******, *** the ****** ******* (*** *** ****) will ** ******, ********* ******** ** both.

Pricing ***** ****** ******

******** **** **** *** ***** ******* model **** ** ********. ****** ******/****** connectivity **** ** ********* ** ** additional ****, ***** ***** ******* *** event *************, *** **** ********** *** features **** ******* ********** ********.

**** ** *** **** ******** ******* details *********.

Features ******* ** *** *.*

******** **** *** *** ******** **** be ********* **** *** ****** ** ACS *.*, *** ***** **** **** to **** *********** ******* ** *** end ** ****, ****** *** *********** and ******* ** *** *** **** has ***** ****** **** ********.

Compared ** ***********

********'* ******* ***** ******** **** ****** cloud ****** ** *** ***** ******* their ********* ********* *****. **** ** a **** *************** ******** ** *****, most ******* ********* ***** ** ***** (*** ****)******** ****** ***** ******.

************, **** ************** ******** **** ******* and *********, *** **** ***** ********** that *** **** *********** *** **** cloud ******** ********** **** ***** **** VMS *********.

******'* ***** ******** ***************** ***** ******* *** ********* ** Security ****** *** ****** *******. ********* has*******, ***** ******** ********* ** ***********, but ** ***** **** ******* ******** channels.

Outlook - ***** **** ** ***

***** **** ********'* **** ****** *** Milestone / ******* ******** * ****** of ******* ***** ****** ** **** separately, ********* / ******* ******** *** Avigilon's ***** **** ****** **** ** is ****** ****** *** ********* *** providers ** ***** ***** ** ** extension/expansion ** ***** ******** ***, ****** than ** * ******** ** ********* product ****.

Comments (14)

Undisclosed Integrator #1

01/23/20 02:38pm

Well, who wants to pay $2k+ for a device that was very limited on the number of channels it can handle...then a monthly subscription on top of that?

Oh don’t forget that if the customer decided that they wanted to cancel their subscription, they have a $2k brick.

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Ryan Karpilo

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #1 | 01/23/20 04:18pm

Your statement is incorrect.

Oh don’t forget that if the customer decided that they wanted to cancel their subscription, they have a $2k brick.

Blue utilizes the cloud for user management, notifications, easy secure access, and selective video storage of analytics events, but video is stored in the on-site appliance.

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Remiel Feng

ENS Security
In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #1 | 01/24/20 12:09am

Sounds like AT&T and Verizon mobile bill. :D

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Undisclosed Manufacturer #3

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #1 | 01/26/20 05:02pm

Verkada discussion is on a different thread

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Michael Miller

01/23/20 02:41pm

Fantastic news! Start with cloud connectivity for ACC/ACM and ACC ES devices then add health monitoring, cloud back up, cloud archiving, sharing video via links! Role this in with Motorola Solutions offerings and this is going to be very powerful.

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Alex Wasson

IPVMU Certified | 01/23/20 03:16pm

This is a smart move by Avigilon. I'm always going to be a fan of manufacturers listening and taking advice from their partners and customer base.

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Undisclosed #2

01/25/20 02:46am

The Blue product was incredibly ill-conceived from the jump in my opinion. I think they launched Blue so they could say they had "Cloud" something because they were getting smoked by Genetec on that front, but it was a product that didn't really fit for many real-world use cases.

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Martin Renkis

Johnson Controls
01/27/20 02:26pm

Scaling new exploratory business models and solutions (SaaS opex) as part of older business models (capex) is a challenge that every large organization (which must adapt to grow) is dealing with. I expect we will continue to see adjustments like this from all the major players as they "digitally transform."

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Undisclosed Integrator #4

02/24/20 04:20pm

Blue was meant to help integrate other 3rd party edge devices but it didn't work well with other 3rd party cameras. You were limited to the number of cameras due to the analytic loads on the device. This was a great concept for bringing others over to the Avigilon platform that needed analytics, but it failed miserably.

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Michael Miller

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #4 | 02/24/20 04:54pm

I disagree. BLUE was to be an upgrade to VideoIQ for remote guarding and video monitoring as a service. You can add Avigilon analytics to ACC with ES recorders and AI applances. BLUE was not a good fit because it was independent of ACC. Moving forward looks like Avigilon got the message as adding cloud to ACC will be huge.

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Undisclosed Integrator #4

In reply to Michael Miller | 02/24/20 05:08pm

At 12-24K for the AI models along with having to purchase a video server as well, most clients are better off just replacing their cameras with Avigilon analytics and a video server. We will no longer bet on using 3rd party cameras even if they are OnVif compliant to work with analytic appliances. We have had good and bad results even with cameras that are certified.

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Michael Miller

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #4 | 02/24/20 08:17pm

Those AI units are ment for take overs not new projects at least in my MHO. I can rack up a server faster then I can swap out 60 cameras.

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Michael Miller

In reply to Michael Miller | 02/25/20 04:50pm

So I am interested. Who is deploying AI appliances on new projects verse H5 cameras and servers? How are you installing 60 cameras faster then racking up one server?

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Sean Patton

IPVM | 03/17/20 12:44am

Report updated with details regarding Blue being listed as a "legacy product" on Avigilon's website:

March 2020 Update - All New Cloud Customers ACC with Avigilon Cloud Services

Blue is no longer listed in Avigilon's current cloud offering, and is instead listed in their "Legacy Products".

Avigilon told IPVM that all new cloud customers are being activated on ACC connected to Avigilon Cloud Services, and they are "not actively selling Blue or accepting new [Blue] customers". Existing customers can still purchase additional Blue subscriptions and Blue appliances.

They added that customers using cloud connections to central station monitoring will remain on Blue, as the ACC and ACS integration does not currently offer the notification features of Blue.

As with many brand and interface migrations, there could be some confusion for integrators in which interface a particular customer is connected to, until the migration is complete.

Additionally, they reported that by the end of 2020 all Blue customers will be migrated to ACC:

By end of 2020 all Blue customers will be migrated to ACC. We will provide a firmware upgrade to convert Blue appliances to ACC appliances.

We released ACS 3.0 last week so any ACC customer can connect their site to the ACS cloud, access video via the browser client, and easily setup mobile connectivity. You can expect in Q2 we will launch ACS System Health which will provide a single dashboard to monitor and maintain large distributed ACC systems.

IPVM will be testing and publishing a report on ACC / ACS integration.

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