Avigilon 'Blue' Cloud Entry Examined

Published Sep 19, 2017 14:33 PM

Avigilon is moving to the cloud. The company announced their Avigilon Blue platform, designed to be a web-managed surveillance system, utilizing cloud-based connectivity.

Blue offers Avigilon's analytics on any connected camera, and provides integrators with a way to centrally manage customer equipment, and get an RMR revenue stream. However, the platform has some shortcomings, which may frustrate integrators or users.

Inside, based on a briefing with Avigilon, we examine Avigilon's Blue offering, examining:

  • Managed, not hosted model
  • Analytics emphasis plus 3rd Party Cameras
  • Release schedule
  • User Interface options
  • Connectivity architecture
  • Vs Avigilon ACC VMS
  • Scalability Limtations
  • Comparisons to Eagle Eye and Genetec
  • Outlook

Managed, *** ******, ***** **** ** ******* ********

**** **** ****** ***** ******** *******, not ****** ***** ** **** / store ** *** *****. ** ******-******* ******** to ****** *****, *** ******* ********* for ********* ******* (******* *****). *** ******** will ** ******* ** ********'* ** **********, **** *** ******** ******** ***** a *** / * **** ****. The ******* ** ****** *** "****" name *********, **** *** ********** ***** painted ****.

*** ***** ******* *********** ****/****** ****** to *** *****, ********* ******** **** as **** ****** ** ****** *******, and * ***-***** ********* (***** ** no ****** ******** *** ****, *** interaction ** **** *** *** ** mobile ***).

**** ******** ** **** ******* ** *******'* ***** *** ********* ***'* ***** ***.

Avigilon ********* ** *** ***** *******

*** **** ********* ******** ********'* *********, a **** ******** ** *** *******, running ****** *** ****** ******, ******** ONVIF-compliant *** ***** ******* ** ** connected *** **** *** ********* *******. This ** ******* ** ******* ** the ************ ****** *********.

* ********* ****** *** **** ** ***** demonstration ****** *** ********, ************ *** support *** ******* **** ***** *************:

*** ******* **** *** **** ********* and ***** ************ ** * *** for ********* ** ******* ******** *************, where ******* *** ** **-****, ********* the ******** **** ********'* *********.

Release ********* *** ** ****

******** ***** ** **** *** **** hardware *** ******* ********* ** ** 2018.

User *********

** ********-******** ** ****** ******** ** required (** *********), *** **** ********* is *** ******* ** ********'* **** mobile ***.

*** ******* ********* ****** **** ****** elements **** *** *** ******, *** was * **** *******-**** ********* ****** the ****. ** *** ******* ************ live ****** *****, *** ****-**-**** ****** of ***** ****** **** **** *****:

 

*** ****** ********* ******* ** ********* and ******** **** ******, ******* **** video, *** ******** **** ***** ****-****.

Analytics-Centric ****** ******

******** ** ********* *** ********* ********** as * *** ***** ** *** Blue ********. *** ******* ****** **** Blue **** **** ** ****** *** customers **** ******** ** *****-***** ******* activity ** *** ****** ** ****** video. **** **** ********* *** ******* to *** ********* ** ******** *******, and ********* ******** *** ****** ******.

Connectivity ************

******* ************ *** ************** ** ****** through ********'* ***** *******, *** **** of *** ***** ***** ******** **** the **-******* ******** ** *** ****** browser ** ****** ***. ******** **** this "****-***" ********, ******* ** *** calls *** ***** **** *****, **** provide ********, ******* ********* ********* **** center ********, ***** ***** ***** ** costs.

********* ****** **** ** *** ******* video ****** ** ********'* ***** *******, with ***** ***-***** ***** ****** ** the **-**** ********, ******** ** *** web ********* ** *** ******** ********.

No *** ***********/******* ****

**** ** * ********** ******** ************ **** Avigilons' *** ***, *** ****** ** integration *********. ******** *** ********* **** **** to ******** **** ***** **** ** ******* their ******* ******* **** *** **** on-premise ******.

****** ********** ** *** ******* *** provide ******* *** ********* *** **** service ** ***, ********* ** ********, but ** **** ******** ** ***. 

Limited ***********

*** *-**** ****** ************ ****** **** to ******* *****, ** ***** **** large ******* ** ******* ***** ******* multiple *****, ***** ** ******** ** be **** *********** **** ***** ******* architectures. ******** *** ********* ******** **** by ******** **** ********** **** ****** port *******, ****** ** **** ****** capacity ******* **** **** ********** ** the ******* ***.

Pricing - ***

*******, *** ********** ******* ** *** RMR *******, *** ******** ** ** finalized ****** ** ******. ******* *** the **-**** ****** **** ****** ** similar ** ******** ** *******, **** MSRP ** *** $*,***-$*,*** *****, ****** Avigilon ****** **** *** *********** ***** models **** ***** ******** **** ******* of *** ******** **** **** * monthly ************.

Integrator ********** *********

*********** *** **** ** ********* *** Blue **** **** ****** ** * customer ********** *********, ******* ******, ****** health, ************, *** ***** ********** *** their ********. *** ********** ******* ** intended ** **** ** ****** *** integrators ** ****** **** ********, ******* devices, ** ******* ***** ******* ********* for *********.

Compared ** ***** ***

**** ******** *** ***** *** **** management, *************, **** ****** ******, *** selective ***** ******* ** ********* ******, but ***** ** ****** ** *** on-site *********. ***** ** **** **** upstream **** *** **** **** * user ******** **** ** ******** *****. This ******* **** ***** ***, ***** cloud ******* ******** ** **-**** *** for ****-**** *******, *** *** ***** is ******** ******* ***'* ***** *******.

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Compared ** ******* ********** / **********

******'* ***** ******** **** ********** ***** ******* *** ***** systems, *** ******** ****** (**-******* *********) for ****** *******. ********** ****** *** video **** *********** ******* ** ** shared *** ****** **** * ******* platform,* *** ******* ***** ** ********* customers.

**** ********'* ******, **** *** *** are *** ******** **********. *******, ** think ** ** ********** **** **** time, ******** ***** ********* *** *** platforms.

Outlook *** ******** ****

******** ** ********* * **** ***** audience **** *** ******* ******* ** Blue: ********* *** **** ***** *********, and **** * *****-**** ********* ** their *******. **** **** ****** ***** demand *************, ***** ***** **** ** Avigilon's ********* ** *** ***** ** allowing **** ** **** **** ***** solutions, ********** ********** ** ***** ****** business. ** (** ****) *** ******* brings ******** ** **** ** ***, such ** *********** ******** ********** *** integrators, *** ****/****** ****** ************, ***** cloud ******** ***** ****** * ****** source ** *** *** *** ******* and ***** ********.

Comments (8)
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Sep 19, 2017

Does anyone else feel that Avigilon Blue is the inevitable result of some Avigilon exec trying to shove the word "cloud" somewhere - anywhere - into their list of offerings?

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
Sep 19, 2017

At this point it does seem like everyone has to have some level of cloud presence... if only to say they do.

Interestingly, I saw the attempt at viral marketing of Avigilon Blue on Linkedin.  Asked our Avigilon rep about it and received nothing but radio silence.

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
Sep 19, 2017

We have seen a lot of demand for a Cloud based solution in the UK and Ireland but bandwidth has been and still is a big issue. The lack of it, especially when uploading, simply doesn't allow for the constant upload of High Resolution video. It's nice to be able to offer a solution that uploads 'event' based video to the Cloud from where it can be accessed, downloaded and saved for any length of time by the end user. The end user can also access any other recorded video on the appliance itself and save this locally. It also means that there is no limitation to what MegaPixel camera the client can use. Self monitoring is also something we get asked about a lot and AVIGILON Blue ticks that box as well with push notifications and audio talk down through the app. This is obviously a hybrid solution but one for which I at least see a big market. To SI's it offers a model for recurring revenue by adding services such as health monitoring, scheduled remote checkup etc. Remote monitoring by Monitoring Stations will be added in due course as will bigger capacity NVRs.

 

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #4
Sep 20, 2017

Limited Scalability

The 4-port device architecture limits Blue to smaller sites, as those with large numbers of cameras would require multiple units, which is unlikely to be cost competitive with other storage architectures. Avigilon can certainly overcome this by offering Blue appliances with higher port density, though no such higher capacity devices have been referenced by the company yet

Avigilon will not offer only 4ch appliance but also 8, 16, and 24ch devices.

 

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Avatar
Brian Karas
Sep 20, 2017
IPVM

I asked Avigilon about this, and while there are plans for 8 and 16 channel versions, they are not committing to launch dates for them at this time.

From what has been released on Blue so far, the limited scalability concerns will likely persist for some time after launch.

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MM
Michael Miller
Sep 20, 2017

Looking forward to seeing this product grow.  I agree in its current form it has a limited customer base but if Avigilon integrates ACC into BLUE and BLUE into ACC then we can bolt this onto our current customers I can see a lot of traction happening. 

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Avatar
John Bazyk
Sep 20, 2017
Command Corporation • IPVMU Certified

This looks very cool. I think having onsite hardware and using the cloud for remote secure connections is where the focus should be for now. Unless you've got google fiber uploading video to the cloud just isnt a good idea. Local storage is, for now, the most reliable way to store data.

The next evolution should be easy to deploy off-site backups using that same cloud platform either going to an off-site server (we currently do this but it wasn't easy to setup) or a cloud provider like Amazon or Microsoft. I personally think 24-48 hours of backup video is sufficient.

The one thing that continues to perplex me is why companies insist on releasing a new product line/software/hardware. Why not release a new product that can already be easily integrated into what you already have? I feel like if you're going to spend all this time building a new platform it would have been just as easy to release something that was already integrated. I'm not a developer so I could be wrong on that. 

On the other hand, as someone who doesn't currently offer Avigilion, this is appealing. However, if I was an existing Avigilion end-user or integrator I would be annoyed that this same cloud platform wasn't offered with ACC already. If it comes out soon that would be fine, but I would expect some communication from my reps on it. 

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
Sep 21, 2017

There was very little info released on AVO Blue prior to the actual official announcement, even to AVO employees. You hit the nail on the head though in many of your comments and I would say watch this space...remember that this is the first step for AVO when it comes to cloud based services but I assure you it won't be the last...

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