we have always had good luck with BCD and the products they provide
BCDVideo Company Profile 2016
Published May 03, 2016 15:34 PM
BCDVideo claims better value and servers specifically selected for video surveillance, an improved experience versus working with a server manufacturer or an IT distributor.
We spoke with BCDVideo to get details behind these claims, and explore their value proposition in this report.
Favorite ********** ****** *********
** *** **** **** ******* ******** had *, ********** ** **, ****** showing ** *** ********** ******** ***** ******* / ******* **** *******.
BCDVideo ******* **********
******** **** ** **** *** *** to ****** * **** ** *&* backoffice *** ******** ***********, ******* *** optimizing ********* ****** ********* ** ***** proven **************.
*** ******* *** ********** **** * supplier ** ** ********* *** ********. In **** ********** ** *** ******* **** IP ******* **** ********** ** **********, but *********** **** ********** ** **** server ******** **** ******** **************. *** felt **** ***** ******** ***** ************* with ********* **** **, *** **-***** tech *********, ** ****** ********* ***** to *** ***** ** ******** ***********.
Server ********
****** ********* ***** **** *** ***** [**** no ****** *********] ******, ***** ** *******/****** systems ** *** ****-*** ***** **** [**** no ****** *********] ******, ********** ** **********-***** servers ** ******* ***+ *******.
******** **** *** **** *** **** they *** ******** ** ********, ******** to **** ****** ***** ******** ********* like **** *** ********** ***** *** way, *** ******* ** ****** *** *********** and *********** **** ****** ** ***** their ******** **. ******, ********'* ******** is **** ** ******** ** ******** HP ******** **** **** ****** **** direct **** **.
No ****** ***** *** *************
**** ** ********'* ******** ********* ** software ************* ******** *** *********** ** the *******, ** *********** ********** ***** ***** an ***** ***** ** * ******** server. ******** **** ***** ********* ** more ***** *********** *********, ******* ******* with ********** ************, *** ****** *** time ** ** ***** *** *********** comparison *****, ***** **** *********** *******.
*******, **** *** ******** *** ****** and ********* ** ******** **** ********* disk ***** ***** ** ******* ********** to **** ************ **** *** **** specific ** ***/*** *********** **. ******** IT ***.
** ******* ***** *** ********* ** specific **** *********** ***** ** *********** tests ******** ********* **** **** ***** showed * ***** ********* ** ***** performance ******* **'* ******* ********** *** an *********** ********** ******.
******** **** ********* ************* **** *** companies ** ********** ***** ******* *** ******* performance. **** ******, *** *******, *** differences ** **** */* ******* ********* and *******, ***** ******* *********** *** ******** through *** ****** ************* ***** ******** roles, *** ********* *********** *** ******** ** raw **** *********** *********.
******** ****** ***-***** ******* ** **** *********** choose *********** ******** ** **** **** design ********** ** * ********** ***.
Product ******* *** ***** ***********
******** ****** **** **** *** ****** prices *********** **** **** *** ** servers *** ************ (******* ****-****** *********).
** ***** ******** *** * ***** quote ** * ****** ** ***** "******" ****, ***** **** ******** ** their ********** ********** ****** ****. ** selected * **** ******, *** ** mid ***** ** *** ******.
****** ***** ****:
- ** *** ******
- **-****** *********
- **** ***
- (*) *** **** ******
- **** ***** ********
- ****** **** **
- * **** *** ********
****** *** ***** *** **** ****** was ~$**,*** (** ******* ****** ********).
*** **** ** ******** ************* **** Ingram ***** *** $**,***, **** ******** discounts *******. * ********** **** ****** *** $**,***. *** **** ***** ** ******** online *****, ******* **** ** ********** who **** ******** ****** **** **** could ****** *** * ********** ***** that ****** ** ****** ** ********'* price *** *** ** ******.
* ***** ****-****** *****-****** *********** **** 8GB ***/*** *** *** ** **** processor *** ****** ** $*,***. * comparable **** ****** **** ****** ** $1,200.
** ************ **** ********, **** ******* admit **** ** ********** ******* **** a **** ************** *** ** **** to **** ** **** **** ***** price *** * **** ******** ****-**-**** quote.
** *****-***** *********, ******** ****** **** ******* the ********* **********:
- ******* ***** ** * **** **. 7-14 **** ******* **** ****
- ******** ****** ******* ** ********/****** *********
- ******* *** ** ****** **** ******** pre-loaded ** **** ******* **** ** the *****
- ****** ***** *** ***** ********* *********** vs. ******** **** *** ******* ********
- *********** *** ****** ****** ** ********'* support ***** *** ********
******** ***** ******, ** ******* ****** distributors **** ******* *** *** ** preferred.
Custom ***** ** *****
**** ****** ** *****-**-*****, ***** *** include ***-******* *** ******** ****** ** the ********** ******* (******* ******** *** activation ** ******* ** *** ********** separately).
******** **** ****** **** *** ***** configuration ******* *** ********* ******** **** HP, **** ** ******* ***** **** WD ****** ***'*.
** ** ********** *** * ***** customer **** ******** ********* **** *** work **** ******** ** ****** * custom ***** ** ***** ******** ** ensure **** ******** *** *********** ********** hardware *** ********.
********* ** ****-** ****, **** *** typical ****-****** ** * **** **** order ********* ** ********.
Tech *******
*** **** ******* ***** ******* **** server ****** *** **************, *** ***** *******. Techs *** **** ******* ** **** VMS ********* *** ****** ******* ******* functions, ******** **** ** ******* ********** and ********** ** ****** ******** ** questions.
******** **** ***** ********* **** **** model, ** ** *** ***** ** problem ********** ****** ********, ***** *** BCDVideo **** *** **** ******** *** problems *** ****** *** ** **-**** service ******** ******* *** ********** ******* to ******* ******** ******** *** ******** vendors.
**********
******* ** ***** *******, ******** ****** ******* ********* **** *** *** **** ******* ** evaluation ******* ** **** ********* **** suited ** ******** *****, ********** ****** like ********* ********** ** *** ***********.
*** ********* ********, ***-********** ******** *** *******, reducing *** **** *** ********** **-**** techs ** **** ** ********* ********* support ** ********.
Comments (16)
Robert O'Rourke
May 03, 2016
Luis Carmona
May 03, 2016Pretty good article that really spells out the value propositions the company is providing. It also helps the company being upfront about the exact value it offers without the smoke and mirrors.
AR
Austin Rich
May 04, 2016I've purchased a good 50 or so HP servers and workstations from them over the past couple years. Excellent support and a willingness to work with us on custom build requirements. The HP product support plans are also excellent. I had a hard drive fail, detected it, and had a replacement hard drive installed by an HP tech within the same day. That was on a Next Business Day replacement plan.
JH
John Honovich
May 04, 2016Austin, thanks for the feedback. Have you bought servers for surveillance projects from HP or Dell directly? I am curious to hear how the experience differed.
U
Undisclosed #1
May 04, 2016I'm assuming I'm missing something but don't know what. The $17,000 Ingram quote seems a bit whack. And I assume that's dealer cost.
Using CDW retail pricing, I'm showing this:
What am I doing wrong?
Brian Karas
May 04, 2016Hard to see the details from your image, on the surface it looks like comparable specs, but given that even the Dell quote is 2x that, I think something is missing.
For Dell, the NBD service option added a good amount to the total build.
I also can't tell if the CDW server has a RAID controller by default.
If you can email me the shopping cart/quote specs I'll ask BCDVideo for their perspective on it.
U
Undisclosed #1
May 04, 2016Ok, will do.
Btw, I scrunched down the image for display only, you should be able to right click and open the image in a new window at full size/resolution.
JB
Jeff Burgess
May 04, 2016The reason the price is so attractive is that you chose 3rd party Seagate drives for the build, which won't work in the server you have chosen. HPE's server features the Smart Chassis technology. The BCDVideo build is with 100% HPE parts and full bumper-to-bumper warranties.
In regards to the 64TB build you are price-comparing, the BCDVideo system includes the HPE-branded Enterprise Helium SATA drive. This is HPE's part number 793683-B21.
You have also selected Windows Server Essentials instead of full-blown Windows Server 2012 R2, and you have the three-year NBD on-site warranty rather than the 5-year. Although your 3-year warranty is valid for the server, it would not have covered the hard drives should they have worked. So it really is not an apples-to-anything comparison.
Hope this helps explain the price discrepancy.
Please run it again using all with all HPE parts on the drives, Windows Server 2012, and 5-year on-site and let us now how it works out!
Jeff Burgess, BCDVideo
U
Undisclosed #1
May 04, 2016So it really is not an apples-to-anything comparison...
No, it's not. Your apples are 25% smaller. :)
In regards to the 64TB build you are price-comparing, the BCDVideo system includes the HPE-branded Enterprise Helium SATA drive. This is HPE's part number 793683-B21.
AFAIK, the 793683-B21 is only a 6TB drive, whereas I was quoting 8 8TB drives for a 64TB total.
Can you clarify if
- The part# is wrong, and you intend the 8TB HPE Helium, 793695-B21?
- The part# is wrong AND the price is understated?
- The part# is correct and your capacity was overstated and should be 48TB?
- I'm mistaken?
I've changed the Windows. For the support though, CDW is only showing the 3 yr, can I buy two or does that not work?
Also, would you mind quoting a similar HP server with 6TB Purples? I'm don't know you what your experience and opinion is, but, on paper, I'm liking the WD drives.
JB
Jeff Burgess
May 04, 2016Apologies for the typo. The drive we used for this build is indeed HPE's 793695-B21, the 8TB Helium Enterprise SATA drive. And there are 8 of them in the 64TB build price.
U
Undisclosed #1
May 04, 2016Yes, the drives are crazy expensive, CDW wants $2,000 per; and the lowest authorized price I could find anywhere was $1000 and even gray market was $800.
The 5y support adds another $1,000 and the full windows comes in $200 more.
So add about $6,000, maybe $13,500 total for the auth version? So, obviously BCD is the way to go here.
Still think that Ingram's dealer price is high, but the drives are key.
Can you give a quote on the all purple drive machine? I think a lot of people would have to consider purples give the price differential.
JB
Jeff Burgess
May 04, 2016Thank you for that.
We just wanted to clear up the parts confusion on the original CDW quote so you had a fair comparison.
We exclusively sell to authorized security integrators, some directly, and most through security distribution. We certainly don't price systems on web sites nor to the end customer. If you are a security integrator, you are welcome to contact us at sales@bcdvideo.com, and we direct you to the proper build of our Orion Series that utilize WD purple drives. These are available through Anixter.
U
Undisclosed #1
May 05, 2016Ok, thank you as well.
Skipping the actual pricing, do you see-/expect greater demand for purple over the midline heliums? Have you seen better results in the field with either?
If one were to build with the purples, how would that impact the nbd hp support? Or would you use dell in those cases?
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
May 23, 2016We constantly go back and forth with the concept of using BCD Video vs building our own Dell machines. I think this article does an excellent job explaining the value proposition of BCD Video. However, we always go back to this: If BCD Video fully optimizes the servers and workstations for us, how will our team of engineers and technicians really know where to start when troubleshooting? Or when explaining to IT about why certain hardware was selected over other hardware? Or when in a casino, why the client has to allow a BCD Video tech remote in (if permitted) or why a BCD Video tech is responding to the hardware issue?
We recently hired an experienced engineer who cannot build/quote a server on his own, or optimize it on his own from the ground up, because of his former company's dependence on BCD Video. His knowledge gap is extensive and, frankly, a bit unsettling - especially when he states "BCD Video has always done that for me". I always go back to the question: If we can't engineer it, build it, deploy it fully and independent of the manufacture then how good are we really?
Maybe I am way off base?
Luis Carmona
May 23, 2016I've known IT Systems Admins who have never used anything but Dell or HP, and the scope of there knowledge was unsettling, too. It's like Socrates "Allegory of the Cave"; you may have become the best expert of what you always used, but if that is all you every used, it's all you ever known. I know because I've been there- the SMB world was a shock when I left the Enterprise world oh so long ago.
JH
John Honovich
May 23, 20162, very interesting comment / question.
I created a new discussion to feature this and to get feedback: If We Can't Engineer It, Build It, And Deploy It Fully Independent Of The Manufacturer Then How Good Are We?