Siemens OEMs Milestone

We will be adding substantial technology to the Siveillance VMS that will differentiate it from the standard Milestone XProtect platform. Over the next several months you will see additional announcements highlighting these new technologies and features. You will see some of these new features at ISC West in April. For example, we will be demonstrating deep integration between Siveillance VMS and our global access control platform, SiPass.

As one of Siemens main sources for VMS (SiNVR) please let me share my point of view to this deal. Together with Siemens we are focused on Germany, Switzerland and other SOLUTION DRIVEN countries. We have an installed base of about 800 projects, mainly in critical infrastructures like airports, city surveillance and big companies.

The reason why we are the first choice in these countries is that Siemens can offer a unique VMS which nobody else delivers on the market. Our software is well integrated in all mayor Siemens and Siemens competitor products and technologies for more than 5 years. And my company has experiences for more than 25 years in interfacing sub systems. You need SiPass, SiPort, SPC, SiteIQ, Siveillance and all the interfaces? SiNVR already have it. You need deep PSIM processes for critical infrastructures? SiNVR offers it!

On the other hand there might be a market for Siemens branded XProtect. There are some countries in the Siemens world with a less interest in larger solution driven projects. But it might be a problem that Siemens will have a strong competition with less integration costs. Anybody can offer the same software.

Periodically we have bussiness request from several VMS offering companies, mainly larger ones from Asia and the US. They want to switch from well offered VMS like Genetec, Aimetis or Milestone to a unique own branded product. Nobody knows why Siemens does the opposite. The Milestone software has no meaning on some of Siemens largest markets due to several reasons. Do you think that the new deal will change the situation?

We will see what happens. And with a wink good luck to Richard for the development of the "substantial technology".

Frank Schille

Good morning John. The F & S award aside for a moment, buying and re-branding has been going on in this industry for years and years. Some of the largest have always done it. When A** or D**B**D do it, no one says a word. It has become accepted to the point that even I don't bat an eyelid anymore. They bought it, they can do with it what they want. Canon buys Milestone so they have every right to claim "they" have been leaders in the development of VMS software since the beginning of time. GS4 buys Wackenhut and they can make any claims they want. It is part of their history - now. Banks merge and make similar claims about their "history" and service to a local community. I have no love loss for Siemens, they are a competitor. But this is nothing new at all. Why the outrage? Or maybe outrage too strong of a word on my part?

As for the Frost Award, that kind of thing happens everyday in a nearly every industry. Our local newspaper "wins" awards every year from some group I have never heard of (turns out they own that media group too). To be frank about it, I really don't know or care who J. D. Power is either. Tiz called marketing. Some are shamelessly better at it than others. Please keep up your great work in educating those that care enough to learn (and I do mean that). I enjoyed reading about the testing you guys do and your camera view finder is one, if not the best. Hikvision showed it on the side of their booth at ASIS. Talk about shameless! Leave this to others with nothing else better to do. Neither your or I will ever change it.

By adding their own features and technology, it will definitely be different from XProtect while having the same core software which is a good thing from a developmental standpoint. It will all come down to the value of these new features.

When it comes to the Android operating system, I prefer the pure Google Android line (Nexus) versus the bloated Samsung Android line. However, Samsung has created a few nifty software features that the Google Nexus line does not offer. The Amazon Kindle (Android) also offers a user friendly UI that attracts many other end users that Nexus and Samsung failed to attract. I will be interested to see what Siemens does with this. If they are successful, it could make a change in the VMS industry and OEM'ing.

When Lenel OEM'ed ONSSI, did the SkyPoint VMS offer different features than Ocularis or did Lenel leave it the same?

We will have to wait until ISC West and ASIS... I guess.