Milestone New "+" Claims To "Conquer The Mid-Market"

By: John Honovich, Published on Jun 07, 2017

Milestone has declared they are going to "Conquer The Mid-Market" with new "+" releases.

Will they?

In this report, we examine Milestone's "+" additions to their XProtect lineup, pricing changes, examines the upgrade process and logistical elements, and analyze what this means for their competitive positioning.

********* *** ******** **** are ***** ** "******* The ***-******" **** *** "+" ********.

**** ****?

** **** ******, ** examine *********'* "+" ********* to ***** ******** ******, pricing *******, ******** *** ******* process *** ********** ********, *** analyze **** **** ***** for ***** *********** ***********.

[***************]

Milestone *** ********

*********'* ** **** ******* **** ***** *** ********, (*** still ****) *********+ ** well ** *******+ *** Professional+, ****** ** **** Milestone ***** "***-** ***-****** customers". *** *** "+" versions *** **** *** same **** **** ** Milestone's ******-*** ****** *** Corporate ********, ******** ** previous / *** '****' ******* and ************ **** **** part ** *** ***** code ****.

*** "+" ******** ****** ********* to ***** ******** **** as *.*** ******* *** ******** *********** *** ** ******** ******** ****** to ***** **** ******* installations, **** *** *** "+" ******.

H.265 ******** ******

***** ******* **** ********* potentially **** *.*** ** adoption *****, ** *.*** support ***** ***** *** been ********** *******. *********'* free *********+ ***** ***** a *** ** **** and *** *.*** ******* without ****** ** *** any ******* *****.

Enhancements ** *******+/************+

*******+ ******* *** * concurrent **** ***** ** allow ** ********* ****** of ********** ****** (******* only ** ******/******* *********), adds **** ***** ********** and ******* *** *****-***** maps, ***** ***** ********. Professional+ **** **** * 320 ****** ***** ** unlimited ******* *** ******, enabled *********** **********, *** supports **** ******* *********** (for ********* *******).

Pricing *** ****

*******+ **** **** ** ~$75 (~$* **** **** Express) *** *******. ************+ **** will ** ~$*** (~$** more **** ************) *** channel.

***** *** ******* *** argue *** ******* ******* of ***** ********, *********** who **** ****** ** compete **** *********'* ******** offerings *** **** *** *** ones **** ****** ** position ** *****-********* *******.

Code *********** ******* ******* ****

****** *******+ *** ************+ on *** **** **** base ** ****** *** Corporate, ****** ***** ** migrate **** *** "*****-*****" Express+ ** ************+, ******, or Corporate ********* ** **** exchanging ********. ** **** makes ** ****** *** Milestone ** ******** ******* developments ** ****** *** Corporate ****** *** ****** XProtect ******* ******, *********** the **** ** *********** develop *** ******-**** ******** independently *** **** **** base.

Express/Professional ******* ********, *** **** ********

********* *** ********* ********** ***** *** *******/************ to *****/****** ********. ******* ** *** differences ** *** *******/************ handles ************** *** ***** recording, *** ******* ** more ******** **** ********* among *** ***** ******** on *** **** **** base. ***** ******* ** upgrade **** *******/************ ** any ***** ******* ****** budget ******* *****, ********* to *********, ** ******** the ****** ********* *******. Specific **** ********* **** depend ** *** ********** of *** ****** ***** upgraded, *** ******* *** new ******** ** ***** deployed ** *** ********, or ** *** **** hardware ** *** ******** software.

License *****-** **** ****

***** **** ** ******** Milestone **** ************ *** want ** **** ** Express+/Professional+ *** *****-** ***** Express/Professional ******** *** ***% purchase ******, ** **** only **** ** *** the ******* ***** ***** to ******** ******** ********.

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

***** ******** *** *** planned *** ***-**-****, ********* to *********, *** **** continue ** *** **** feature *********** ********, ****** these *** ****** ** be **** ******-**** ************. Advanced ******-**** ************, **** H.265 *******, ** ******** acceleration *******, *** ******** to **** ** *******/************.

Milestone **** ** ******** *******

** ********* ****,********* ********* *** *** of ***** "**********" *******, ******* ***** ******* portfolio ****. *** ******* **** ****** off "**" *** **** Essential ***** **** *******. ***** ***** **** the ******* * *-**** portfolio, ******** **** **** many ***' * *****, but ***** ********** ******* and ******.

********* ** ***** ******* 4 **** ***** *** XProtect, ****** ** ******* this ** * ********** offerings. *** *** *** versions, *******+ *** ************+, carry **** * ******* name, *** ********* **** very ****** ** ******, code-wise, **** *** ***-+ versions ** ***** ********.

**** *-***** ********, **** the *****-***** ******** ******* similar ******, ***** ** confusing ** *********:

Alternative *** ** ******* ***/*** ****** **** *********

*********** *** **** ** use ********* ** ************-****** jobs *** **** ** consider *** ********* + HD ****** ******** ******** in *** ******* ***** **% ***** Milestone **** ** ****** ******. **** ******** ** using ** ****** **** as ********, ***** **** Milestone's ********* ****** *** make * *********-***** ********** very ****-*********** ** ********** jobs.

Express+/Professional+ *********** *** *** ***********

*** ********* ********* ***** be ******* ** ***** with *******+ ** ************+ (if *** *********** ******/*********), even ****** *** ***-+ versions **** ***** ** sold ** *********, *** would ** ******** *******. This ***** ***** *** the ******** ****-**** ***********, and ****** ** *** new ************ (****** **** enhancements ***** ******* ****** up ** * ****** license *******).

Update: ********* ******** ***-**** *** ** ****

********* ********* "**'** ******** XProtect ******* *** ******** Professional [**** ** ****** available]" ** **** ****. Their ************ ***** **** Express *** ************ **** continue ** ** **** until **** ****.

************, **** **** ******* both ** "*********** ****" until **** ****, ***** means:

********* **** ******** ** get ******** ******* *** bug ***** ****** *** five-year *********** ****** ** a ****** ** ************ issue ** **********.

*** ******** **** ******* customers **** *******+/************+ **** more ******** *** *** development *******.

Comments (12)

R. Cortland Tompkins, PhD

IPConfigure, Inc.
06/08/17 01:48pm

(I am VP Engineering for IPConfigure)

Moving complementary product lines to a single code base is a no-brainer, and likely a nice piece of technical debt from which Milestone has unburdened themselves.

I'm curious how others are seeing "the mid-market," though. For folks like Milestone, it's clearly in their best interest to define the space in the terms that are most favorable to them: their impressive feature set (and relatively heavy .NET Microsoft software stack).

From a personal perspective, I see coming at the mid-market from the other side -- think driving down software and hardware costs with things like embedded Linux servers, mobile web clients, and simplified system administration. There's more to "mid-market" than yesterday's enterprise systems at reduced cost.

Undisclosed #1

06/09/17 03:06am

Besides the "mid-market" aspect, perhaps my comment if off-topic; however, how does Genetec's Security Center Compact Edition generally stack up with this latest "Professional+" offering from Milestone?

Tasneem AbuQutaish

Adler Elreha Security Systems
IPVMU Certified | 06/09/17 09:31am

I think its i good move from milestone into bringing products for mid-market which for our market is very essential & needed. ive been struggling with my clients for purchasing milestone because of its prices & complexity to understand its concept.

But also i think this announcement of changes is too late because the market specially in cctv is quickly rising & milestone should have made these changes sooner to conquer the market. well we will then have to see how milestone now will be going through this year & years to come!

Gert Molkens

IPVMU Certified | 06/11/17 01:51pm

No EOL Planned For Express/Professional

I would verry much dare to doubt that. Sure, if is was Milestone i would say the same but i just don't believe it. My guess is somewhere next year we'll have anoher opt-in campaign for users with Express/Professional without Care Plus to move over to the + versions.

i agree with Tasneem, this should have hapened 10 years ago. On the other hand, better late than never i gues? :-)

Undisclosed Integrator #2

In reply to Gert Molkens | 06/12/17 01:20am

This has to be the end goal, which makes perfect sense. In the interim it does only add to the complexity of their product range, pricing, upgrades, etc. Either way, it needs to be done.

Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Gert Molkens | 06/12/17 03:00pm

I would very much dare to doubt that.

I think they truly are not planning to EOL Express/Professional any time soon. It still has a fairly large install base, and some number of those customers want to add licenses, or even new servers, without converting.

At the same time, there has not been as much new development for those systems on the server-side (all platforms use the same client, so client-side advancements are applicable to all versions), making them more-or-less already EOL in a sense. I would not think it would be logical for someone starting with Milestone today to even consider those products (as mentioned in the report).

So, rather than EOL Express/Professional soon, I could see it naturally fading out on its own in the next couple of years, and then maybe a formal EOL announcement.

Tasneem AbuQutaish

Adler Elreha Security Systems
IPVMU Certified | In reply to Brian Karas | 06/15/17 07:01am

totally agree with the above statement, the EOL for Express/Professional wont be soon, they will need another couple of years same time as they took to announce these new changes, but the question is if its in their interest or not because for any new professional purchase will they go to the professional or professional+ ?

and if the professional fade out, will there be any campaign to upgrade it to professional+ ?

also speaking of advance versions, the Expert newly was released to support the failover which was also the main thing our market needed & reason to go to corporate, so main question - will the failover be restricted for only the advanced platforms ?

just wondering questions to see how milestone will be going with their developments to the future !

Mike Dotson

Seneca | IPVMU Certified | 06/12/17 02:40pm

One thing that folks with existing installations of the original code base need to keep in mind is how the archiving process works.

The original code base worked best when the Archive target was on the same drive letter as the LiveDB, because it did not have to actually move the data.

Assuming the newer code base uses that same 'Expert/Corporate' archiving process, data WILL get moved, which will then require two separate drive letter targets for the best performance. If one keeps the same drive letter as the older code used, there will be a performance hit to be aware of and adjust the system to accommodate.

Undisclosed Manufacturer #3

06/12/17 03:54pm

As someone who is very familiar with the topic but is not directly involved or aware of anything privileged, I can tell you that a single code base was a desire they had almost from the time that the Corporate platform was released, so this doesn't surprise me at all. What did surprise me was how long it took to happen, but then it made me wonder...

Is the reason it took so long more intentional in their hopes to make it as easy as possible to acquire / steal all those OnSSI customers that are still using the old code base? My understanding is that there are still a lot of them out there, so this, to me, would make perfect sense...in fact, it's the only thing that makes sense, IMHO.

As far as how they'll fare in the mid-market, I'm sure it'll be fine, though there will be many who still feel it might be too heavy or complex for smaller applications when compared to alternative products. That's more of a dealer issue, though, as it seems to be a fairly invisible change to the end users except for some new features. Those already selling Milestone in this market now have more features to compete with at a higher price point.

While I don't necessarily think this will drive tons of new business for Milestone, I do think it makes total sense from an engineering and resource standpoint.

Matt Bode

06/12/17 06:46pm

This article missed a huge feature upgrade. Ignoring the old code base for Express and Professional, Milestone now supports Active Directory integration and mapping on all products. This includes the free version. If a single site install has 8 or fewer cameras and doesn't need integration, then the free version is a really great option.

The lower tier products are way more attractive now. Making them all full featured with limitations only on camera counts, multi-server, fail-overs, or multi-management servers is a great change. You use to have to compare features vs cost to figure out which version to use. Now, you just need to know your approximate camera count and if it should be multi-site.

The downside for some will be the added level of difficulty if not familiar with the corporate code base.

Sean Patton

IPVM | 01/11/19 02:17pm

Milestone confirmed "We're Retiring XProtect Express and XProtect Professional" by June 2024. Their announcement notes that Express and Professional will continue to be sold until June 2022.

Additionally, they will support both in "Maintenance Mode" until June 2024, which means:

Customers will continue to get security patches and bug fixes during the five-year maintenance period if a severe or catastrophic issue is identified.

The document also advises customers that Express+/Professional+ have more features and new development support.

Shannon Davis

TED Systems
01/11/19 02:25pm

Just don't expect to "Lock or Tag" video for a later date with the + versions.