Milestone Systems, has released XProtect 2018 R1 the updated VMS in response to the market’s rising demands for cost-effective video business solutions with this first VMS update this year. In this release, Milestone pioneers the use of multiple NVIDIA graphics cards on top of Intel GPU acceleration (Graphics Processing Unit) to achieve ultra-high performance. The XProtect Smart Client 2018 R1 and Smart Wall now support hardware acceleration, where system performance can be boosted just by adding a supported graphics card to take over the heavy lifting in decoding video, leaving room for the system to handle other tasks. This means that the user can view more high definition or ultra HD streams just by adding one or more supported graphic cards to the computer running the XProtect Smart Client or Smart Wall. Cost-saving and preventing incidents with TV displays The support for DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) video sharing technology allows users to directly connect their VMS system to any DLNA-supported TV and display video captured from cameras without needing a Smart Client or even a computer for display. The DLNA support is highly valuable for retail stores, kiosks, gas stations and law enforcement facilities who want to display video from a certain area. This feature can have a preventive function – showing malicious persons that video surveillance is present. This can be a discouraging factor to deter incidents and prevent loss. The feature will give users the ability to create a carousel flow of all or selected cameras in their installation for a flexible, visual representation. Enhanced privacy masking Selective blurring of video image regions enables Milestone users to easily meet privacy requirements. The blurring can be permanently applied to the stored video or be liftable, depending on a user’s credentials. This gives Milestone customers free choice in optimal camera positions while meeting privacy regulations. It also helps maintain a level of situational awareness that is not possible if sensitive areas are blacked out. New features in Milestone XProtect 2018 R1 Among the many operational enhancements in this XProtect release is an optimized software installer with automatic detection of hardware devices. There is a new structure for Milestone Device Pack releases, with drivers managed so that customers can choose to download only recent device drivers. XProtect 2018 R1 also includes a Mobile SDK that enables Milestone partners to easily embed video feeds into apps for Android and iOS devices. XProtect 2018 R1 is available through the Milestone Partner community now.  

Vicon Industries, Inc., has recently announced the upcoming release of Valerus 18, the most significant update yet to its popular video management software. With this latest release, Valerus provides enhancements to its user interface, new data backup and security options, and support for H.265 cameras. It also introduces a new module, ValerusViconNet Gateway, that provides a simple and affordable migration path for users of Vicon’s legacy platform to benefit from all of Valerus’ features and capabilities. Support for H.265 compression allows Valerus users to take advantage of HEVC video from the latest generation of IP cameras. H.265 video can provide up to 50% savings in storage space and bandwidth usage compared to H.264, while maintaining the same level of video quality. Interface improvements make it easier to navigate the video timeline and call up specific recorded video within the Playback mode. Application server redundancy makes sure that Valerus users will never lose important data in case of a server failure. The redundant application server license is available free to Valerus PRO tier users. Valerus-ViconNet Gateway provides users Vicon’s legacy ViconNet systems with a bridge to connect existing cameras to a new Valerus system. Users can take advantage of the Valerus interface, features and flexibility while preserving the value of their previous investment, and benefit from more affordable expansion options moving forward. “Since the launch of Valerus, the response from our customers has been universally positive, as they appreciate the simplicity the system brings to any size VMS installation. With the new features and H.265 support included with Valerus 18, we expect to further enhance the experience for all our customers, including those using older ViconNet systems who can now easily migrate to the Valerus platform,” said Bret McGowan, Vicon’s Senior V.P., Sales and Marketing.

Wavestore, the British developer of innovative openplatform and highly secure Linux-based video management software (VMS), has launched v6.10 enabling simplified camera setup alongside new features and performance enhancements. Automatic camera configuration has been introduced for ONVIF compatible cameras, greatly reducing the time it takes to set up systems on-site. Integrators can now simply discover all cameras on the network and apply common ONVIF stream settings for each camera as a Wavestore generated profile, without having to use the camera’s setup screens. For projects with a large number of servers, systems integrators can simply create a single customised configuration file and roll it out across all Wavestore units, greatly reducing the time spent when commissioning larger projects. Two-way audio Wavestore’s VMS already delivers lip-synchronised audio as standard but v6.10 fully integrates compatible ONVIF cameras with built-in microphones and speakers to be used as part of a cost-effective two-way audio system. Operators simply click the microphone button on the WaveView client for an individual camera, or a group of cameras, to converse with people or broadcast messages across a site quickly and easily. Audio is included in each channel license and recorded onto a separate track, which is time synchronised and can be played back with associated video from any selected camera. Minimal joystick control latency I n addition, major improvements have been made to minimise the latency when using joystick controls, a common problem for network based security systems, providing users with accurate control of connected ONVIF PTZ cameras and Axis’ native HTTP PTZ protocol. Wavestore v6.10 also introduces a new ‘recording less than intended’ event rule that can be applied to individual cameras. If a configured recording period will exceed the available storage, and previous footage is in danger of being overwritten, then an event can be triggered such as sending an e-mail to an administrator. Flexible “ The success of Wavestore’s VMS depends more than ever on our flexibility, adaptability and responsiveness to the needs of our customers,” says Julian Inman, Head of Product Management, “Many of the enhancements we are delivering in v6.10 are in direct response to customer feedback as Wavestore’s VMS is used in an ever-increasing number of projects around the World.” Wavestore has also introduced a host of new third-party integrations to its VMS and welcomes new technology partners to its ongoing integration programme. These include SALTO ProAccess SPACE access control software and Texecom Premier Elite intruder alarm solutions, combining leading video management from Wavestore with best in-breed third-party access control technology. Furthermore, significant improvements have been made to Wavestore’s Honeywell Galaxy Interface integration, including the ability to trigger custom events from the panel using SIA level 4, and a new function to use new event types to automatically react on an alarm

Milestone Systems announces a new global program for hardware partners in the Milestone community. This unique open program enables hardware manufacturers to ship their servers, clients and storage solutions powered by Milestone XProtect software. The Milestone Channel Partners and customers will benefit from tested and validated hardware configurations from leading hardware manufacturers. With XProtect Essential+ preloaded on the hardware, the System Builder Program enables easy deployment of the Milestone award-winning VMS with just a few clicks, or rapid upgrade to one of the more advanced editions through a Milestone channel partner. Milestone supports the VMS software, ensuring a worldclass operation and maintenance experience, while the hardware partners joining the System Builder Program will leverage their existing support structures. This initiative extends the market reach for all community partners beyond the markets Milestone already targets with the Husky NVR offerings. Accelerating the community In addition to the XProtect functionality, Milestone customers also get access to the many software add-on options from Milestone Solution Partners and the wide range of more than 7,000 supported camera models and other hardware devices. The hardware partners in the Milestone System Builder Program who ship products with the Milestone VMS software will be able to design hardware to fit specific surveillance market segments, and will benefit from the opportunity to tap into the IoT and Artificial Intelligence market through the solution power of the Milestone community. Milestone customers will benefit from a wider range of tested and validated hardware with XProtect preloaded, which contributes to an optimal user experience, system performance and return on investment. Milestone Solution Partners will discover new business opportunities by adding their solutions to an even wider installed base of XProtect software. Milestone resellers and integrators will benefit from easier deployments on hardware configurations that are tried and tested and will discover additional upsell opportunities from a wider range of customers starting right away with XProtect Essential+. “The System Builder Program is all about ease of deployment. Customers can now get the XProtect experience on their hardware of choice in a few clicks. Nobody else is doing this,” says Bjørn Skou Eilertsen, CTO of Milestone Systems, “Customers will also be able to easily enter the world of intelligent video solutions by tapping into the rich spectrum of add-ons from Milestone Solution Partners.”

QNAP® Systems, Inc., has released QVR Pro , a surveillance app that runs alongside the NAS OS as an independent operating environment. QVR Pro turns a QNAP NAS into a professional NVR solution with the advantages of NAS storage expandability and integration with a wide range of IoT devices for an enhanced surveillance experience. QNAP also released a mobile version of QVR Pro Client, providing users greater management and monitoring convenience while on the go. Independent storage and scalable capacity QVR Pro has a ‘dedicated storage space’ on NAS to ensure that the storage is fully reserved for QVR Pro and the performance will not be impacted by other applications on NAS. As the need for storage space grows with time, users can easily expand their storage capacity by connecting QNAP expansion enclosures to their NAS or by using the unused storage of another QNAP NAS. Smarter event management system QNAP provides various APIs for users to quickly integrate a wide range of cameras, configure event alerts and recordings. IoT devices can also be used to make the surveillance system securer and more intelligent. Powerful camera management and support QVR Pro supports thousands of camera models from over 140 brands and a variety of image formats, allowing users to quickly build different surveillance solutions tailored to their environments while providing convenient camera management. Users can search for cameras over different networks, add/ manage cameras in batches, use 360-degree cameras, and assign dedicated network interfaces to cameras. Flexible recording space allocation and failover capabilities Users can pre-allocate storage capacity and assign dedicated storage space for each camera’s recordings based on the camera’s monitoring scope and importance. To ensure uninterruptable recordings, users can set a spare volume in the recording space. If the original volume fails, recordings can be stored on the spare volume. Cross-platform monitoring and management with QVR Pro Client The QVR Pro Client can be installed on Windows® and Mac® devices or in HD Station on QNAP NAS. Users can flexibly switch from live view or playback mode to take full control over monitored areas. The newly-released mobile app provides multiple display layouts and allows users to monitor multiple channels simultaneously while on the go.