When choosing a video management software, a person wants something easy to install, operate, and maintain as well as scaling up. The recently improved AXIS Companion is a user-friendly and cost-effective VMS that works for many installations. Read on to find out how.
To make the most of your network video surveillance system, you need the right video management software (VMS) to get the features and functionalities you need. Also, you want something reliable and which provides ease of use, from design to maintenance. Axis’ network VMSs, AXIS Camera Station and AXIS Companion, are the heart of Axis’ all-in-one and validated end-to-end security systems.
AXIS Companion is constantly improving when it comes to features and functionality. “With the most recent release of AXIS Companion, we have added new functionalities that make it much more competitive,” said Mitch Mershon, Business Development Manager End-to-End Solutions, “It’s a very cost-effective solution, as the software comes included with the hardware. It works with any Axis-branded camera, and we can do onsite recording, either to an SD card or to a recorder.”
Today, AXIS Companion is a well-rounded and secure VMS that is easy to set up and operate. And it is scalable and flexible. Depending on your needs, you can integrate network video, audio, and door stations. Moreover, if your needs change considerably, you can migrate easily to AXIS Camera Station to access its extra features and functionalities.
Crucial to focus on the user needs
Traditionally, project size and the camera count have dictated what surveillance VMS you would choose. But this perspective can set you off in the wrong direction.
“Axis is trying to shift the conversation away from any camera count or licensing structure to refocus on ‘what are you looking to do?’” Mitch said, “What are the end-user needs, and based on that, we can discuss which is the best software?”
Many end-users have the need just for a system to record, playback, and export video. AXIS Companion provides the much-appreciated Axis quality for end-users where cost can be prohibitive. AXIS Companion is a cost-effective and solid solution that can also serve large multi-site installations in a great way. It is true even if you have thousands of cameras distributed across hundreds of sites.
Among the several customers using AXIS Companion, there is a large oil and gas company with around 100 sites. Another example of a large multi-site installation with AXIS Companion is a chain of convenience stores in Latin America that uses AXIS Companion to manage approximately 9,000 stores with more than 35,000 cameras.
An easy to use and reliable solution
In fact, there is more to AXIS Companion than many realize. Dan Vogl, Business Development Manager End-to-End Solutions, said that – “If a customer is looking for an easy to install, reliable, plugand-play solution, AXIS Companion is a great fit. Anyone with access to internet and Axis cameras can benefit from the wide variety of functionalities with live viewing and forensic research, which this end-to-end solution provides.”
Mitch agrees, explaining – “AXIS Companion is very much a hybrid system. You have the cameras and all the recording on-premises in your local network. Then there are all the remote functionalities such as user administration, remote access, health monitoring, which is done by our backend, by the cloud.”
Open platform offers new functionalities
The ability to integrate AXIS Companion with AXIS Camera Application Platform (ACAP) opens up many possibilities. This open platform makes it possible to download and install value-adding analytics that can significantly improve the performance of your system, for example, within security or business intelligence.
One example is AXIS Guard Suite license-free analytics that provides motion, intrusion, and loitering detection. Another is AXIS object analytics for AI-based object detection and classification of humans and vehicles.
These analytics can be used to send push notifications to a mobile phone. By pressing these notifications, the recording of a specific incident will instantly open. This functionality is available in the apps but also on the PC client.
Dan added, “We have just recently implemented support for I/O based notifications, which provides the possibility to integrate third-party sensors like Alarm Panels or relays to receive push notifications.”
New recorder improves cybersecurity
The launch of the new, compact network video recorder AXIS S3008 opens many possibilities, bringing more overall performance to the system. For example, Axis has improved cybersecurity such as encrypted hard drives – a welcome feature.
“Preventing cyberattacks is crucial,” Dan said, “We’ve made extensive investments to make AXIS Companion highly secure, especially as it’s an IoT solution relying on the internet.”
All in all, AXIS Companion offers excellent bang for the buck. When choosing an Axis endto-end solution and AXIS Companion as your VMS, you get installation and operation simplicity, for example, through low maintenance work and automated updates. And with the entire system from one supplier, you also get a tailor-made solution with matched products and a technical support team trained on every product.
