The introduction of storage on the edge helps organizations address common challenges that many enterprises face when incorporating remote or disparate locations into the overall security landscape using cloud-based functionality. For many of these companies, cloud-based applications are already in use, including office management software, banking and accounting, data management, and much more. IT departments have widely adopted cloud-based solutions to aid in business optimization goals; but physical security has traditionally been looked at as an on-premise necessity.
However, the limitations of on-premise security, including the need for ongoing maintenance and large up-front hardware investments, help propel modern organizations to look for other ways of collecting, storing, and analyzing incoming video and IoT data. As many turn to a pure cloud option that offers full redundancy, there are some organizations that realize there are limitations to their ability to harness the power of the cloud, which means storage at the edge becomes a viable and preferable option as a logical next step toward achieving full cloud functionality.
So when does storage on the edge make the most sense?
Regulatory compliance
There are a number of industries that are required to keep video footage for a set amount of time, such as high-risk businesses like cannabis, casinos/gaming, critical infrastructure or financial institutions. Oftentimes, this footage needs to be easy to access and the amount of time the video data should be saved varies based on federal, state and regulatory rules. Edge Cloud storage allows users in these vertical markets to identify and customize their retention times either across the facility or on each specific camera, as well as where the video footage is stored. The centralized nature of the dashboard that manages multiple sites in a single view makes the identification of locations and footage easy and streamlined.
High camera count locations
It’s simple: the more cameras at a location, the more video data is being collected, which means the need for more bandwidth in a full cloud storage environment. Storing this video on the edge frees up bandwidth and offers customers the flexibility to harness the power of the cloud without sacrificing network bandwidth that is needed to meet the needs of the organization beyond security and video surveillance.
Dispersed, remote sites
With large-scale enterprises, there tends to be a central location that serves as a headquarters that leverages on-premise storage solutions. As these businesses grow and add multiple satellite locations across the country or even around the globe, the set-up and maintenance of multiple, on-premise storage devices can become costly and hinder the ability of centralized security teams to effectively monitor or address incoming alerts. Hybrid video management systems (VMS) can help address some of these issues, but Edge Cloud storage can create a way to better manage dispersed, remote sites without the additional need for extensive bandwidth. Using Edge Cloud also allows all of these dispersed sites to be viewed and managed through a single platform, from anywhere.
Network optimization
The demands of a global organization running multiple cloud-based management programs and applications can be a challenge for IT leaders looking to ensure the network is safe, secure and accessible at all times. But sometimes the demand creates a need for IT leaders to optimize the network and maximize its performance for outbound operations. Video data being uploaded directly to the cloud can slow down the network for other functions, so storing that video on the edge becomes a necessary next step in helping IT departments with this goal of ensuring the highest levels of service for WAN activity..
Bandwidth challenges
At the core of any of these challenges is the limitations that organizations may have with bandwidth, which dictates the rate of data transfer across the network. Challenges can exist in the capacity of the connection to handle large amounts of data; and this can become more of an issue when using a full cloud solution that continuously sends video to the cloud for storage and analysis.
Arcules now offers the Edge Cloud solution to address some of the most common challenges today’s organization’s face.
Want to learn more? Click here.
