Video management
The cloud-vs-on-prem debate for video has real tradeoffs. Here's how we think about it per project.
Cloud video management has become the default story for mid-market — for good reason. But 'cloud' hides a lot of variance, and the right answer for a 20-camera office isn't the same as a 200-camera warehouse.
The contenders
Verkada, Rhombus, Eagle Eye
Strength · No servers, automatic updates, clean mobile.
Weakness · Bandwidth-hungry, subscription-heavy, vendor lock-in.
Genetec, Milestone, Axis Camera Station
Strength · Bandwidth-efficient, vendor-agnostic, deeper customization.
Weakness · Needs infrastructure, administrator, and upgrade discipline.
On-prem + cloud archive
Strength · Best of both: local storage, cloud redundancy.
Weakness · Two systems to maintain, license cost adds up.
Side by side
| Criterion | Cloud VMS | On-prem VMS | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
Bandwidth impact | Weak Every stream uploads. 20 cameras ≈ 30 Mbps up. | Excellent Local recording, no continuous upload. | Good Selective upload (events, motion) keeps it manageable. |
Total cost over 5 years | Weak $60–$120/camera/mo adds up fast. | Excellent CapEx heavy, OpEx light. | OK Middle ground — depends on retention policy. |
Resilience | OK Cloud outages stop playback; edge keeps recording. | Good Survives internet outages, depends on local HA. | Excellent Highest resilience — survives both failure modes. |
Vendor-agnostic | Weak Hardware locked to platform. | Excellent ONVIF ensures hardware choice. | Good Only as open as the underlying VMS. |
Compliance / residency | OK Check Canadian region availability. | Excellent Data never leaves the building. | Good Configurable — retention rules are key. |
Pick the right one
Choose
Small offices, distributed retail, IT-led teams — under ~30 cameras.
Choose
50+ camera sites, regulated environments, anywhere bandwidth is constrained.
Choose
Enterprise-grade resilience requirements with bandwidth headroom.
We lean toward on-prem or hybrid for any commercial site beyond 30-ish cameras. The subscription math on pure cloud flips fast, and bandwidth in most Toronto offices isn't as abundant as the demos assume.
We'll review any competing proposal and tell you — on the record — what's right, wrong, or missing. Free, no obligation.
Get a second opinion