Genetec Unveils Plans for Cloud-Based Security

Genetec enters into strategic alliance with Microsoft to develop powerful Windows Azure-based security solutions designed to bring high-end security applications to a broader market and enhance current on-premises offerings.

Genetec today unveiled its plans for bringing physical security software to the cloud. In conjunction with a strategic multi-year alliance with Microsoft Corp., Genetec is developing true, reliable, hosted security solutions including Video Surveillance, Access Control and License Plate Recognition (LPR) as a Service that will be built on Microsoft's Windows Azure cloud-computing platform. The new cloud-based security solutions will combine the strength of Genetec's unified security platform with the global reach, scalability, and reliability of Windows Azure. Following an aggressive development schedule, Genetec is planning on delivering its first cloud-based service offering in the first half of 2013.

"Just as we pioneered IP video 15 years ago, we are now breaking new ground by using advanced cloud technology to make video and security applications even more accessible and meaningful for companies of all sizes," says Pierre Racz, Genetec's CEO. "By working closely with Microsoft we are able to take advantage of its robust cloud-based development platform, Windows Azure, as a central part of our strategy to bring market-leading video surveillance, access control and license plate recognition to a broader user-base. As the leader in the world's largest security surveillance market, we are uniquely positioned to bring a true ‘built for the cloud' solution to both our existing integrators and users and to a whole new market that is looking for simple, ubiquitous, and powerful security tools."

"Genetec will offer cloud-based physical security solutions that will make optimal use of Windows Azure. By bringing the functionalities of its unified security platform to the cloud, organizations of all sizes will benefit from enterprise-class features and functions in a web-based offering," comments Kim Akers, general manager, Developer and Platform Evangelism, Microsoft.

Genetec and Microsoft will be pioneers in the physical security area

Until now, the physical security industry had not fully embraced the concepts of software-as-service and true hosted services. Genetec's new solutions will harness the unique opportunities afforded by cloud computing and empower the industry to take advantage of physical security systems on demand. Integrators will be able to take advantage of streamlined and greatly simplified set-up, provisioning and install procedures, meaning they can on-board more customers, more easily, and with greater initial satisfaction. Users will benefit from the ease of use, availability, and lower cost of ownership. Security assets (including video, access, and related critical data) will be automatically stored in the cloud so that they can be easily reused, retrieved, and analyzed at any time, anywhere. Users will be able to roll-out and configure security systems and upgrades without disruption, and take advantage of world-class data centers to reduce IT burden and costs. They will benefit from built-in, accessible and flexible online payment and administration processes from within one hosted solution.

In Genetec's traditional enterprise market, the cloud will open many new avenues to enhance and extend the applicability and value of new and existing installations. With its new software-as-service offerings, Genetec will deliver compelling, cost effective features and capabilities by enabling enterprise customers to quickly extend installations to remote/satellite locations, and to take advantage of highly-elastic, secure off-site storage and compute platforms hosted on Windows Azure. For the enterprise, Genetec's solution hosted on Windows Azure means that ultra-available, on-demand compute power is accessible 24/7 to help large organizations access, analyze and better understand large, complex and intersecting security data streams.

Recognizing that the needs of small and medium sized businesses are very different from those of enterprise customers, Genetec is also developing cloud based solutions that will be affordable, easy to install and simple to use. This will enable integrators and channel partners to quickly and efficiently deliver state of the art security systems that will allow small and mid-size organizations to remain focused on their core competencies rather than spending their time and valuable resources managing complex hardware and IT configurations.

"Bringing video security, access control and LPR to the cloud requires a safe, secure and reliable computing platform. In our mind, there is no better cloud provider than Microsoft and its Windows Azure platform upon which to build our software-as-service offerings," comments Pierre Racz, Genetec's CEO. "With a 99.9% monthly SLA (Service Level Agreement), automatic OS and service patching, built in network load balancing, and resiliency to hardware failure, Windows Azure is ideal for supporting highly-available applications without having to worry about downtime. Windows Azure gives us the ability to provide our channels and their customers with simple, trustworthy, and turn-key cloud applications that will be a game-changer for the security industry."

More information about Genetec's vision for bringing physical security software to the cloud: www.genetec.com/cloud