Milestone Systems Broadens Device Support

Milestone Systems, the open platform company in IP video management software (VMS), has just released the newest Device Pack 7.4 for the XProtect portfolio of VMS products. This update adds another 20 percent new or updated device drivers to XProtect, since the monumental device pack 7.2 release in February when Milestone celebrated record support of 3,000 devices from more than 100 camera manufacturers. 

The XProtect Device Packs include optimized drivers that enable all the relevant capabilities of a camera or other hardware device to be managed fully by the XProtect software. Milestone works closely with the device manufacturers in the Camera Partner Program (CaPP) to achieve the optimal interaction between their devices and the XProtect VMS. This ensures the highest quality for a video surveillance solution - very important for total system operability, efficiency and stability.  

Milestone is actively promoting driver standards like ONVIF and PSIA, and are currently working to support the edge storage possibilities in ONVIF Profile G. Edge storage enables cameras to store recorded video and audio on storage inside the camera. This new capability is expected to be supported in XProtect Device Pack 7.5 scheduled for release in late August 2014.

"Our ability to add support for more than 600 new devices in just four months is a testimonial of the power of open platform technology," says Christian Bohn, Milestone Systems VP Corporate Marketing & Alliances. "Our fast expansion of device support highlights our total dedication to give our partners not only the best VMS, but also the broadest and most comprehensive device support in the market - now and in the future. Milestone will continue to drive open platform technology going forward. We remain dedicated to our partner ecosystem as an independent industry force multipier."

The list of major manufacturers with new or updated drivers in Device Pack 7.4 is: 

• IQInvision
• Panasonic  
• Arecont
• Stretch
• ACTi
• Pelco

The device support in XProtect reaches beyond digital video devices because the software also has comprehensive support for encoders enabling analog cameras to be connected to the VMS: Milestone is in this way spearheading the transition from analog to digital video in the market for video-enabled business systems.  

Based on open platform technology, Milestone XProtect VMS is compatible today with more than 200 encoders from more than 50 different manufacturers complementing the 3,647 digital cameras from more than 100 camera manufacturers, giving users a wide variety of solutions to choose from.