Milestone Systems announces the launch of XProtect Go free video surveillance software. With a wide set of features for one user to manage and view up to 8 cameras, XProtect Go is easy to learn and use - the perfect start-up product for small business and residential customers who want to secure their property with the advantages of top quality IP video surveillance. XProtect Go is available for free as a download from the Milestone Systems website.

IP network video surveillance continues to gain ground as the technology of choice over analog security products, and to help accelerate this trend Milestone Systems has launched XProtect Go as a free version of the company's world-leading XProtect IP video management software. XProtect Go has a wide set of fully functional features to let people discover the benefits of the Milestone open platform: it is flexible, scalable and future-proof. Designed for high-tech residences and small businesses, XProtect Go provides the opportunity for new customers to explore the leading IP video management software platform at no cost, with seamless upgrade possibilities to Milestone's premium products.

The opportunity to check out

"As a free version of our software, XProtect Go lets new customers check out our world-leading IP video management platform with no initial investment and an easy upgrade path to fuller versions of our products, including integrations with other security products," states Christian Bohn, Head of Product Management at Milestone Systems. "This initiative will reach a wider audience for IP video, strengthen Milestone brand awareness and drive new business for our international eco-system of authorized partners."

Delivered with a Management Application in several languages, XProtect Go is easy to learn and easy to use, starting with an initial default view that can be customized. One user can manage up to eight network cameras, 4 USB/web cameras or analog cameras connected via encoders. Live or recorded video can be viewed with archiving up to five days, and evidence exporting in AVI format with a watermark or for long-term storage on DVD. The XProtect Smart Client interface has 22 language options and such high-end features as Smart Search and Sequence Explorer. Website support will include Tips & Tricks, FAQ and an interactive user forum. XProtect Go can be downloaded at no cost from the Milestone website, with user registration required after 30 days, and re-registration on a yearly basis. 

IMS: The Key to Opening the Low End Market?
After Milestone's announcement IMS Research, supplier of market research and consultancy services, asked what this does mean for the video surveillance industry:

Free VMS is not a new phenomenon - a number of network security camera vendors supply VMS for free, bundled with their cameras. So is this announcement significant to the VMS market?

Unlike other free VMS products, two of the key differentiators that the free Milestone product offers are openness and functionality. Much of the software bundled for free with network security cameras is proprietary, it only works with one particular vendors' hardware. Whilst the adoption of open standards, such as ONVIF and PSIA, will increase the openness of vendors supplying free VMS products; currently the percentage of available ONVIF compliant hardware is relatively low and these vendors will still lack support for non-ONVIF compliant hardware. Secondly, much of the free software currently available has poor or limited functionality. Whilst XProtect Go does not contain the full feature set of its more advanced siblings, its feature set is more expansive that other free VMS offerings and is potentially better suited to the residential and small business market.

Offering free or ‘lite' software has been an incredibly successful business model in other software application markets. Customers get a taste for the product and upgrade the software as their requirements and/or installation size increases. Furthermore, the availability of free open platform VMS may entice the existing installed base of low camera count deployments to part with their existing, and typically proprietary, system and embrace an open platform VMS.

The network video surveillance market has, to date, not been successful in the low-end of the market (the 8 to 16 channel camera market). When compared to an analogue DVR system, the high price of VMS licenses, coupled with the higher price of network cameras, has served as a deterrent in this highly price sensitive market segment. Currently, the low-end market is serviced by inexpensive and low cost analogue CCTV products. "The rapidly declining cost of network cameras, free VMS and open standards will all play key factors in network video surveillance equipment beginning to penetrate the low end market", states video surveillance analyst Gary Wong. Wong continues, "However, even free open platform VMS may not provide the key to penetrating this market segment as customers may continue to favour the familiarity of existing analogue systems."

IMS Research's recently published report, "The World Market for CCTV and Video Surveillance Equipment - 2010 edition" forecasts the growth open platform VMS and other video surveillance equipment types in greater detail.