Who needs VMS…Axis's new Camera Companion wants to takeover from analog cameras in the sub-16 camera market segment.
Axis calls it “the market’s easiest video surveillance solution for small systems up to 16 cameras.” It offers future-proof IP advantages such as superb digital HDTV image quality. The system consists of standard Axis cameras, SD cards, software clients for PC and smartphones, and standard network equipment. The software has extensive language support.
In a traditional architecture, IP cameras send then forget. The camera streams live video but has no knowledge if or where video is being recorded: Video Management Software is required to retrieve, search and export recorded video.
The free Axis Camera Companion software client only needs to be used at installation. For viewing live or recorded video, or exporting video after an incident, either the client or a smartphone app can be used. With AXIS Camera Companion, all video is recorded on SD memory cards in the cameras. No central DVR, NVR, PC or server is necessary – making each camera a smart, independent video recording device.
Axis Camera Companion removes the single-point of failure which is common in alternative solutions where a DVR failure prevents all cameras to be recorded. The cameras in an Axis Camera Companion system record video regardless of the network status.
With this approach, the camera gains intelligence to manage its own recorded video, tracking its location and time. Instead of connecting to a VMS server, a simple client can connect directly to the cameras who serve up their own recorded video. In this way, smarter cameras will replace traditional recorders.
The analog DVR is king in this market segment. Will Axis's pricing (and features) sufficient to change the game?
