The cloud revolution in video security isn’t about discarding proven systems. It’s about unlocking the untapped value already embedded in existing security investments. Rather than replacing installations that have been working well for years, the best cloud solutions harness established strengths, workflows, and relationships, including the interpersonal ones between end users and their trusted dealers.
OpenEye, a subsidiary of Alarm.com, is a provider of cloud-managed video surveillance solutions. The OpenEye Web Services platform enables operators to benefit from the interplay of edge and cloud AI, delivering efficient workflows and actionable insights while bridging the gap between legacy hardware and modern capabilities.
“Introducing new technology to a mature market is always a challenge,” said Angelo Salvatore, Vice President of Business Development for APAC at OpenEye. “This is especially true when you’re changing multiple moving parts at the same time. Operators see the switch to cloud as a significant change, involving anew subscription model, new data sovereignty considerations, new channels. That’s a lot to process.”
“Cloud resistance is emotional, not logical,” Salvatore said. “People conflate cloud with losing control, and control is deeply tied to professional identity for security managers. If you’ve built your career on managing physical infrastructure, a system that abstracts that away can feel like a threat.”
No more hidden subscription fees
Traditionally, organizations understand security as a capital expense: improving a system means installing new cameras, servers, and NVRs. When organizations adopt a cloud solution, security becomes an operational expense through recurring subscriptions.
“Operators with traditional on-prem systems who think they pay once and never again are already paying subscription fees. They just don’t call them that,” Salvatore said. “Maintenance visits where the dealer comes out once a year to install updates. Software licensing. Annual care renewals where you write a cheque and get... what exactly? The same system you had last year. Those are subscriptions. You’re just not getting subscription-level service in return.”
Manual updates are a pain point that needs addressing urgently. New cyberthreats require timely responses, and in many operator-dealer relationships, this remains challenging.
“Think about a dealer with a hundred customers who all need firmware updates,” Salvatore said. “That’s not a day’s work. That’s weeks. Months, even. And in times of skills shortage? Some systems just never get the updates they need. They’re sitting there with known vulnerabilities because nobody has time to drive out and fix them.”
Operators with traditional on-prem systems who think they pay once and never again are already paying subscription fees. They just don’t call them that.
The real shift that cloud technology enables is rethinking the relationships between operators, dealers, and solution providers. OpenEye’s aim isn’t to bypass traditional sales channels that have proven to work.
“We’ve got cloud in our name, but our approach is the traditional channel model. We don’t bypass the channel,” Salvatore said.
Harnessing sales channel strength
According to OpenEye, end users should benefit from new cloud capabilities while continuing to benefit from trusted relationships with their dealer of choice. OpenEye Web Services delivers remote access and cloud management while addressing commercial security needs today and tomorrow through its flexible architecture.
Dealers remain in charge of the licensing portal. From the cloud, users can connect to devices to view live video, search events, and manage the system from wherever they are. Through a dedicated interface for OpenEye partners, dealers can monitor maintenance and performance status of their customers installed systems.
“Previously, hardware problems only came to attention when it was too late,” Salvatore said. “Sometimes operators only realized a camera or recorder at a remote site was down months later — when footage was needed. That’s a compliance issue. That’s a liability. With cloud management and diagnostics, the dealer knows about the issue as soon as it arises. The part can be replaced within hours, not discovered during an audit.”
A cloud of many possibilities
Operators have choices about how far to go with cloud adoption. They can keep video storage on-premises using existing hardware while making maintenance cloud-managed, enabling their dealer to monitor system health and install security updates remotely. They can also choose additional cloud services, such as sending metadata generated on-premise to OpenEye for advanced analytics.
“Even five-year-old cameras can be empowered with modern AI,” Salvatore said. “Search for a person in a grey shirt across 200 sites over 30 days. You don’t need a forklift upgrade for that.”
“Aside from unlocking AI capabilities for end users, we want to strengthen relationships between them and their dealers,” Salvatore said. “If any on-prem service is needed, such as when hardware has to be replaced, we want to make sure it’s being done by those who installed the system in the first place. Dealers know where every component is, where every cable runs.”
“Dealers specializing in security also know the use cases inside and out,” Salvatore added. “Other dealers with an IT focus often lack that knowledge, and it’s essential to setting up a successful security project.”
Open platform unlocks integration potential
By maintaining an open ecosystem, OpenEye allows users to integrate a wide range of third-party subsystems. Access control, alarm panels, point-of-sale, and more can be enhanced via video surveillance. By connecting these devices, businesses receive video verification of events from integrated devices — whether through proactive alerts or event search — strengthening security while uncovering operational insights.
“When an alarm triggers, the system can automatically deliver a video clip to the relevant stakeholder,” Salvatore said. “You’re not logging into three different platforms to piece together what happened.”
Rather than forcing proprietary hardware lock-in, the platform acts as a universal translator, unifying security systems that used to be siloed into a single cloud-managed framework.
Even five-year-old cameras can be empowered with modern AI. Search for a person in a grey shirt across 200 sites over 30 days. You don’t need a forklift upgrade for that.
Solving the scale challenge
This ability to modernize existing infrastructure is particularly relevant for high-growth regions like APAC, where the physical scale of operations often outpaces traditional management methods, while fragmented regulatory environments require tailored solutions to meet data residency demands.
“In APAC, we have many multi-site retailers among our customers, some operating hundreds of sites,” Salvatore said. “Many currently rely on traditional NVRs and attempt to link them manually to create a connected system. It creates enormous overhead. Management requires significant manpower. Efficiency is lacking.”
“Most cloud vendors still think singular, or one customer at a time. Our architecture is federated and multi-tenant. Video stays local, management is centralized, and when we push an update, every customer gets it the same day. That’s not just multi-site scale. That’s platform scale.”
“We can repurpose existing infrastructure easily,” Salvatore explained. “Remove the traditional NVR or VMS, place our cloud-managed server or appliance in its place, utilize existing IP cameras and/or use some of our advanced cloud cameras. Manual management disappears. New capabilities arrive, including AI. No need to rip and replace.”
“The feature you need in two years doesn’t exist yet,” Salvatore said. “But when it does, you’ll have it across every site without replacing hardware. That’s what siloed systems can’t deliver.”
Cloud innovation meets channel integrity
The shift toward cloud doesn’t have to mean abandoning established systems or trusted dealer relationships. Instead, it offers a path to bridge the gap between reliable legacy hardware and the possibilities of streamlined management and AI. By prioritizing an open platform and a service-oriented subscription model, operators can secure their sites more effectively while ensuring systems remain resilient against emerging cyberthreats.
“Video stays with the customer. Management lives in the cloud. The dealer relationship stays intact. That’s the model,” Salvatore concluded.