Given the choice between complexity and simplicity, most of us choose the easy path. If there is a way to take difficulty out of any day-to-day activity, we’re all for it.

Today’s technology is increasingly reflecting our need for a pared down, but still high-quality approach. Think about some of the appliances residing in your own home. Instead of a separate blender, food processor, ice crusher and mixer, many kitchens now have a single machine — a super blender, if you will — that handles all of these chores.

In the security space, cameras with edge-based video recording capabilities are filling a similar niche. Especially for small businesses that don’t have the luxury of a large security staff, space to house multiple servers or the infrastructure to support multiple recording devices, opting instead for cameras with embedded VMS software and onboard video storage can prove to be a capable and affordable alternative.

Having a type of all-in-one solution makes high-tech security more accessible to users who only need a handful of IP cameras for their installation. However, these businesses — both large and small — still require a robust array of valuable features and they want them delivered in a user-friendly manner.

Just being able to record video clips to an SD card will cover the most basic security needs in an edge-based video system, but this is just a simple folder of video clips. Like the multi-featured super blender, end users are often looking for something more.

Fortunately, advancements in SD cards and camera processor technology provide enough horsepower to deliver not only onboard storage but video management system capabilities. This means that beyond just recording and organizing clips, business owners or security personnel can take advantage of features such as synchronized search and retrieval of the recorded video across all or specific cameras in their system. These video management tasks can be performed on a desktop or on mobile devices such as tablets or smartphones with live view or playback.

And while edge-based VMS software provides myriad benefits to smaller locations with a handful of cameras, larger organizations are also leveraging this technology. This includes the large retailer wanting a few cameras at its stores that are independent from the onsite, locally monitored surveillance network.  Or, this approach can also benefit other large enterprise installations looking for freedom from managing a central server architecture for small branch locations or remote locations in the field, where a few cameras are needed but server installation is impractical.

Small or large, end users looking to employ this technology are also benefitting from new high reliability SD cards, some of which are designed specifically for the recording of HD video. Various cameras on the market, such as our new Illustra Edge series, can also provide redundancy protection for network outages, providing a backup of the recorded video that can be retrieved and stored back to a central server.  

And with each camera having its own embedded VMS capability, businesses have the added assurance that even if one camera in the system fails, the others in their installation will continue to perform the critical video surveillance system duties.

This newest generation of edge-based video adds a higher level of value for end users who want storage and recording capabilities but without the investment of time, space and maintenance associated with traditional server set ups.

It is the perfect melding of simplicity with effective, cutting-edge technology — ice crusher not included.

To hear more about edge based video management as well as tips on how to calculate bandwidth and storage requirements and how to take advantage of other vendor supplied tools for easier installations, please register for the upcoming free webinar from SDM Magazine: “Making the Right Choices in IP Video,” at 2pm EDT on June 16, 2015, sponsored by Illustra from Tyco Security Products.