Firetide and OnSSI team

LOS GATOS, Calif., and SUFFERN, N.Y.--Wireless mesh network developer Firetide and video management software manufacturer OnSSI have entered into a strategic alliance the companies say will make the deployment of wireless video surveillance networks easier and more cost-effective. Though the agreement does not make the companies exclusive partners, the two will develop an end-to-end solution that makes it easy for end users to quickly implement wireless video surveillance. Manish Chandra, director of product management for Firetide, said feedback from the channel was the crucial deciding factor in choosing to work with OnSSI. Both end users and integrators reported an experience with OnSSI that offered "a minimum of surprises," Chandra said. Further, "their standards-based interface" made it a natural for Firetide's partnership program, he said. Gadi Piran, OnSSI president and chief technical officer, said his company would not cease to work with any other wireless provider, but chose to align itself with Firetide because it offers a "very robust and wide bandwidth. That allows you to carry more better-quality cameras." He also cited Firetide's security encryption. Especially with a municipal surveillance project, he noted, "you're putting cameras on the public bandwidth. You have to make sure that no one can tap into the bandwidth." Finally, said Piran, Firetide's "technology in the way they manage their network is very robust. The communication quality provides a high level of data integrity."