Secure-i launches HVR

CHICAGO--The owners of integration firm Secure Integration in November launched a new company and a new acronym: HVR. It stands for hosted video recorder, and it is the basis of the business model for Secure-i, a company that will be offering Web-accessible video surveillance to the residential and small business marketplace. “It’s very similar to video-as-a-service models,” said Andres Armeda, Secure-i chief technology officer, “but the underlying problem that other companies have is deployment ... Most other solutions have a hardware requirement or software solution that you need to install locally.” This is not the case for Secure-i. Through a partnership with Axis, the company is able to deploy Axis cameras that come embedded with Secure-i firmware, so that installers simply plug the camera into a broadband connection and it immediately begins streaming back to Secure-i’s central servers and is accessible for viewing via the company’s Web site. Further, said Armeda, “it’s an open environment. We’ll expand into Google Maps, Facebook, and so forth.” Now Secure-i is looking for partners to resell the service. Currently, Toepfer Security of Wisconsin, Paragon Solutions Group of Minnesota, and ESS Home Theater of New Jersey are among partners who’ve joined the program. Secure-i will not be selling directly to the consumer, and its integration firm will not be offering the solution at a price competitive with partners, to avoid conflict of interest. “We’re focusing on the one-to-four camera sale,” said Armeda. “Now installers are able to push into a new market with a very professional product.” The company uses a third-party data center, Server Central, to house the storage, and end users can purchase different levels of service, with more or less storage available to them. Further, Secure-i will only be selling the HVR. The cameras must be purchased from either Anixter or Scan Source, which distribute Axis cameras. The installer marks up the camera, then gets a percentage of the minimum 12-month contract the end users signs with Secure-i.