Totem, Milestone link video management, monitoring

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador—Totem and Milestone Systems have partnered to combine Milestone's XProtect video management software with Totem's 24/7 remote monitoring services, giving central stations and monitoring centers a way to expand video operations without significantly increasing staffing and infrastructure.

Under the arrangement, Totem will provide video verification, event review and monitoring support through trained operators, while Milestone's open-platform XProtect video management system delivers integration with a broad range of cameras, devices and third-party applications.

"Milestone gives security professionals an exceptionally powerful video management platform. Totem helps make sure that capability doesn't stop at the screen," said Luis Fernando Uribe Blum, CEO of Totem. "Our role is to bring the operational side of security into the equation, including trained people, 24/7 coverage, verification and response."

According to Totem, many monitoring centers already have the customers, cameras and video management systems needed to support expanded video services but may lack the personnel and operational capacity required to monitor growing numbers of cameras and events around the clock.

Rather than requiring central stations to build those capabilities internally, Totem positions its services as an extension of existing monitoring operations.

"The technology identifies the information. The monitoring operation gives it context," the company said.

The companies said the partnership is particularly relevant for U.S. monitoring centers seeking to grow their video-monitoring offerings while controlling operational costs and avoiding the need to expand facilities and staffing at the same pace as customer growth.

"The security industry has spent years investing in better cameras, better analytics, and better video management," Uribe Blum said. "The next question is how we operationalize all of that intelligence. Our partnership with Milestone allows us to help monitoring centers bridge that gap. We bring the people and operational expertise that turn a sophisticated video environment into an active security service." 

Related: Totem expands into North America with RVM operations support