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Genetec to offer Cloud-based security

Montreal-based Genetec has been a Microsoft ISV for more than a decade, but formed a closer partnership with the company beginning this summer. “More recently, our relationship (with Microsoft) became more serious as we went on to discuss our vision for the Cloud,” says Andrew Elvish, Genetec’s vice-president of worldwide marketing. Elvish joined the company earlier this year.

Genetec is developing hosted security solutions including video surveillance, access control and licence plate recognition (LPR) as a service that will be built on Microsoft’s Windows Azure Cloud-computing platform. The company is planning on delivering its first Cloud-based service offering in the first half of 2013.
 
“Just as we pioneered IP video 15 years ago, we are now breaking new ground by using advanced Cloud technology to make video and security applications even more accessible and meaningful for companies of all sizes,” says Pierre Racz, Genetec’s CEO, in a statement.  “By working closely with Microsoft we are able to take advantage of its robust Cloud-based development platform, Windows Azure, as a central part of our strategy to bring market-leading video surveillance, access control and license plate recognition to a broader user-base.”
 
”Genetec will offer Cloud-based physical security solutions that will make optimal use of Windows Azure. By bringing the functionalities of its unified security platform to the Cloud, organizations of all sizes will benefit from enterprise-class features and functions in a web-based offering,” says Kim Akers, general manager, Developer and Platform Evangelism, Microsoft, in a statement.

Genetec says integrators will be able to take advantage of streamlined and simplified set-up, provisioning and install procedures. Security assets (including video, access, and related critical data) will be automatically stored in the Cloud so that they can be reused, retrieved, and analyzed at any time, anywhere.  Users will be able to roll-out and configure security systems and upgrades and will be able to access built-in online payment and administration processes from within one hosted solution.
 
Genetec is developing enterprise-level Cloud products as well as products targeted to small and medium-sized businesses.
 
“Bringing video security, access control and LPR to the Cloud requires a safe, secure and reliable computing platform. In our mind, there is no better Cloud provider than Microsoft and its Windows Azure platform upon which to build our software-as-service offerings,” says Racz.  “With a 99.9 per cent monthly SLA (Service Level Agreement), automatic OS and service patching, built in network load balancing, and resiliency to hardware failure, Windows Azure is ideal for supporting highly-available applications without having to worry about downtime. Windows Azure gives us the ability to provide our channels and their customers with simple, trustworthy, and turn-key Cloud applications that will be a game-changer for the security industry.”