ABSTRACT
As discussed in Chapter 13, there are many ways to manage video. The traditional way is to have a recorder, typically a digital video recorder (DVR) or network video recorder (NVR), in the same location as the cameras to manage the video. When IP cameras and video encoders are connected to an IP network that is connected to the internet, a new way of managing video opens up. Rather than storing it on-site, video can be managed and partly or wholly stored off-site in a data center. This way of video management is popularly referred to as hosted video. Hosted video, managed video services, cloud video surveillance, or Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) refers to video surveillance provided as a web-based service. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has defined the model of cloud computing. In summary, it is a service that is hosted and sold on demand, is accessed through the internet, and is elastic in the sense that at any given time its users, often referred to as subscribers, can use as much or little of the service as they want. Subscribers pay for and get a worry-free monthly service rather than procuring and maintaining a system.
