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| Milestone managers shared important information on new products, tools, and services in the conference |
Milestone Systems, the open platform company in IP video management software (VMS), held its annual Milestone Integration Platform Symposium (MIPS) conference February 12-14 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Two-hundred seventy people attended MIPS from the Milestone ecosystem of distributors, system integrators and consultants. A record number of Manufacturer Alliance Partners and Milestone Solution Partners exhibited in the Technology Showcase including platinum sponsors Axis Communications and Sony.
Milestone CEO Lars Thinggaard launched the event with a helicopter view of five megatrends in our changing world and the imperative to manage risks and spot opportunities for more than just security. Milestone managers shared important information on new products, tools and services that help the partner channels grow with the Milestone open platform.
The Milestone product road map was revealed, announcing new versions of XProtect® VMS available soon:
- XProtect® Corporate 5 for large, multi-site deployments will now have the distinction of powerful 64-bit recording servers that handle more cameras per server through increased memory capacity – unlimited depending on hardware capacity. New device connectivity management includes remote camera connection and Edge Storage with flexible retrieval
- XProtect® Smart Client 7 was simultaneously presented in a live webinar to almost 600 viewers, previewing a sleek new graphical user interface (GUI) with a choice of two themes – dark or light – for different monitoring environments. Advances in flexible evidence creation and export include a timeline-coordinated framework for video sequences, separate camera inclusion or exclusion and higher security through digital signing. The Alarm Manager can be accessed directly in live or playback modes and controlled by time, location or extended priority levels with expanded report facilities
- MIP SDK 3 is the Milestone Integration Platform Software Development Kit to be released with XProtect Corporate 5 at the end of March. It will provide fast and easy new plug-and-play interoperability options for third-party offerings with Milestone Solution Partners, among other innovative advances
- XProtect® Mobile 1.0 iOS is now released for Apple iPod® Touch, iPhone® or iPad® in addition to the existing Android™ support
- XProtect® NVR will also be released as a ready-to-use solution that combines Milestone XProtect VMS with a preconfigured workstation managing up to eight or 16 surveillance cameras. It supports archive to network storage and integration of third-party applications and business systems, making it ideal for retail chains requiring analytics or access control
Plenty of time was built into the agenda for partners to network and investigate the Technology Showcase
Other speakers at the MIPS gathering included Martin Gren, Co-Founder of Axis Communications, and Mark Collett, General Manager of Sony. Breakout sessions were hosted by MIPS gold partners Iomnis Surveillance, Hewlett-Packard, Arecont Vision and Razberi Technologies. Plenty of time was built into the agenda for partners to network and investigate the Technology Showcase where 32 Manufacturer Alliance Partners and Milestone Solution Partners exhibited their innovative Milestone-integrated IP video solutions.
Partner awards for 2011 outstanding performance and collaboration with Milestone Systems were also announced:
- Camera Manufacturer Partner of the Year was Arecont Vision for their strong business engagement with Milestone. Arecont Vision has made a significant effort in 2011 to work closely with Milestone, fostering communication and business engagement: their cameras are more and more prevalent in Milestone installations.
- Milestone Solutions Partner of the Year was Rimage for their innovative disc publishing for video content export and archiving that is being enthusiastically received in the marketplace. Milestone enjoys a close relationship with Rimage and strong mutual footprint, especially in the government sector.
- Milestone Technology Partner of the Year was Hewlett-Packard (HP) for the long-term, close partnership between all levels of the Milestone organization. HP is a great supporter of Milestone and the relationship is appreciated.
- Distributor of the Year was Anixter for a diligent and rewarding partnership that continues to develop and flourish. Anixter has proven to be a good partner that adds value to channel initiatives throughout the marketplace.
- National Partner of the Year was Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) for the second year in a row for consistently outstanding growth in business with Milestone. JCI represents the template for a strong and growing relationship that is beneficial to both parties. The collaboration includes strategic focus from JCI throughout the world and with great success in the Americas.
- Regional Partner of the Year was SecureNet for the valuable partnership that generates significant ongoing results. SecureNet is a long-standing partner with Milestone with dedication and the expert ability to deliver reliable solutions for customers.
- Development Partner of the Year was Open Options, Inc., for being early to embrace the MIP SDK and to develop a comprehensive integration between their access control and XProtect VMS. The people are fine to work with: they are always ready and willing to further enhance and improve their integration with Milestone.
- End-user Installation of the Year went to ADT San Diego for an impressive global rollout of XProtect Corporate at a Fortune 500 company. Milestone is looking forward to many more great wins with ADT as they mutually foster and expand the partnership.
