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Camzify
Glossary

Cloud VMS

A cloud VMS is a video management system that runs as a cloud service rather than on a server the site owns. Cameras stream to it, footage is recorded and kept there under a retention window set per camera, and every site is viewed and managed from one login in a browser.

What separates a cloud VMS from an on-premise VMS is where the software runs and who maintains it. The functions are the same: live viewing, recording, playback, export, user permissions and alerts. The server, the disks, the updates and the remote access are the vendor's job instead of the site's.

The trade-offs are practical. A cloud VMS needs upstream bandwidth for every camera streamed and puts the footage outside the building, encrypted. An on-premise VMS keeps footage local and integrates deeply with access control and building systems, at the cost of hardware to buy, maintain and replace.

Camzify is a cloud VMS with virtual patrolling built in: alongside recording, live streaming, alerts, analytics and user management, it runs AI detections and scheduled patrol rounds on the same camera streams and files a report per round.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

No. A cloud VMS takes the streams the cameras already produce. Camzify connects any camera that streams RTSP, RTMP or HTTPS, directly or through the Camzify Connector on the local network.

When the site cannot carry its cameras upstream, when footage must never leave the building, or when the only need is local recording for occasional review.

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Book a 15-minute demo and see a live patrol run on your own cameras.

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