Video management system(VMS)
A video management system, or VMS, is the software that takes in camera streams and records, stores, streams, searches and exports the video, and controls who can see which camera. It runs either on a server on site, an on-premise VMS, or as a subscription in the cloud, a cloud VMS.
The VMS is what an operator actually uses: the live wall, playback, export, user permissions and alerts. Cameras and recorders are hardware; the VMS is the layer that makes them one system.
An on-premise VMS is licensed per server or per channel and maintained by the site or its integrator. It is strongest where deep integration with access control, building systems and on-site recorders is required, and where footage must stay inside the building.
A cloud VMS delivers the same functions as a service, with no server to maintain, retention set per camera and every site on one login. On Camzify the AI detections and scheduled patrol rounds run inside the same system, on the same streams.