Need long-term video retention? Here’s how a cloud VMS makes it simple

By Joanna Santander, VP of Sales & Business Development, Videoloft

The problem with traditional video storage

For enterprise security teams managing multiple locations, long-term video retention is one of those recurring challenges that never fully goes away. It’s not a new concept, it’s long been essential for compliance, investigations, and risk mitigation. The real problem is how complex and costly it still is to manage retention effectively at scale.

Legacy NVRs (network video recorders) and DVRs (digital video recorders) aren’t built for the kind of flexibility or retention modern enterprises need. If you’re managing multiple sites – each with its own hardware, limited local storage, and on-premise constraints – then you’ve likely faced at least one of these headaches:

• Videos getting overwritten in as little as 7 days due to space limitations
• Complicated and costly upgrades to increase storage space and therefore video retention
• Unreliable backup systems and patchy footage availability
• A lack of centralized visibility across sites

And here’s a stat that often surprises people: storage accounts for 55–60% of the total cost of traditional video surveillance systems (Security Informed). That means you’re spending more on where the footage sits than on capturing or accessing it and even then you can’t store it for as long as you need.

Retention isn’t just a storage problem, it’s a business one

For many enterprise organizations, long-term retention isn’t optional. You might need to store footage for:

• Regulatory compliance (think industry or local government laws)
• Insurance investigations, which can take months to surface
• Internal audits and loss prevention reviews
• Litigation protection (for example, slip and fall claims)

Retention becomes even more important when your locations include sensitive environments – like data centers or healthcare facilities. In these scenarios, “we didn’t have the footage” isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a liability.

And despite increasing pressure to retain footage for longer, most enterprises are still relying on short-term storage limits imposed by outdated hardware. Many use 7, 14, or 30 day cycles, simply because their local infrastructure can’t accommodate more.

Yet our recent market data tells a different story: nearly 30% of Videloft’s video surveillance customers now opt for 90 to 365 day cloud retention plans, a strong signal that organizations are planning for longer-term storage needs.

The hidden costs of traditional VMS systems

We often hear from enterprises who come to Videoloft after testing or deploying traditional or hybrid cloud video solutions. These platforms are typically positioned as offering the best of both worlds – local access combined with cloud flexibility. But in practice, many organizations find that they still fall short of what modern enterprises really need.

Here are some of the common friction points we hear:

• Storage limitations that restrict how much footage can be retained in the cloud
• Complex pricing models that make cost forecasting difficult
• Hardware lock in that can require proprietary hardware or limit camera compatibility

It’s no surprise then that only about 35% of video surveillance footage is currently stored in the cloud, despite the increasing need for scalable retention (Wasabi Cloud Storage Index).

At Videoloft, we believe in a different approach.

Why cloud video storage wins

We designed Videoloft’s cloud VMS from the ground up with one goal in mind: make enterprise video retention effortless, no matter the size of your deployment. That means:

• No need to rip-and-replace your existing cameras
• Simple cloud recording from as many locations as you like
• Retention options that scale easily from 2 days to 10 years
• Clear, transparent pricing based on retention and resolution

Real world results: Why enterprises choose Videoloft

Aella Credit 

Aella Credit, a fintech company operating in Nigeria, California, and the Philippines, provides a range of financial services, including loans, insurance, and payments, to households and businesses in West Africa. For their branch network in Nigeria, long-term video retention isn’t just about internal operations – it’s part of their regulatory responsibility.

Wale Akanbi, CTO of Aella Credit, needed a cloud video surveillance solution that would:

• Eliminate reliance on vulnerable on-premise recorders
• Enable secure, offsite video storage for 12 months
• Allow distributed teams to access footage remotely

After evaluating several video surveillance-as-a-service (VSaaS) platforms, Aella chose Videoloft to connect 31 Hikvision cameras directly to the cloud. The setup allows them to go well beyond local compliance minimums and gives their team real-time access to recorded footage from any location.

Big Air 

In Buena Park, California, Big Air Trampoline Park needed a surveillance system they could count on, not only for monitoring but for protecting against incident claims. With 42 Hikvision cameras deployed throughout the park, the team needed a long-term storage solution that was scalable, secure, and simple to access.

Big Air adopted Videoloft’s cloud-based platform to back up all recorded footage in the cloud for one year, ensuring:

• Reliable long-term retention without dependence on local hardware
• Centralized video access for incident review and staff coordination
• Greater confidence in meeting legal and insurance requirements

Since transitioning to Videoloft, Big Air has seen improved video reliability and faster access to critical footage, without the risks or maintenance burdens of traditional on-site recorders.

The simplicity of one cloud video management platform

If you’re managing video across multiple enterprise sites, retention is just one piece of the puzzle. You also need to consider:

• User access control – Who can view, download, or delete footage?
• Multi-site management – Can you group and manage cameras by location?
• Footage sharing – Is it simple to send footage to third parties, securely?

Videoloft is designed to centralize all of that in one cloud native platform. With robust role-based access control, real-time alerts, mobile app, and secure footage export, your team stays in control, even across dozens or hundreds of cameras.

Transparent pricing that makes long term retention a no brainer

Let’s talk numbers.

One of the reasons our enterprise customers stay with us isn’t just performance, it’s predictability. Our pricing is straightforward: you pay based on the number of cameras, the resolution, and the retention period you select. Want to store footage in the cloud for a full year? No problem. 

And the cost efficiencies are significant when you consider that traditional surveillance storage is projected to exceed $1 billion annually, with the volume of data doubling from 3.96 EB (exabytes) to nearly 8 EB as camera quality and retention windows expand (Security Informed).

There are many video management systems out there, and most offer some form of cloud recording. But where Videoloft shines is in how adaptable it is to each enterprise’s unique needs.

• Already invested in high-quality cameras? We work with them.
• Need retention that meets regulatory or corporate policy? We customize it.
• Expanding to new locations fast? Just plug in and go.

We don’t believe in forcing a hardware refresh just to use our platform. Nor do we believe in making customers choose between affordability and functionality. Videoloft is here to fill the gaps other VMS platforms leave behind, especially when it comes to keeping video safe, searchable, and stored for the long haul.

Final thoughts: retention shouldn’t be an afterthought

At Videoloft, we believe long-term video retention is more than a storage challenge, it’s a trust and continuity issue. You need to trust that footage will be there when you need it. That it will meet the retention policies your business demands. That your IT and security teams won’t be jumping through hoops just to retrieve a clip.

But it’s not just about trusting the system today – you need to trust that you’ll still want to use it in 5 years time. That means choosing a partner who’s committed to continuous improvement. At Videoloft, we release frequent feature and security updates to keep pace with evolving threats and customer needs.

And that trust is paying off: over 60% of customers expand their Videoloft estate within the first few weeks of their initial installation.

Ready to simplify long-term retention?

Whether you’re managing 5 sites or 500, Videoloft can help you streamline your video surveillance, reduce operational burden, and meet retention goals without compromise.

Book a demo now.