TL;DR:
On-premises security systems come with hidden long-term costs like maintenance, hardware, energy, and retrieval. Videoloft eliminates these with a low Total Cost of Ownership, cloud-based approach. From zero maintenance and instant access to scalable infrastructure and reduced insurance premiums, Videoloft helps enterprises cut costs, simplify surveillance, and scale without surprises.
When you’re choosing a video surveillance system, it’s tempting to only focus on the camera specs, hard drive sizes and other upfront costs such as networking and installation. However, beneath the upfront costs lies a series of hidden expenses that traditional systems quietly pass onto your business – and those costs soon mount up.
From the need for physical infrastructure to the operational costs of footage retrieval, maintenance, energy costs and insurance premiums, traditional security systems come with a list of long-term commitments you might not have thought about. And the more your business grows, the more you spend – because scaling these systems isn’t just hard, it’s expensive.
At Videoloft, we believe it’s time to rethink video surveillance. Our cloud video surveillance system can dramatically reduce your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and makes scaling simple.
Here’s why traditional security systems that appear cost effective often cost more than you think – and how Videoloft helps break that cycle.
What traditional security systems don’t tell you…
A low-end NVR might sound affordable, but once you deploy that system across multiple locations, the real costs begin to show.
Take one example:
- A low-end NVR with no remote access comes with a 5-year TCO of $20,750 per site, adding up to $2.07m across 100 sites.
- Videoloft, on the other hand, comes in at just $3,135 per site, or $313,500 across 100 sites.
That’s a difference of over $1.75 million – and Videoloft still delivers more in terms of access, control and reliability.
Short on time? Here are the key highlights from our full cost breakdown…
1. Hardware
In a traditional setup, every site needs a recorder – usually an NVR or server. These are bulky, power-hungry, and expensive to install and maintain. You’re not just buying hardware, you’re building an entire on-prem infrastructure.
With dozens of sites, this gets out of hand quickly:
- Expensive recorders at every location
- Network configuration and setup
- Racks and cooling
- A full replacement cycle every 5-7 years
Even ‘low-end’ surveillance systems can require $1,000+ per site in hardware alone – not to mention installation and maintenance costs.
With Videoloft:
You use a Cloud Adapter: a compact, plug and play device that connects your existing cameras to the cloud. It can replace an NVR completely and is a fraction of the cost of a traditional NVR – reducing hardware spend, both upfront and over time.
Traditional systems age fast. Firmware needs patching, software needs updating and hardware needs replacing. This means engineer site visits and downtime risks when updates are delayed. These are recurring, operationally disruptive costs that continue long after the initial installation.
With Videoloft:
All updates happen in the cloud, automatically. You never schedule a patch, and you never worry about falling behind.
When footage lives on physical devices like NVRs or DVRs, incidents become harder to resolve. Need last week’s footage? You’d better hope someone is available to drive to the site, locate the footage and export it. This adds time, labour and travel expense costs, and across a large network of sites this can cost tens of thousands annually.
With Videoloft:
All footage is stored securely in the cloud and can be retrieved from anywhere, anytime. Whether you’re in the office or offsite, you have instant access to all your footage.
4. Power and cooling
Most traditional security systems rely on servers or NVRs that run 24/7. These aren’t lightweight devices – they consume a substantial amount of electricity, and they generate a lot of heat. In many setups, particularly in enterprise environments, these systems require dedicated climate control to prevent overheating. That means continuous energy used by every on-site recorder or server, air conditioning or ventilation systems running to protect equipment, increased wear on power infrastructure and ultimately soaring electricity bills every month.
Across 100 locations, this can amount to tens of thousands in excess energy spend over just a few years.
With Videoloft:
We help you ditch energy-hungry systems entirely. Our Cloud Adapter is efficient and is built for low-power consumption.
4. Insurance premiums
When footage is stored onsite, insurers consider it as a higher risk. Floods, fires, or break-ins could wipe out evidence – so they increase your premiums accordingly.
With Videoloft:
All footage is stored in the cloud, offsite, and encrypted. This reduces your exposure to risk and may mean you get lower insurance costs.
5. Scalability
Let’s say you start with a couple of locations, and plan to expand to several more in the next few years. Traditional systems don’t scale well.
- Every new site needs new infrastructure
- Every site adds to your maintenance burden
And worse, you need to predict how much storage you’ll need in advance, or risk mid-cycle upgrades that cost even more.
With Videoloft:
Scaling is easy. If you add another site, all you need is another Cloud Adapter and you get centralized visibility across all your sites from one dashboard.
“Too often, businesses underestimate the operational strain of scaling legacy surveillance systems. With Videoloft, we’ve designed a solution that grows as fast as our customers do—without adding complexity or cost.”
— Laura Worrell, COO, Videoloft
This kind of instant scalability has helped Videoloft customers roll out to dozens of sites in a fraction of the time it would take using a traditional security system.
A cloud VMS brings predictability and peace of mind
One of the most frustrating aspects of traditional security systems is cost unpredictability. You never quite know when:
- A recorder will fail
- A software update will require downtime
- An engineer visit is needed
- A hardware upgrade is required
These surprises create budget uncertainty. With Videoloft pricing is transparent and predictable. There are no sudden maintenance costs, and no surprise upgrade costs – just a consistent model that scales with your business.
Real numbers, real results
Ready to escape the hidden costs?
If you’re tired of managing complex security setups, footing unexpected bills and jumping through hoops to access your own footage, it might be time for a change.
Book a demo, or contact our team to see how Videoloft could save you thousands.
