Enterprises are increasingly turning to open-platform video management systems to reduce operational complexity, improve investigations and maximise returns on existing surveillance investments, according to a new independent study commissioned by Milestone Systems.
The study, conducted by Forrester Consulting, examined the impact of Milestone’s XProtect video management software across a range of enterprise environments and found organisations achieved substantial operational efficiencies and cost savings.
Researchers found the platform reduced investigation and evidence handling times by between 30 and 60 per cent, while also lowering administrative effort and infrastructure costs.
The report attributed many of the savings to the platform’s open architecture, which allows organisations to integrate existing hardware and third-party technologies rather than replacing entire surveillance environments.
According to the study, the composite organisation evaluated by Forrester achieved a 133 per cent return on investment over three years.
The organisation used in the study represented a typical XProtect customer with 500 cameras, 10 to 15 active users and annual revenue of US$600 million.
The study also highlighted how organisations are increasingly using video platforms for operational intelligence beyond traditional physical security use cases.
Milestone said AI-driven analytics and integrated workflows are helping organisations accelerate investigations, improve situational awareness and streamline operational processes across sectors including logistics, retail, airports and manufacturing.
Chief marketing officer Martin Stockfleth Larsen said the role of modern VMS platforms is evolving rapidly as businesses seek deeper operational insights from video data.
“XProtect goes beyond traditional video security and serves as an AI-driven intelligence enabler,” Larsen said.
The report also identified financial advantages associated with lower licensing costs, reduced integration complexity and the ability to reuse existing surveillance hardware.
Industry analysts noted that open-platform systems are becoming increasingly attractive as enterprises expand hybrid environments and seek greater flexibility when integrating AI analytics, cloud technologies and emerging operational tools.
Milestone’s broader portfolio includes XProtect VMS, BriefCam AI-powered analytics and Arcules cloud VSaaS technologies, which together support organisations seeking unified approaches to surveillance, analytics and operational intelligence.
The company said demand for scalable, AI-enabled and interoperable surveillance environments is expected to continue growing as organisations prioritise operational resilience and real-time visibility.
