Video management now comes in three shapes: on-premises, cloud (often sold as VSaaS), and hybrid. None of them is the right answer everywhere. The choice comes down to bandwidth, storage, cost over time, and how much the client wants to run themselves.
The three models
On-premises keeps the recorder and storage at the site. Cloud moves management, and often recording, to a provider’s data centre, reached over the internet. Hybrid records at the edge or on a local appliance and syncs a copy or the management layer to the cloud. The NIST definition of cloud computing is a useful reference for what “cloud” actually means when a vendor uses the word, since the label gets stretched.
Bandwidth and storage
This is where cloud plans succeed or fail. Continuous upload of many high-resolution streams needs real upstream bandwidth, and most commercial internet links are sized for download, not upload. Edge recording with cloud management sidesteps much of that by keeping full-rate video local and sending only metadata, thumbnails, or clips on demand. Size the upload path before committing to a fully cloud-recorded design, and confirm what happens to recording when the link drops.
Cost over time
On-premises is capital heavy up front and cheaper to run, until a refresh comes due. Cloud spreads cost into a subscription that includes storage, updates, and cyber maintenance, which can be attractive for sites without IT staff. Compare a multi-year total, not a first-year price, and include the cost of the bandwidth a cloud design needs.
Resilience and control
On-premises keeps working if the internet is down, but the client owns patching, backups, and hardening. Cloud shifts that maintenance to the provider, at the cost of depending on the link and the provider’s security. Hybrid aims for the middle: local recording for resilience, cloud for remote access and management. Whichever model, favour open standards such as ONVIF so cameras are not locked to one platform.
When each fits
On-premises suits large camera counts, high retention, and sites with capable IT. Cloud suits small and multi-site deployments where central management and low on-site maintenance matter more than raw stream counts. Hybrid suits sites that want remote access and central oversight without moving every frame off site. Match the model to the client’s bandwidth, retention, and staffing, not to a vendor’s preferred licence.
References
Last updated 2026-07-07.