Pivot3 Extends Serverless Computing With vSTAC VDI Appliance ($24,000)

Pivot3, Inc. announced an appliance in the vSTAC product family designed to replace high-priced surveillance workstations normally required to view and analyze live or recorded video.

The vSTAC VDI appliances provide both compute functionality for running video management software and shared storage resources needed for the client OS and VMS client application software. By centralizing VMS clients, security directors can limit access to video, restrict unauthorized recording, transferring of video content to external devices and limit access to network applications.

"Just as Pivot3 Watch appliances centralize and protect video recording, the new vSTAC VDI appliances centrally manage and protect security client consoles that are critical to every security operations center," said Brody Carlson, president, ConnectionsIT, Inc. "The virtual video console has applications across the surveillance market since centralized security, parallel video processing and high availability is of value whether in casinos, prisons or transportation centers."

Each vSTAC VDI appliance features dual Intel CPUs, up to 384 GB RAM, 1 and 10GbE network connections and 50GB of solid state flash acceleration along with 12, 24 or 36TB of disk storage. They are compatible with existing vSTAC Watch and Data appliances so that mixed arrays can be deployed based on customer needs.

The number of clients varies based on video processing needs but each vSTAC appliance is expected to support from 10-20 performance video playback clients, termed Virtual Security Consoles. With video workstation costs routinely at $4,000, the vSTAC VDI appliance will save 50% on workstation acquisition costs with 10 virtual security consoles per appliance. Operational costs are also reduced since IDC estimates that standalone workstations require nearly seven hours of IT maintenance support annually.

"For security directors tasked with controlling soaring workstation costs and protecting sensitive video content from loss, the Virtual Security Console concept is an attractive alternative that leverages the investment already made in central recording infrastructure," said Lee Caswell, founder and chief strategy officer, Pivot3. "Client workstations can be deployed, protected and managed centrally instead of as distributed systems."

Expected street price for the vSTAC VDI is $24,000. Demo systems are available with availability planned for January 2013.