First Distribution signs up OpenEye for Africa

Issue 4 2021 Surveillance

First Distribution has signed an agreement to distribute OpenEye Web Services. OpenEye is a cloud-based video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) solution that streamlines operations and reduces the burden on IT, making it easier to manage and maintain video deployments and integrations of all sizes.

The cloud-managed solutions for video security, business intelligence and loss prevention are designed to remove the IT complexity from deploying remote monitoring solutions for control rooms.

The solution gives end users real-time threat notifications on their property or facility, so they can respond immediately. It is particularly popular with users in retail, property owners, farmers, banks and telecommunications operators looking to protect property or assets including ATMs and communication infrastructure.

With its open cloud platform, professional recording hardware and cloud-managed solutions, OpenEye combines and analyses event data from videos, alarm systems, access control, sales transactions and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. These events can be transformed into actionable insights that enhance security and increase business profitability.

Over the last 20 years, OpenEye has partnered with some of the largest US organisations to solve their complex video management requirements. OpenEye Web Services (OWS) has significantly simplified their operations and reduced maintenance costs.

The solution is now being introduced into the South African market, so local businesses can also benefit from the latest technology the OpenEye cloud managed video platform has to offer.

Angelo Salvatore, VP of international business development at OpenEye, comments: “We are excited to partner with First Distribution on the African continent to bring the OpenEye product offering to the local market.”

Massive changes in the way people work and interact with technology are driving a new phase in the evolution of the security landscape, according to David Simpson, GM of First Distribution. “We saw this change coming more than two years ago, which is when I tasked my team with a challenge – to find a cloud-based service that fits a number of very specific criteria.

“Firstly, it had to have a scalable model in terms of billing; secondly, it had to fit 100% into our channel go-to-market strategy; thirdly, it had to adhere to the best practices of cybersecurity and the PoPI Act/GDPR; fourthly, it had to be bandwidth-friendly; and lastly, it had to adhere to our most important rule of delivering outstanding customer experience.

“Over the past 15 months we have reviewed over 30 different offerings from around the world. We chose OpenEye because it not only ticks our requirements in totality, but also gives our customers new opportunities to generate an annuity-based income that is scalable and not capital-intensive to deploy.”

Users access OpenEye 100% through the browser and the solution has an innovative delivery mechanism for critical updates, enhancements, notifications, newly-developed analytics and more.

In addition, partners have access to additional revenue generators because it plugs into third-party systems such as point of sale, alarm systems and more. With these features, the company believes that OpenEye will open opportunities to more than just Tier 1 system integrators. OpenEye is simple to deploy so all levels of integrators will have the opportunity to build their businesses.

First Distribution and its partners have already deployed OpenEye in six projects, ranging from remote farms to a small family-run chain of stores.

OpenEye offers a variety of advantages and benefits, including centralised surveillance and multi-site application, which runs on an open platform. The system runs on a subscription model and customers save because existing IP cameras and PC hardware can be used. It is also optimised to run over low-speed Internet connections, which is especially relevant in the South African context.




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Vumacam highlights concerns with proposed Johannesburg CCTV by-laws
Vumacam News & Events Surveillance
Vumacam has raised objections to critical provisions of the by-laws governing privately owned CCTV cameras with a view of public spaces in the city, which were promulgated on Friday, 28 February 2025.

Read more...
Milestone announces a platform to enable access to data and train AI models
Surveillance AI & Data Analytics
Milestone Systems has announced Project Hafnia to build services and democratise AI-model training with high-quality, compliant video data leveraging NVIDIA Cosmos Curator and AI model, fine-tuning microservices.

Read more...
Benchmark in long-range surveillance
Duxbury Networking Surveillance Products & Solutions
Duxbury Networking says the long-range, high-resolution monitoring AXIS Q1809-LE bullet camera has been enhanced further with integration into Milestone XProtect to set a new standard for forensic-level image clarity, intelligent event detection, and enhanced security management.

Read more...
AI for retail risk management
Surveillance Retail (Industry) AI & Data Analytics
As businesses face mounting challenges in a volatile economic environment, Ares-i remains an essential tool for proactively identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that threaten operational stability and customer satisfaction.

Read more...
The need for integrated control room displays
Leaderware Editor's Choice Surveillance Training & Education
Display walls provide a coordinated perspective that facilitates the ongoing feel for situations, assists in the coordination of resources to deal with the situation, and facilitates follow up by response personnel.

Read more...
Six key security technology trends in 2025
Axis Communications SA Surveillance
Axis Communications examines some new trends for the security sector in 2025, as well as some new, old trends that are once again highlighted because of their benefit to the end user in the race to obtain optimal value from technology installations.

Read more...
edgE:Tower video analytics integrated with SEON
Surveillance Integrated Solutions AI & Data Analytics
Sentronics has announced a new integration between its edgE:Tower advanced AI-driven video analytics solution and SEON, a Central Monitoring Software (CMS) platform. This integration enhances real-time situational awareness and automated threat detection for control rooms.

Read more...
The impact of video analytics on business security
AI & Data Analytics Surveillance
As more enterprises work to integrate AI-enabled solutions into their networks, enterprises must not lose sight of the implications of these integrations and the added value they are working to unlock.

Read more...
The need for integrated control room displays
Editor's Choice Surveillance Training & Education
Display walls provide a coordinated perspective that facilitates the ongoing feel for situations, assists in the coordination of resources to deal with the situation, and facilitates follow up by response personnel.

Read more...
Integration is the key to smarter surveillance
Duxbury Networking Surveillance
According to recent market projections, the local security industry is expected to grow by more than 10% annually through 2029, reflecting the increasing demand for smarter, more proactive security solutions.

Read more...