5 Ways VMS Auto Updates Make Your Life Easier And Your Facility Safer

By Ken LaMarca, VP of Sales and Marketing, OnSSI

Savvy IT managers and other security professionals know how important it is to keep their operating systems up to date. Unfortunately, updating third party software such as VMS solutions is not always top of mind, even though these updates help ensure organizations maintain a safe and secure environment, as well as ensure users get the most out of their technology investment.

Keeping VMS software up to date is vital for physical and network security, and new VMS solutions are making this task easier than ever with the same type of auto-update capabilities found in smartphones. This helps to ensure users will always be running the most current and most secure software available. As an added bonus, some solutions offer auto-update in conjunction with other features designed to expedite system updates, deliver more efficient recording, and help protect systems from cyberattacks.

Further, new VMS solutions with auto-update features enable integrators to ensure their customers’ software is always current, vulnerabilities are closed, and security systems are protected from intrusion. In fact, new VMS solutions provide five ways to help users and/or integrators install updates to critical security and other software.

• One Less Task On The To-Do List
  With automatic updating, users and/or integrators don’t need to manually check to see if a new VMS software update is available. As evidenced by multiple research citations, there’s a pretty good chance updates are not being performed manually on a frequent basis, leaving security systems vulnerable to breaches that exploit software vulnerabilities. Automatic updating eliminates this problem, as well as the need and time for system administrators to perform updates, thereby ensuring users always have the most up-to-date VMS solution.

• Issues Are Solved Before They’re A Problem
  Software providers are constantly testing their solutions for bug fixes in order to develop patches which are delivered via updates. Often these updates address potential vulnerabilities that have yet to be exploited, essentially closing the door to hackers before they can even attempt to enter.

• Time And Money Is Saved
  In many cases, updating end users’ software requires integrators to travel to the customer’s site. While this is an important service to provide, the less time a technician spends on software maintenance, the better. Using a VMS with auto-updating eliminates the need to manually update each recording server used by the VMS, conserving valuable personnel time and helping assure the profitability of service and maintenance contracts.

• Total Solution Offering
  Auto-updating capabilities allow integrators to offer software updating as a value-added service to traditional maintenance contracts. Rather than taking technicians away from more profitable tasks, VMS software updates are performed automatically, making maintenance agreements more lucrative while delivering the potential for additional recurring monthly revenue (RMR).

• Peace Of Mind
  The potential dangers of not updating software are very real and expose organizations to a tremendous amount of risk. Auto-updating removes this concern and provides both integrators and end users with peace of mind that their VMS software is up to date and as secure as possible.

While it’s true that technology can and does make our lives easier, staying on top of the latest software offerings can be both time consuming and tedious. With advanced auto update capabilities, today’s VMS solutions remove some of that burden while keeping your facility and network safer.