How to choose the right CCTV system for multi-site operations

On-Premises vs Cloud CCTV: Which Works Best for Multi-Site Businesses?

If you’re comparing options, the first decision is whether to stick with traditional on-premises CCTV or move to the cloud.

What’s the difference between on-prem and Cloud CCTV?

The main difference between on-prem and Cloud CCTV is how your security footage is stored.

On-premises CCTV refers to traditional systems where all video footage is recorded and stored locally at each site, typically on DVRs or NVRs. Accessing this footage usually requires being on-site or connecting through a VPN, and each location operates as its own separate system. While reliable for a single site, on-premises setups become increasingly complex and expensive to manage as you expand to multiple locations, with maintenance, updates, and security controls needing to be handled individually at each site.

Cloud CCTV, also known as Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS), moves video storage and management to the cloud. Footage from all sites is uploaded to a central platform, allowing authorised users to view live or recorded video from anywhere. Cloud CCTV makes scaling across multiple locations much easier, as cameras and storage can be added or removed centrally without on-site changes. These systems also include built-in cybersecurity features such as encryption, multi-factor authentication, and single sign-on, providing consistent protection across all sites.

On-Premises vs Cloud CCTV: Which Works Best for Multi-Site Businesses?

Whether you choose an on-prem or Cloud video surveillance system for your sites depends on the level of control your business requires over your system and the IT support available to you.

System Type	Pros	Cons
On-Premises CCTV	- Reliable local recording even if internet fails - Full control over hardware and storage	- Difficult to scale across multiple sites - Remote monitoring is complex or limited - Maintenance and updates must be done on-site - Security depends on individual site practices - Upgrading or adding cameras can be costly - Larger, experienced IT team necessary
Cloud CCTV (VSaaS)	- Centralised management of all sites - Remote access to live and recorded footage - Scalable: easy to add/remove cameras, storage, or sites - Built-in cybersecurity: encryption, SSO, MFA - Advanced analytics and collaboration tools	- Dependent on reliable internet at each site (can overcome with buffering options) - Ongoing subscription/service fees - Some systems may require specific cameras (though platforms like SEiNG support all ONVIF cameras)

For businesses with multiple locations, Cloud CCTV is generally the superior choice. It provides a centralised view of all sites, remote monitoring, and simplified management, allowing teams to respond faster and more efficiently. On-premises systems may still be suitable for single-site operations or locations with limited internet connectivity, but managing multiple sites individually quickly becomes cumbersome and costly.

Example: SEiNG is a cloud-first platform that integrates with any ONVIF or RTSP security camera, making it simple to manage all locations from a single dashboard. Other Cloud providers, like Verkada, offer a polished security ecosystem but encourage users to install their own proprietary hardware, which may add cost and onboarding complexity.

Key features to look for in a multi-site CCTV system

Once you’ve decided between on-premises and cloud CCTV, the next step is understanding the features that make a system effective for multi-site businesses. Not all systems are created equal, and the right combination of features can save time, reduce costs, and improve security across every location.

Below, we’ll explore the most important capabilities to consider, from remote monitoring and central management to cybersecurity, analytics, and collaboration tools.

One platform to manage CCTV across all sites

If your current CCTV setup has different systems at each location, you’re probably all too familiar with the frustrations it brings: juggling multiple passwords, struggling to compare performance across sites, and coordinating with several vendors for updates or upgrades.

For multi-site businesses, a centralised CCTV platform should be a top priority. The right system provides a single dashboard giving you a clear overview of all your locations, intuitive filters to switch seamlessly between sites, and built-in tools to manage investigations across your network. With everything in one place, your team can respond faster, maintain consistent security policies, and gain insights that simply aren’t possible with fragmented systems.

Access your CCTV without travelling to site

Being able to view live or recorded footage from any location means security managers and operational staff can respond immediately to incidents without having to travel to site. Remote monitoring allows you to spot issues proactively, such as cameras going offline or unusual activity, which can prevent problems from escalating.

Example: Imagine a theft occurring in a retail store. Rather than having to travel from head office to the store to retrieve footage, you can instantly view and download the footage from where you are. This immediate access means you can act quickly – whether that’s escalating the incident, notifying local staff, or providing evidence to authorities – without losing critical time.

Read our blog on how Cloud CCTV can reduce loss in retail.

Collaboration and case management

When incidents occur, multiple teams may need access to footage. Features like secure sharing, annotations, tagging, and audit logs make investigations easier and maintain accountability. Multi-site businesses benefit from having a system where all authorised users can collaborate efficiently, whether across sites or departments.

Example: Platforms like SEiNG and Eagle Eye Networks offer robust collaboration tools. Teams can share selected video clips securely, add notes, assign tasks, and track case progress in a centralised dashboard. This makes cross-site collaboration seamless, allowing security and operations teams to work together efficiently without needing to email large video files or rely on manual tracking.

SEiNG Cloud CCTV investigation tracking cases

Cybersecurity and access control

With multiple users across multiple sites, strong security is essential. Shared or weak passwords create risk, making it easier for unauthorised users to access sensitive footage, compromise investigations, or tamper with system settings.

Features to look for include:

Role-based access control
Secure login mechanisms like multi-factor authentication
Single Sign On, to prevent password sharing and ensure permissions are revoked for employees who move on
Encryption of footage at rest and in transit.

These safeguards protect sensitive data, enforce consistent permissions, and maintain compliance with regulations like GDPR.

If you’re looking for a Cloud CCTV system, it’s also a good idea to consider data centre location. SEiNG, for example, uses a UK data centre, so it’s compliant with UK data protection regulations.

CCTV systems that grow with your business

Multi-site businesses evolve constantly, and your CCTV system should support that. A good surveillance system allows you to add or remove security cameras, expand storage, or adjust retention policies as your sites grow or change. All without significant disruption or cost.

This is where Cloud systems like SEiNG will benefit your multi-site or growing business. You only pay for the storage you need and can add or remove cameras with ease.

Hardware Compatibility and Avoiding Vendor Lock-In

Hardware Compatibility and Avoiding Vendor Lock-In
Your sites probably have a mixture of security camera brands of different ages. Some may need replacing, others may not. So it’s a good idea to look for a new video surveillance system that’s compatible with what you have, or your choice of camera should you need new ones.

Your system should work with existing cameras where possible, whether IP, ONVIF, or RTSP-compatible. This reduces upfront costs and avoids being tied to a single vendor. It also allows you to upgrade or replace cameras gradually across sites without major disruption.

Example: SEiNG and Eagle Eye Networks are compatible with any ONVIF or RTSP camera, which helps multi-site businesses save on upfront costs by only replacing cameras when they’re faulty or outdated.

In contrast, some cloud CCTV providers, such as Verkada or Avigilon Alta, do technically support third-party cameras, but they often charge additional camera licenses and limit certain features to their own branded devices, encouraging businesses to invest in proprietary hardware. Verkada in particular is controversial for its rip & replace approach, where its cameras become redundant if you decide to move away from the system – unless you pay ongoing fees.

Analytics and Operational Insights

Modern CCTV systems can do more than record footage. Backed by AI analytics, they can provide actionable insights. This includes people counting, vehicle detection, heatmaps, and incident tagging. These analytics and insights help multi-site businesses compare performance across locations, optimise staffing, and improve operational efficiency. Even on-premises systems with local analytics can deliver these benefits if designed correctly.

SEiNG Cloud CCTV has AI analytics so you can boost productivity

Support and Managed Services

Even the best CCTV system can fall short without proper support. For multi-site businesses, managed services are a game-changer, ensuring your system is set up correctly, maintained efficiently, and always operating at peak performance.

Vendors offering managed services can handle onboarding, staff training, software updates, and proactive system monitoring. This means your security and operations teams can focus on using the system rather than troubleshooting it. And your IT team can focus on value-adding tasks.

Example: SEiNG provides UK-based managed services, helping businesses deploy cameras across multiple locations, train staff on the platform, and ensure consistent performance without adding strain to internal IT teams. Additionally, SEiNG actively monitors the health of your cameras, proactively looking to resolve issues ahead of deploying Service Engineers.

Make multi-site security simple

Choosing the right CCTV system for multi-site operations is about more than picking cameras. It’s about gaining control, visibility, and efficiency across all your locations.

Cloud-based systems, particularly those offering centralised management, remote access, and built-in cybersecurity, are typically the best fit for businesses with multiple sites. They simplify monitoring, scale easily, support collaboration, and provide actionable insights that help your teams respond faster and operate smarter.

When evaluating a system, consider compatibility with existing hardware, analytics capabilities, and the level of managed support offered. Platforms like SEiNG demonstrate how a cloud-first approach can streamline security, reduce operational headaches, and grow with your business.

In the end, the right multi-site CCTV system goes beyond protecting your assets, to empower your teams, enhance operational oversight, and give you peace of mind, no matter how many locations you manage.

Your multi-site CCTV questions, answered

The best CCTV system for multi-site businesses offers centralised management, remote access, scalability, and strong cybersecurity. Cloud CCTV or VSaaS platforms are often ideal because they allow you to monitor all sites from a single dashboard and scale easily as your business grows.

If this is what you’re looking for, SEiNG is a strong example of a platform designed for multi-site operations. It supports ONVIF and RTSP cameras, so you can use your existing hardware, provides a single dashboard for all locations, and includes features such as analytics, secure collaboration, and managed services. SEiNG’s approach ensures that multi-site businesses can streamline investigations, maintain consistent security, and respond quickly to incidents across all sites.

Yes. Many cloud CCTV providers, including SEiNG, Videoloft, and Eagle Eye Networks, support ONVIF or RTSP-compatible cameras. This avoids costly replacements and allows businesses to gradually upgrade hardware as needed. You shouldn’t have to rip and replace your security cameras to access Cloud CCTV.

Just be aware that some Cloud providers charge additional fees for use of 3^rd party cameras or limit features to their proprietary hardware. Verkada is controversial for this practice.

Remote monitoring allows authorised users to view live or recorded footage from any location. This reduces the need to travel between sites, enables faster response to incidents, and allows proactive monitoring of camera health or unusual activity across multiple locations.

Important features include centralised management, remote access, role-based access control, encryption, scalability, analytics, collaboration tools, and managed support. These ensure you can monitor, investigate, and manage multiple sites efficiently and securely.

Yes, when implemented correctly. Strong cloud CCTV platforms include encryption of footage, multi-factor authentication, single sign-on (SSO), and role-based access control. These features protect sensitive video data and ensure only authorised users can access it.

In fact, because Cloud CCTV platforms like SEiNG are secure by design, they are often more secure than on-prem systems.

Analytics can provide insights such as people counting, heatmaps, dwell times, and vehicle detection. Multi-site businesses can use this data to optimise staffing, compare performance across locations, and improve operational efficiency alongside security.

Managed services help with onboarding, staff training, software updates, proactive system monitoring, and troubleshooting. For multi-site businesses, this ensures consistent performance, reduces operational risk, and allows internal teams to focus on security rather than technical maintenance.

Cloud platforms allow teams across sites to share footage securely, assign cases, add tags or comments, and track investigations. This streamlines incident management, improves accountability, and ensures that all relevant teams can work together efficiently.

Cloud CCTV is known for being quick to deploy - especially true cloud VSaaS systems that work with the cameras you already have and don't require a server.

SEiNG can be up and running across your sites in a day.

Watch the 5-minute demo of SEiNG Cloud CCTV