A Smarter Way to Archive Video on March Networks Cloud Storage

At Intersec Dubai 2026, March Networks unveiled a major step forward in how organizations store, manage, and retain video. The launch of March Networks’ new Cloud Storage, now available globally, gives customers greater flexibility in how they manage video retention while controlling long-term storage costs. 

First introduced in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in December, this release builds on March Networks’ existing cloud capabilities and expands the options available to customers who want to retain video longer at an affordable price without continually expanding local infrastructure.  

Why Video Storage Strategies Are Evolving 

Across industries such as banking, retail, and quick service restaurants, video retention requirements continue to grow. Video is commonly required for compliance, investigations, audits, and personal injury claims. At the same time, access patterns vary, with recent footage accessed frequently, and older video reviewed far less often. 

Many organizations count upon on-premise storage to support immediate access to recent video and day-to-day operations. As retention periods extend into months or years, customers are increasingly looking for additional ways to manage long-term storage efficiently, especially in multi-site environments with large camera counts. 

March Networks Cloud Storage was designed to complement existing on-premise systems by giving customers more flexibility in how and where video is retained. 

How March Networks Cloud Storage Works 

Cloud Storage introduces a flexible approach that aligns storage options with how video is used. 

Recent and frequently accessed video remains available on-premise for fast investigations and operational needs. Older footage can be securely archived using Amazon S3 Glacier, AWS’ low-cost, long-term storage tier. This hybrid model allows organizations to extend video retention without adding new on-premise hardware, while maintaining secure and predictable access to archived footage. 

With this approach, customers can reduce the cost of long-term video retention by up to 80 percent over five years, depending on deployment size and usage patterns. Archived video is typically available within 12 to 48 hours. Once retrieved, footage can be reviewed and trimmed directly within the March Networks application, supporting efficient evidence handling and bandwidth management. 

Real Savings at Real Scale 

The impact of this approach is especially clear at scale. One customer using on-premise storage for immediate access to recent video evaluated March Networks Cloud Storage to extend retention without expanding local infrastructure. With 580 cameras generating approximately 5,600 terabytes of archived video, the estimated cost of long-term cloud storage was $347,000 per year, compared to approximately $1.7 million to store the same volume of video entirely on-premise. 

By keeping recent footage readily accessible on-premise and shifting older video to the cloud, the organization preserved fast access for daily operations while significantly reducing the cost of long-term retention. 

More Than Just Storage 

While Cloud Storage is a major highlight of this release, it is part of a broader solution launch introduced at Intersec Dubai. 

The release includes enhancements to video intelligence and investigation tools that help teams work more efficiently. Improvements to AI Smart Search that allow teams to find key moments faster by searching with images, time-based prompts, and natural context, while Attribute Search enhancements add zone-based precision to support sharper investigations across more cameras. These Attribute Search enhancements add zone-based precision while extending analytics support across Axis AI and ONVIF-compliant cameras, enabling faster investigations and allowing customers to get more value from their existing camera infrastructure. 

Operational improvements across Command Enterprise and Command Client include faster event filtering, expanded device compatibility, keyboard shortcuts, and real-time alarm monitoring.  

New Cameras and Recording Hardware 

The Intersec Dubai release also expands the March Networks edge portfolio with new cameras and recorders designed to work seamlessly across on-premise and cloud environments. 

New cameras include the EL5 Turret, a cost-effective 5MP camera for general surveillance, the AI12 360, which provides immersive coverage with fewer devices, and the EL5 Nano Dome, a compact indoor camera ideal for high-traffic environments such as retail stores, quick service restaurants, and financial institutions. The introduction of EL 24- and 32-channel recorders delivers reliable, high-capacity all-IP recording for small to mid-sized deployments, while supporting centralized management, analytics, and long-term cloud storage. 

Designed for Choice and the Long Term 

Together, these updates represent a significant step forward in the March Networks platform. The latest release brings new flexibility to how organizations store video, stronger tools to search and investigate footage, smarter alerting, and expanded edge hardware designed to scale across diverse environments. 

Customers can continue to count upon on-premise systems for immediate access and day-to-day operations, while extending retention, analytics, and intelligence through cloud services as needs evolve. Rather than forcing a single deployment model, this release is about giving organizations more choice in how they build, manage, and scale their video infrastructure over time. 

With this latest release, March Networks continues to deliver an end-to-end video platform from the edge to the cloud, helping customers modernize at their own pace while unlocking greater long-term value from their video data. 

 

Owais Khalid is a Senior Product Manager at March Networks, based in Ottawa. With over five years of experience across IT operations, AIOps, and network automation, Owais leads end-to-end software product lifecycles and collaborates closely with engineering, marketing, and customer teams to bring scalable solutions to market. Known for his ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business value, he’s passionate about building products that are practical, innovative, and customer-driven.