March Networks has recently introduced a new software as a service (SaaS) offering for convenience stores. The secure, hosted service will deliver all the benefits of March Networks’ powerful Searchlight for Retail solution—including loss prevention, data analytics and operational audits reporting—for an average cost of just $4 a day. It leaves owners free to focus on their business rather than maintaining a video surveillance network and aims to deliver a swift return on investment through advanced loss prevention and business insights.
Used by retail organizations worldwide to extract valuable information on customer service, operations, compliance and more, March Networks Searchlight™ helps retailers improve performance and profitability. By integrating surveillance video with point-of-sale (POS) transaction data, and accurate analytics, the software reportedly enables retailers to proactively detect fraud and theft and reduce incident investigation times by as much as 90 percent.
With this new hosted solution, Searchlight for Retail as a service, c-stores can enjoy a true enterprise video solution for a low monthly fee. The service is easy to deploy, and it eliminates the need for customers to purchase and maintain servers within their own IT infrastructure.
Searchlight for Retail as a service is hosted at Amazon Web Services™ for proven speed and data security, and is managed by experienced staff in March Networks’ secure Network Operations Center (NOC). It includes all software licensing, and all camera and recorder processing, health management, upgrades and administration – including user management that is performed by March Networks NOC staff working in cooperation with the business’s certified March Networks systems integrator.
Searchlight allows c-store owners and managers to spend more time on their core business by simplifying the task of locating suspicious activity and finding video evidence. It delivers multiple, user-defined reports and allows customers to schedule them to arrive automatically in their email inboxes. The reports include snapshot images and direct links to recorded video that let them analyze and compare:
- location and employee performance at one or a group of locations
- suspect transactions, such as all voids above a set amount
- conversion rates, customer wait times, dwell times and other customer service metrics using integrated analytics
- operational performance, including how clean locations are, if shelves are well-stocked, if employees are dressed properly and if procedures are being followed
- security audits, including a list of alarms and the ability to filter by specific alarm or location
The new hosted Searchlight service provides the scalability and enterprise management features customers have come to expect from March Networks. The company’s continuing focus on privacy and data security also makes this an ideal solution for c-stores that are looking for the highest level of cyber protection. The upcoming release of the service will include WebRTC functionality and a number of key security and privacy features that c-stores will benefit from.
“This new, hosted Searchlight option is ideal for convenience store owners who want the loss prevention and business analysis capabilities of a proven intelligent video solution, without the burden of managing and maintaining their video devices,” said Peter Strom, president and chief executive officer, March Networks. “The solution also removes upfront capital expense barriers, making it a more cost-effective option for owners who are always keeping an eye on the bottom line.”
Searchlight for Retail as a service will be sold through March Networks certified partners, who will work directly with their c-store customers to install, configure and maintain the service to best meet their needs. The new service will initially be available to the c-store market in the United States and Canada.
To learn more about March Networks Searchlight for Retail as a service, visit www.marchnetworks.com/retail-SaaS.
