Milestone XProtect study finds 133% ROI over three years

A Forrester Consulting study commissioned by Milestone Systems found that users of its XProtect video management software achieved a 133% return on investment over three years, while security investigation and evidence-handling tasks were up to 60% faster.

The research drew on interviews with decision-makers at organisations using XProtect to build a composite customer profile. In that model, the representative organisation had 2,500 employees, 10 to 15 active XProtect users, 500 cameras and annual revenue of USD $600 million.

Forrester's Total Economic Impact study examined the financial and operational effects linked to the software's use. It identified gains from reduced investigation time, lower administration effort and lower integration costs.

The results also pointed to improved operational and administrative efficiency in day-to-day work. Lower operating costs were attributed to hardware reuse, as well as reduced licensing and integration spending.

Video management systems are widely used across sectors including manufacturing, airports, law enforcement, retail and traffic management. In those markets, buyers have increasingly focused not only on surveillance and evidential use, but also on whether systems can reduce manual work and integrate with existing hardware and software.

The study's composite organisation provides a benchmark for mid-sized to large deployments rather than a universal outcome for all customers. Total Economic Impact studies typically model costs and benefits for a representative user based on customer interviews and assumptions.

For Milestone, the headline figure of 133% ROI is significant in a market where procurement decisions often depend on total cost of ownership over several years. Savings linked to faster investigations may be especially relevant for operators handling frequent security incidents, compliance checks or internal reviews.

Milestone presented the findings as evidence that XProtect can influence broader business operations as well as security teams. The company sells video technology products including XProtect, BriefCam analytics and Arcules cloud video services.

Martin Stockfleth Larsen, chief marketing officer at Milestone Systems, commented on the study's findings.

"The Forrester study confirms what our customers experience every day: Milestone XProtect goes beyond traditional video security and serves as an AI-driven intelligence enabler. By reducing investigation time by up to 60% and delivering a 133% ROI, XProtect not only strengthens security but also transforms how organizations operate, enabling them to learn from the past, understand the present, and predict the future," Larsen said.

The research also included anonymised comments from users cited in the study. One security manager in logistics described a marked drop in the time needed to trace a shipment after moving to the system.

"Yes, I can compare the same investigation case before XProtect. For example, I spent an average of 20 to 30 minutes to identify and follow a shipment. With XProtect, my time for tracking is reduced by around 70% because with the new system, we can reduce a lot of the investigation time." - Security manager, logistics - in the TEI study.

A second example came from a retail organisation dealing with an insurance-related incident valued at nearly USD $1 million. That comment focused on how quickly staff were able to establish the facts of the case.

"It took us approximately half an hour to prove the case [in an insurance-related incident worth nearly $1 million] and that's it - no discussions, no lawyers going back and forth." - Head of internal audit and security, retail - in the TEI study.

Milestone, based in Copenhagen and part of Canon since 2014, employs more than 1,500 people worldwide. Its products are used across industries that rely on video data for security, operations and incident review.