I wrote and published the following case study which originally appeared as one of Microchip’s web-based Customer Stories during the time I served as Technology Marketing Advisor for the company.
Internet Protocol (IP)-centric approaches to video security have gradually encroached upon corporate networks over the last two decades, but this transition has been slow. Traditional Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) systems that operated over copper communications cables and recorded surveillance video on analog tapes were just that: closed. The still, pixelated images and grainy video footage that they produced were not integrated with sensitive enterprise data and as a result, these systems did not offer entry points to the corporate network that could be exploited by nefarious digital intruders. But as cameras connected via Ethernet found their way into the mainstream, so did many overlaps with enterprise data management and corporate network security.
In the old days, CCTV video systems were commonly managed by corporate facilities departments whose security expenditures supported everything from perimeter fencing and door locks to alarm systems, employee badges and keycard systems. IP video was a catalyst for one of the early digital transformations in the enterprise: the emergence of video as data and the relocation of security camera management from physical asset teams to information technology departments. Corporations have undergone further conversions as larger Infrastructure and Operations (I&O) teams have emerged to administer all corporate information, technology and data. In many organizations, I&O now sets corporate policies, facilitates tech upgrades, manages training and orchestrates all purchasing and integration strategies for personal computers, servers, enterprise networks, cloud services, software, storage and security.
At the same time, the burden of video traffic has been compounding. Many Video Management System (VMS) solutions now commonly support 4K video, with 8K and higher resolutions also widely available. The megapixel advancements found in today’s network cameras deliver unprecedented clarity from full-color video feeds and enable precise zooming capabilities for forensic security applications. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced facial recognition, license plate scanning, anomaly detection and analytics-based alerting features rely on the vivid details supplied by high-bitrate, high-resolution video capture solutions. Advanced storage architectures now make it possible to access and support large video archives for future reference.
An Open Video Architecture with Built-in Cybersecurity Capabilities
Razberi Technologies was founded in 2011 to develop technology solutions that would make it easier for customers to manage and secure video surveillance and network-connected devices. With operations near Dallas in Farmers Branch, Texas, the Razberi team soon developed a family of open product platforms to meet the needs of organizations of any size. Their portfolio offers intelligent appliances for video surveillance and IoT, automated cybersecurity and system health monitoring software. Razberi designed their appliances to be compatible with top VMSs, analytics software and industry-leading IP video cameras.
Over the years, Razberi became known as a trusted provider of open video surveillance solutions that enhanced enterprise cybersecurity protection strategies, delivered system health monitoring and increased threat response times for enterprise, government and critical infrastructure customers.
In November 2020, Razberi was acquired by ACRE, a global leader providing state-of-the-art security systems and services. With a history of developing and implementing security technology initiatives on a global scale, ACRE saw the Razberi product line as essential to delivering advanced solutions to thousands of customers around the world.
Today, Razberi operates as an integrated ACRE brand within the ACRE ComNet business. ComNet offers Razberi as part of its global audio, video, data and Ethernet communications solutions. Razberi’s open video surveillance platform supports a wide variety of value-added software applications, ensuring that enterprise customers are not locked into a single vendor and can choose the software that best fits their needs.
Razberi’s hardware and software elements are used to store, analyze and process video while their open platform architectures allow the company’s products to work seamlessly with compatible IP video cameras, VMSs and video analytics software. Designed for deployment in large and small organizations and in centralized or distributed architectures, Razberi products enable a suite of automated cybersecurity features with easy setup and management capabilities.
Several years ago, Razberi engineers were tasked with designing a new video appliance that could automatically secure network connections between hundreds or even thousands of IP video cameras and the emerging population of enterprise IoT devices. This new design would need to integrate a server, storage and managed Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switch into a single, efficient chassis to record and manage video at the network edge. Most importantly, it would need to intelligently reduce network resources to preserve high-quality video.
By merging physical security and cybersecurity, Razberi engineers designed a new appliance that combines a firewall, PoE switch, server, storage and intelligence. Deployed in a scalable architecture near the network’s edge, the platform enables customers to decrease network utilization and protect cameras from cyberattacks.
Razberi’s ServerSwitchIQ™ family includes intelligent, all-in-one appliances that embed a managed PoE switch, server and video storage. The appliances are constructed with high performance Intel® CPUs and a smart, powerful Ethernet switch fabric that delivers full-wire speed data and PoE+ on every port.
Combined with Intel Quick Sync video technology, Razberi ServerSwitchIQ supports video viewing and playback through an HDMI® port with full 4K compatibility, eliminating the need for a separate PC workstation. Built-in RAID storage scales capacity from 1 TB to 128 TB with enterprise disk drives and a redundant power supply to provide a cost-effective, reliable alternative to general-purpose servers and switches.
Based on the leading reputation of Adaptec storage solutions, Razberi chose the SmartRAID 3100 RAID adapter family as the storage adapter for their ServerSwitchIQ appliance.
Adaptec SmartRAID 3100 adapters are full-featured, high-performance enterprise RAID adapters built for a variety of storage requirements.
High-Performance Enterprise RAID Adapters
SmartRAID 3100 products have the industry’s lowest power consumption and provide maximum read/write bandwidth and Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) when coupled with 12 Gbps Solid-State Drives (SSDs). Unique features available on some adapters include integrated Zero-Maintenance Cache Protection (ZMCP), which protects data during a power loss, maxCache, an SSD caching solution and maxCrypto™ controller-based encryption for any block-based storage device.
With broad interoperability, ease-of-use management and expert technical support, deploying and managing SmartRAID adapters makes them a smart design choice.
Our innovative video surveillance and cybersecurity technology, along with the Adaptec SmartRAID 3100 series of RAID adapters, allows us to offer a reliable, secure, and network-friendly video surveillance infrastructure that records the highest quality video while reducing capital, bandwidth, and space costs.
— Tom Galvin, Founder and Chief Product Officer, Razberi Technologies.
In addition, the ServerSwitchIQ product line features proven PoE and network connectivity technology from the Microchip portfolio:
Our VSC8514 quad-port gigabit copper Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) PHY enables low-power operation for energy-efficient broadband gateways, data centers and enterprise networks. The device supports TDM backhaul, wireless base stations and other carrier applications with two recovery clock outputs for Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE). The VSC8514 device features Microchip’s innovative EcoEthernet IEEE® 802.3az technology that supports EEE, ActiPHY automatic link power down and PerfectReach, an intelligent algorithm that adjusts power based on cable length.
Our VSC7440 L2/L3 enterprise gigabit Ethernet switch is an SMB/SME switch with up to 10 ports supporting a combination of 1G, 2.5G and 10G Ethernet ports. The device provides a rich set of enterprise Ethernet switching features. Using multistage Versatile TCAM (VCAP™) technology, it delivers VLAN and Quality of Service (QoS) processing that enables delivery of differentiated services, security through intelligent frame processing and egress frame manipulation.
Our PD69208M PoE manager Integrated Circuit (IC) combines power, analog and state-of-the-art logic into a single 56-pin, plastic QFN package. The device is used in Ethernet switches and midspans to allow network devices to share power and data over the same cable. The PD69208M device is an 8-port, mixed-signal and high-voltage PoE driver. Together with our PD69200-series external microcontroller (MCU), it performs as a PSE system.
Our PD69210 PoE controller is a cost-effective, pre-programmed microcontroller designed to implement enhanced mode PoE control in conjunction with our PD69208M, PD69208T4 and PD69204T4 PSE Managers.
The Razberi ServerSwitchIQ is category-defining smart Network Video Recorder (NVR) appliance with an integrated PoE switch. It is a compelling alternative to solutions assembled from centralized, general-purpose servers, switches and storage. The powerful system-in-a-box approach meets the demands of megapixel video management, video analytics and 4K video viewing.
With Razberi’s cloud-based health monitoring and cyber security capabilities built in, the ServerSwitchIQ delivers powerful tools to proactively defend the integrity of modern VMSs.
All Razberi ServerSwitchIQ models include intelligent features that make it easy to manage, maintain and protect appliances, forensic evidence and IP networks from any location. They come fully equipped with cloud-based health monitoring via Razberi Monitor™ to provide proactive notifications of camera issues and tampering. Razberi CameraDefense™ provides cybersecurity protection with the ability to easily lock down exposed IP camera ports from hacking. All Razberi appliances are built on open architecture and certified to support world-class VMSs.
Deploying Razberi ServerSwitchIQ appliances in a distributed architecture can reduce the impact on an organization’s IP network by up to 95 percent. Connecting IP cameras directly to Razberi ServerSwitchIQ appliances not only reduces traffic on the main network, but it enables our intelligent cyber security and health monitoring toolset to proactively protect the video management system.
— Rich Anderson, Chief Technology Officer at Razberi Technologies
The ServerSwitchIQ, featuring Adaptec SmartRAID 3100 adapters, fulfills Razberi’s mission to make it easy for any company to deploy, manage and secure an evolutionary enterprise video surveillance system with integrated cybersecurity capabilities.
A specialized technology stack is beginning to form around Physical AI. At Actuate 2026, developers got a close look at its emerging data, simulation, training, observability, compute and teleoperation layers, offering a glimpse of an ecosystem being assembled in real time.
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