How video analytics delivers ROI beyond security

For years, video systems were seen as a cost of doing business — cameras installed to deter or investigate incidents. Valuable, yes, but rarely a source of measurable return. That picture is changing fast. 
 

AI-powered video analytics is turning video from a passive record into a dynamic data source that supports security, operations and long-term planning. Organizations want more from the systems they already have, and analytics is evolving from a “nice to have” to a strategic investment with a clear financial impact. 
 

Independent research backs this up. In Omdia’s ROI of Video Analytics report, more than 85% of organizations achieved ROI within one year, and over half saw returns in the first six months. For security leaders under pressure to justify every budget line, that kind of payback is hard to ignore.  

In this article, we’ll explore why AI-powered video analytics is at a turning point — and how organizations can think about video as both a security asset and a driver of operational intelligence. 

Early video analytics relied on simple rules, such as motion detection or virtual tripwires. They automated some monitoring tasks but were limited by rigid logic and frequent false alarms. 
 

Today’s analytics look very different.  
 
Advances in AI and machine learning make it possible to detect, classify and track people, vehicles and objects with far greater accuracy even in crowded or complex scenes. Instead of flagging every movement, systems focus on what matters and present operators with actionable events. 
 

Multiple independent analysts confirm this shift is driving adoption. The global video analytics market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22% to 33% between 2023 and 2028, driven by the advancement of smarter AI algorithms and the emergence of new use cases beyond security. 
 

AI isn’t just changing how video analytics work. It’s speeding up results. 
Omdia’s ROI of Video Analytics report shows how quickly organizations see payback: 

• More than 85% achieved ROI within one year 

• Over 55% saw returns in the first six months 

• Nearly 80% call analytics critical to their security strategy 

• More than half use it daily 

• 69% say it’s worth the cost 

The biggest ROI drivers? 

1. Reducing theft and loss 
2. Lowering frontline security costs 
3. Cutting time spent on routine tasks

Organizations aren’t adding analytics just to modernize. They’re saving time, recovering value and freeing staff for higher-value work. 
 

Industry data backs it up. Banking and finance lead the way — 95% report ROI within a year by combining fraud prevention with better branch operations. Manufacturing follows close behind, with 90% seeing returns in under 12 months thanks to gains in safety, quality and process efficiency. 
 

Security is still the foundation of most video deployments, but it’s no longer the whole story. Organizations are now treating cameras as intelligent sensors and using analytics to answer operational questions that were once hard or costly to solve. 
 

Common use cases include: 

• Space and occupancy insights: People counting, dwell analysis and heatmaps help optimize layouts, manage crowding and guide real estate decisions 

• Queue and service performance: Queue monitoring and wait-time analysis improve staffing and customer experience 

• Loss prevention and shrink control: Analytics identify suspicious patterns and focus investigations on the right footage 

• Safety and compliance: Monitoring personal protective equipment (PPE) use, restricted zones and unsafe behaviors supports safer workplaces and regulatory adherence 

• Traffic and logistics: Vehicle classification, flow analysis and congestion detection help streamline movement across roads, terminals and operational areas 
   

For many organizations, the ability to serve both security and operations from a single video investment is the real turning point in video analytics ROI. 

Every organization uses video differently. The intelligence you need may not be the same as someone else’s. That’s why Milestone offers a flexible range of analytics options — essential, core and advanced — designed to match your environment, goals and technical readiness. Whether you want simple automation or deep, AI-powered insights, you can choose the path that fits your organization today and supports where you want to go next.

• Essential analytics: built for simplicity and fast deployment 
  Essential analytics provide the basic intelligence many organizations need to get started, delivered through the ease of the cloud. Arcules, our cloud video software-as-a-service (VSaaS) product, offers simple tools like object detection and counting to reduce manual review and support day-to-day monitoring. It’s ideal when you want quick value without added complexity. 
• Core analytics: deeper insight with XProtect integrations 
  Core analytics offer a deeper level of insight for organizations that need more precision without the complexity of a full analytics platform. With XProtect, you can combine rule-based tools with AI analytics from Milestone partners, including capabilities like face recognition and license plate recognition, to improve detection, automate routine monitoring and support faster response. It’s a strong fit for organizations that want advanced intelligence while staying aligned with their existing infrastructure and workflows. 
• Advanced analytics: mission-critical intelligence with BriefCam 
  Advanced analytics deliver the highest level of insight for environments where video plays a central role in security, safety and operational decision-making. BriefCam uses deep-learning technology to help you search video in seconds, trigger real-time alerts on critical activity and analyze trends over time. These capabilities support proactive response, faster investigations and meaningful operational intelligence. It’s the right fit when your organization needs powerful, AI-driven insights that can scale across complex or high-demand environments. 
   

Together, these options give you the flexibility to choose the level of intelligence that fits your environment today while preparing for what you may need tomorrow. No matter where you begin, the goal is the same: help your organization get more value from video in a way that is scalable, practical and aligned with your real-world priorities.

As video analytics becomes more advanced, it’s natural to feel both the temptation and the fear of an “AI takeover” narrative. Some imagine a future where algorithms manage every aspect of security and operations. Others worry automation could sideline human expertise and remove essential judgment from high-stakes decisions. 
 

The reality is far more grounded. Omdia’s findings — and Milestone’s experience — show that organizations achieve the best results when AI supports human operators, not replaces them. In most environments, AI excels at the work humans shouldn’t be doing, like continuously monitoring or reviewing live and recorded video. Human operators remain essential for interpreting context, making complex decisions and coordinating the right response. 

Industries such as manufacturing and critical infrastructure, where operational demands and safety requirements are high, are already embracing this balanced approach. By surfacing relevant activity sooner and clarifying what’s happening in the moment, video analytics enables a more proactive response, helping teams act faster and prevent problems before they escalate. The result is a collaborative, efficient and resilient model where AI amplifies human capability and drives continuous improvement.

As AI becomes more powerful, responsible use matters more than ever. 
That’s why responsibility is at the core of Milestone’s approach. Our commitment to accountability, transparency and ethically minded design shapes how we build products, choose partners and support real-world deployments. 

One example is Project Hafnia, Milestone’s initiative with NVIDIA to create a privacy-compliant visual data platform for training AI models. By providing anonymized, ethically sourced video data with clear lineage, the project supports innovation while protecting individuals and meeting evolving regulatory requirements.

For organizations exploring analytics, this foundation matters. Video analytics is most powerful when it is trusted by operators, by leadership and by the communities it ultimately affects.

Video analytics is shifting from a supporting technology to a strategic driver of measurable value. What was once seen as a cost of doing business is now delivering returns across security, operations and long-term planning. Independent research confirms what many end users already know: well-deployed analytics lead to faster investigations, better resource decisions and stronger safety outcomes, often with returns far sooner than expected. 
 

For your organization, this shift creates a meaningful opportunity to do more with the systems you already have. With the right analytics in place, you can unlock insights that help your teams respond faster, allocate resources more effectively and strengthen safety across your environment. In other words, the return isn’t just financial. It’s operational, strategic and long-term. 
 

If you’d like to explore which analytics options are right for your organization, contact us to start the conversation.