Network Optix News

Connecting Our Partners and Services: Introducing Nx Connect for Comprehensive Subscription Management

Written by Prof. Dr. Maurits Kaptein | Aug 15, 2024 9:28:36 PM
Connecting Our Partners and Services: Introducing Nx Connect for Comprehensive Subscription Management

 

At Network Optix, we operate in a complex environment in which software, hardware, installation, networking, and services must seamlessly integrate to ensure a superior end-user experience. Our solutions -  including AI-enhanced security applications, smart retail, city-scale logistics, and many more - are driven by our media server, cloud services, mobile application, Nx AI manager, and extended mapping tools. These components provide direct value and optimize business processes, effectively providing a business operating system based on video, aka Enterprise Video Operating System

Administering the delivery of this end-user value can be challenging, however, given all the partners involved. Managing the entire value chain - from software development (often involving multiple software vendors building on our platform) to hardware selection (cameras, edge devices, etc.) and on-site installation - requires meticulous coordination. To streamline this process, we developed Nx Connect, an advanced tool designed for use by our resellers, OEMs, partners, and installers to manage the administrative burdens of selling, maintaining, and administering their (Nx-based) products and services.

Nx Connect enables our partners to manage Nx recording licenses, Nx AI Manager, Nx Maps, and other Nx product subscriptions. Additionally, it will soon support the management and sale of custom services, further enhancing the capabilities and efficiency of our partners. We are excited to introduce Nx Connect in concurrence with our upcoming Gen 6 release.

 

One Platform to Manage It All

As stated, delivering value to end-users in the diverse field in which we operate – virtually any field in which cameras, computer vision, and/or vision-based AI are used – can be a challenge. We collaborate with a range of entities including partners, OEMs, distributors, installers, ISVs, and more, all of whom we at Nx collectively refer to as our “channel partners”. These core players are essential in helping us deliver value to our end customers.

Nx Connect is a platform that allows our highly valued channel partners to manage their own downstream partners, organizations (end-users), sites (i.e., locations in which Nx software, such as the Nx media server, is running), and individual channels (i.e., camera streams that feed into our recording, computer vision, and AI capabilities). Using Nx Connect, channel partners can create new organizations and enable licenses for various services that run on top of the channels under their management. Additionally, they can seamlessly manage their contact organizations, monitor service usage, and manage pricing, billing, and further administration. Nx Connect effectively serves two functions: i) Nx Connect makes the lives of all our channel partners easier by alleviating the administrative burden that goes into delivering a “connected” product, and ii) Nx Connect allows our channel partners to drive their sales by providing service usage insights.

Nx Connect is designed to empower our partners, enabling them to deliver value to end-users at scale while significantly reducing the administrative burden, so they can focus on what they do best: selling their services and products.

 

Fig 1. A sneak preview of Nx Connect; The Nx Connect front-end is easily customizable to serve channel partner needs.

 

Benefit From our Enterprise Subscription Offerings

One core component of Nx Connect is the introduction of subscription licenses. By offering popular Nx services such as channel recording, Nx AI Manager, and Nx Maps on a monthly subscription basis, end-users can continuously benefit from our enterprise cloud services, simplifying video management across hundreds of sites and thousands of channels. Both channel partners and end-users will benefit greatly from the continuous updates and support included in our subscription-based offerings. 

But there's more. By adopting Nx Connect and shifting to a monthly subscription model, channel partners can leverage the advantages of a recurring business model themselves. Nx Connect facilitates the administration of ongoing services to end customers, enabling partners to build sustainable, subscription-based businesses on top of products offered by Nx. This approach allows the entire value chain to manage recurring services more effectively, enhancing reliability and end-user satisfaction.

 

And There's More to Come…

Along with the upcoming release of Gen 6, we will start rolling out Nx Connect to selected partners (don’t worry, we will get to you as well!). Our initial rollout of Nx Connect will concentrate on essential administrative tasks, including the creation of organizations and partners, as well as the management of channel licenses. As Nx Connect develops, we will enhance our active, real-time reporting capabilities. Plus, we have a variety of new features planned for future releases:

    • Marketplace. Allows channel partners to sell their own custom services and custom AI models using the Nx Connect platform; a single place to manage it all.
    • Services Tiers. A tiered system for services based on usage. Thus, Channel partners will be able to flexibly provide pricing tiers based on service usage.
    • Advanced Data Analytics. To support sales, whether it’s upselling, retention, or new acquisitions, Nx Connect will provide you with live overviews of the most relevant sales statistics.
    • Dashboard Customization. Customizable dashboards and layouts. This customization also extends to managing what is viewable by downstream users.
    • Advanced Platform Integrations. Last but not least, we are dedicated to simplifying the integration of Nx Connect with the CRM, tracking, and bookkeeping tools that our channel partners use. Our APIs will enable high-level, no-code integrations with virtually any platform you can think of!
 

Getting Started

We hope you are as excited about Nx Connect as we are. We will be rolling out Nx Connect in stages worldwide, but it never hurts to let us know that you are interested! Please reach out to your local Nx contact or send us a message here and we will get you started with Nx Connect as soon as possible.

Note: Nx Connect will be available for all enterprise products including Nx EVOS, Nx Witness Enterprise, and Nx Go. It will not be available for Nx Witness Pro.