In this exclusive interview, Nick Bowden, the CEO of Security On Screen’s Vendor Member, Video Management Servers Co, explains why renewed MOSS™ servers are a smarter, more sustainable choice for video management CCTV systems, the high environmental cost of new server hardware, and why sustainability matters, and why the future of the security industry will need to be more environmentally responsible.
What makes Video Management Servers Co and your MOSS™ servers different from the competition?
Nick Bowden: “As sustainability moves from a corporate aim to a commercial requirement, security professionals can play their part in delivering solutions that not only perform reliably but also minimise environmental impact. From public sector procurement frameworks to private enterprise Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments, environmental considerations are becoming an integral part of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) purchasing decision, of which video management CCTV and analytics servers are part.
“For systems integrators, consultants and end users deploying CCTV and video surveillance infrastructures, one of the most significant opportunities to improve sustainability lies in the server hardware that powers Video Management Systems (VMS). Video Management Servers Ltd is helping organisations reduce server costs, lead times and carbon emissions through its range of professionally renewed MOSS™, Managed On Site Servers. By extending the life of enterprise-grade hardware, without compromising performance or reliability, renewed servers offer a practical route towards more sustainable security infrastructure and an easy win for organisations targeting net zero.
Why is sustainability so important to VMS and what does VMS do to solve current issues round the high environmental costs of new server hardware?
NB: “Modern surveillance systems rely on powerful servers to record, process, analyse, and manage increasing volumes of video data, where the environmental impact of manufacturing new servers is substantial. Producing new, enterprise server hardware requires significant quantities of raw materials including steel, aluminium, copper, rare earth elements, plastics, and semiconductors. Extracting and processing these materials consumes large amounts of energy while generating considerable greenhouse gas emissions. Manufacturing also involves complex, global supply chains, with components sourced from multiple countries before final assembly, packaging, and international shipping to distributors and customers. Every stage contributes to the overall carbon footprint of a new server and is known as its ‘embodied’ carbon footprint – all of which occur before the server has even been powered on.
“Renewed MOSS™ servers directly address this environment impact challenge by extending the operational life of high-quality enterprise ICT hardware. Rather than prematurely retiring, recycling or disposing in landfill, Video Management Servers Ltd professionally renews servers for a second operational lifecycle of a further 7 years, supporting a circular economy, where products are reused, refurbished, and kept in productive service.
“Enterprise servers are designed for longevity, so unlike a lot of consumer hardware which has a limited life, enterprise servers are built with robust components engineered for continuous 24/7 operation for many years. With appropriate testing, refurbishment, and quality assurance, these servers can continue delivering reliable performance for at least seven more years; a circular economy principle that maximises product value throughout its lifecycle.
“This approach also supports more strategic lifecycle planning, enabling organisations to replace equipment based on operational need rather than simply age. The result is reduced waste, lower project costs, and improved return on ICT technology investment.”
NB: “Extending server hardware life reduces unnecessary ICT waste while avoiding the environmental costs associated with manufacturing replacement, new equipment. This is why renewed servers are classed in the carbon ‘avoidance’ sustainability category; where their use avoids the need to build a new server in the first place. Furthermore, avoidance is a far higher contributor to carbon offsets, at around 70% of the new embodied level, compared to recycling at a meagre 4%.”
Avoided carbon emissions – PCF – Kg CO₂e
ICT Device type AVOIDED Emissions Embodied Emissions
Workstation 350 500
1U MOSS™ Server 1,800 2,600
2U MOSS™ Server 3,000 4,300
Deploying a 2U MOSS™ server saves approximately 3,000 Kg CO₂e in avoided carbon emissions: the equivalent of driving a petrol powered, family car for staggering 20,000km.
So, can you explain a bit about the outcomes?
NB: “You get a lower carbon footprint without sacrificing performance.
“A common misconception is that choosing renewed equipment means accepting reduced performance. This is not the case. Enterprise MOSS™ servers use boards, parts and components of known, proven and tracked longevity, selected to meet the demanding performance requirements of modern video management applications. Properly specified, renewed servers can easily meet the requirements of security systems operating many cameras, high-resolution recording, advanced analytics, AI-assisted processing, and long-term video retention, using proven hardware and avoiding embodied carbon overheads.
“For many surveillance deployments, the environmental savings achieved through hardware renewal significantly outweigh the relatively small efficiency gains offered by deploying the latest generations of CPU (Central Processing Units for VMS operation) and GPU (Graphic Processing Units for AI analytics), which can often be unproven in terms of reliability. This makes renewed servers an attractive option for organisations seeking practical carbon reduction, without compromising operational requirements and with proven reliability.”
How does all this fit in within frameworks of Environmental, Social and Governance objectives in the supply chain?
NB: “ESG reporting is becoming increasingly important across both public and private sectors. Many organisations now evaluate suppliers not only on technical capability and price but also on their environmental credentials and ability to support sustainability objectives. By specifying renewed MOSS™ servers, integrators can help customers demonstrate measurable action towards reducing embodied carbon and minimising ICT waste. This can be particularly valuable during competitive tenders where sustainability scoring forms part of the procurement evaluation. Offering environmentally responsible infrastructure options enables integrators to differentiate themselves, whilst supporting customers’ broader corporate sustainability strategies.”
What are the more general benefits aside from lowering the environmental cost?
NB: “Benefits include cost savings that enable sustainable investment. Sustainability and affordability are often viewed as competing priorities, but MOSS™ is a win, win! Renewed enterprise servers demonstrate that sustainability and affordability can work together. Because renewed hardware typically costs significantly less than equivalent new systems, organisations can often deploy higher specification infrastructure within existing or lower budgets. The resulting savings may be redirected towards additional cybersecurity measures, improved storage resilience, AI analytics, or expanded camera coverage. This creates a virtuous cycle where financial efficiency supports broader improvements across the security estate while maintaining a lower environmental footprint.
“For integrators, the use of MOSS™ renewed servers can extend the use of high-quality, video management systems within CCTV security applications due to affordability. This creates opportunities to serve customers who may otherwise postpone infrastructure upgrades due to budget constraints.
“Choosing renewed hardware should never mean accepting poor reliability. Professional renewal involves comprehensive inspection, testing, component verification, cleaning, firmware updates where appropriate, and quality assurance before deployment. Video Management Servers Ltd focuses specifically on enterprise-grade MOSS™ servers designed for demanding video surveillance environments. This specialist expertise ensures customers receive hardware prepared for reliable operation with mission-critical security applications in mind.”
“Professional renewal provides confidence that sustainability does not come at the expense of operational performance or reliability. For assurance, Video Management Servers Ltd offers a 7-year warranty on its MOSS™ renewed servers, covering their 7-year lifecycle, which includes onsite Next Business Day field-engineer support with parts to give even greater confidence.
“Sustainability is the competitive advantage. Customers increasingly expect suppliers to demonstrate environmental responsibility throughout the ICT lifecycle. For security integrators, incorporating renewed server infrastructure into project proposals can strengthen sustainability credentials, while providing genuine commercial value. Rather than viewing sustainability as an additional requirement, forward-thinking integrators are using it as a differentiator that helps to win projects and build longer-term customer relationships. Renewed MOSS™ servers offer a practical example of how environmental responsibility and commercial performance can align.”
So, looking ahead to the future of the security industry, what do you think we can expect to see?
NB: “The future of the security industry will be shaped not only by advances in AI, analytics, and cloud technologies but also by how responsibly those technologies are deployed. Reducing embodied carbon, extending equipment lifecycles, and embracing circular economy principles are becoming central to sustainable infrastructure design. Video Management Servers Ltd’s renewed MOSS™ servers provide security professionals with an opportunity to deliver robust, enterprise-grade video management infrastructure whilst reducing environmental impact and supporting customers’ sustainability objectives.”
About Video Management Servers Ltd
Video Management Servers Ltd (VMS Co.) is a UK-based specialist provider of servers and infrastructure for video management systems (VMS), CCTV and AI video analytics. The company focuses on making video management technology simple, affordable and sustainable. Its product range includes COMPUTE™ VMS servers, CONFIRM™ AI analytics servers and OBSERVE™ client workstations. VMS Co. also offers MOSS™ (Managed On-Site Servers) to purchase outright or as a subscription, where the server is managed and warrantied at a customer’s premises. This approach delivers affordability whilst providing the local processing, storage and control necessary for security applications. The company supports leading VMS and analytics platforms and provides UK technical, project and lifecycle support.
For more information on Video Management Servers, please contact:
Video Management Servers Ltd
www.videomanagementservers.com
T: 0161 480 5922
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