Brandon Salzberg, CTO, Rhombus explores the growing importance of cloud and hybrid solutions for smarter and more streamlined infrastructure
Please introduce yourself and give a brief insight into Rhombus?
I’m Brandon Salzberg, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Rhombus. At our core, Rhombus is focused on transforming how organisations manage and scale their physical security. We’re a cloud-first platform offering enterprise-grade video surveillance, access control, alarms, sensors, and AI analytics—all unified under one intuitive system. What makes us different is our commitment to simplicity, security, and openness. Integrations with other software and hardware systems, all managed through that single pane of glass, is intrinsic to our vision. Our goal is to empower IT, security, and facilities teams to deploy smarter infrastructure without the headaches of legacy systems, and without locking themselves into a narrow single-brand deployment if that’s not what suits their needs.
What misconceptions do you encounter most often from organisations hesitant to transition from on-premise to cloud-based video surveillance?
One of the most persistent misconceptions is that cloud surveillance is somehow less secure than on-premise systems. In reality, the cloud allows for more frequent updates, real-time threat detection, and far more robust encryption and redundancy, features that are often hard to achieve or maintain with on-premise deployments. Another misconception is cost; some assume it’s prohibitively expensive, but once you factor in hardware, maintenance, and staffing for on-prem systems, cloud solutions are often more cost-effective and scalable.
Expanding upon that; transitioning to the cloud doesn’t need to entail the cost and disruption of a full rip-and-replace. Increasingly we’re seeing the ability to migrate to the cloud in stages; providing many of the benefits of a cloud system – AI analytics, secure remote access, encrypted cloud storage – by turning the on-premise ‘dumb’ cameras into smart devices. These can then be added to or replaced in stages as circumstances and budgets allow.
Why is the traditional ‘rip-and-replace’ approach no longer a necessary paradigm in the age of hybrid cloud environments, and how does Rhombus challenge that perception?
In the past, moving to the cloud often meant starting from scratch, replacing every camera and system component. That’s no longer the case. Hybrid cloud environments now enable a far more gradual, tailored transition. With solutions like Rhombus Relay, you can bridge existing hardware to modern cloud features without disruption. It’s about meeting customers where they are, respecting the investments they’ve already made, and helping them modernise at their own pace—rather than pushing them into an all-or-nothing decision.
With Relay, organisations can: gain the advantages of a best-in-class cloud-managed platform with their existing cameras, reduce financial and operational constraints that can be associated with migrating to a cloud system, and achieve a single pane of glass solution that makes security effortless. For instance, every camera connected through Relay Core has the option for Rhombus AI Analytics including License Plate Recognition, Facial Recognition, Colour Search, and Visitor Counting. This allows customers to gain all the benefits of the Rhombus cloud-managed platform with their existing cameras.
Can you walk us through how the newly launched Rhombus Relay product line helps bridge legacy infrastructure with cloud capabilities, and what makes it unique compared to typical migration tools?
Rhombus Relay acts as a secure on-premise gateway between legacy IP cameras and the cloud. Unlike some basic streaming tools or NVR plug-ins, Relay is designed to intelligently ingest video feeds from third-party cameras and elevate them with Rhombus’ full suite of cloud-based features: AI analytics, centralised monitoring, secure remote access, and more. It also supports local video retention if needed, which is often critical for compliance. Its plug-and-play setup means most customers can be up and running in minutes, not weeks.
What kind of third-party camera systems are most commonly integrated via Relay, and how seamless is that onboarding process in practice?
We’ve seen strong adoption among organisations using Axis, Bosch, Hanwha, Hikvision, and Dahua cameras; especially those already set up with RTSP or ONVIF support. Relay is purpose-built to make onboarding easy: it auto-discovers compatible devices on the network, walks users through a simple pairing process, and begins streaming securely to the cloud with minimal configuration. In many cases, there’s no need for re-cabling or hardware swaps. That ease of use is a big differentiator.
In what ways does Relay help organisations protect their existing investments while unlocking the benefits of cloud scalability, analytics, and centralised management?
Relay allows organisations to preserve their current camera deployments and physical infrastructure while still tapping into all the advantages of a cloud-native system. That includes real-time health monitoring, smart search, multi-site visibility, and role-based access control—things that are often impossible or inconsistent in older systems. It also simplifies management for IT teams. Instead of juggling siloed tools or local recorders at each location, everything is unified in a single dashboard, with updates and insights delivered automatically.
Rhombus has over 50 integrations across access control, sensors, and enterprise platforms, how crucial is interoperability in modernising physical security systems without disruption?
Interoperability is absolutely essential. The days of standalone systems are over; organisations want cohesive platforms that work seamlessly with tools they already use. Whether it’s integrating with access control providers like Genea, environmental monitoring with HALO, or syncing alerts into Microsoft Teams or Slack, we’re focused on breaking down silos. Our open API and broad integration ecosystem mean teams can automate responses, unify data streams, and gain a fuller picture of their environments—all without ripping out what’s already working….
