VisualCortex & SUSE enhance AI video analytics platform

VisualCortex has entered into a collaboration with SUSE to enhance its AI-powered video analytics platform designed for diverse industries such as retail, transportation, and government.

This partnership will tackle the growing need for scalable, secure, and cost-effective management of Kubernetes clusters to support AI and machine learning workloads, enabling operations not only across multi-cloud environments but extending to edge and air-gapped settings as well.

Ben Evans, Chief Technology Officer at VisualCortex, commented, "Because we use edge computing when deploying to clients, we need to coordinate clusters across many different physical locations, which adds extra layers of complexity."

"What's more, many container management solutions are tied to a single cloud provider with high costs."

"We needed a platform that could support AI/ML workloads at scale across multi-cloud, edge and even air-gapped environments. SUSE's Rancher Prime hit the mark perfectly."

The implementation of SUSE Rancher Prime and SUSE Storage aims at streamlining container management, improving the efficacy of edge deployments, and boosting storage performance. The video analytics platform from VisualCortex offers real-time solutions like heat mapping, traffic flow optimisation, and number plate recognition.

Rancher Prime's advanced management capabilities and built-in security features, such as centralised authentication and access control, serve as the primary container orchestration layer for the VisualCortex platform.

This enhances the ability of VisualCortex to meet the high-security demands set forth by its clients.

Success with Rancher Prime prompted VisualCortex to tackle challenges in vehicle recognition engine (VRE) development upon request from a large Australasian retailer.

The solution needed to replace error-ridden manual tracking with automated processes, improving both accuracy and revenue collection.

"In our experience, persistent storage is one of the toughest things to get right with Kubernetes," Evans noted. "In the past, we have used cloud-based block storage, but that wouldn't make the grade this time, as we were storing data at the network edge."

SUSE Storage is now integral in storing and processing vehicle data efficiently at numerous retailer locations, supporting accurate parking fee calculations and reducing customer complaints over billing errors.

The collaboration has shown tangible benefits, with improvements in vehicle recognition accuracy and revenue collection, coupled with a decrease in customer complaints.

Beyond automotive applications, VisualCortex is extending its AI platform to public safety research, exploring new methods for violence detection and enhancing safety protocols.

Additional commercial ventures include analysing electric vehicle adoption to better plan for charging infrastructure.

As Evans stated, "As we expand our AI capabilities, SUSE will play a central role in our ongoing operations. We have had an excellent experience using Rancher Prime and SUSE Storage, and they have helped us to scale our portfolio and bring our groundbreaking video analytics platform to many more enterprise clients."

Ben Henshall, General Manager for SUSE in Australia and New Zealand, remarked, "VisualCortex is an example of how AI can deliver real-world impact, from reducing manual processes to improving customer experiences. AI is only as powerful as the infrastructure behind it, and our approach to open-source means VisualCortex can build, scale, and innovate without constraints—whether at the edge, in the cloud, or wherever AI takes it next."