What is our primary use case?
My main use case for Cisco Meraki MV is physical security and day-to-day monitoring of workplace areas, making it useful for keeping an eye on office spaces, entrances, and other important locations without having to physically check every area throughout the day. I find particularly useful the cloud-based management, which makes it easier to access camera feeds and review recorded footage when something needs attention, allowing me to manage cameras through a centralized dashboard, check device status, and review footage remotely when authorized. It can make routine monitoring more organized and help teams investigate incidents more efficiently.
I find useful that Cisco Meraki MV can make routine security monitoring easier to manage without having to constantly check cameras manually. Having camera feeds and footage accessible through a centralized dashboard can save time when someone needs to review a specific incident or verify what happened in a particular area, making monitoring more organized, especially across multiple locations. For me, the main value is having a clearer view of what's happening and being able to find relevant footage when needed, rather than treating surveillance as something that only matters after an incident occurs.
How has it helped my organization?
The biggest positive change has been that monitoring and reviewing security incidents has become much easier and less time-consuming, as earlier checking footage could mean going through multiple recordings manually, especially when I needed to figure out what happened at a particular time. With Cisco Meraki MV, I can access the cameras remotely, narrow down footage using motion search, and get a clearer picture of what's happening without spending so much time on it. It is also helpful when monitoring different areas because everything is accessible through one dashboard, and when an issue comes up, it's easier to go back to the relevant footage and understand the situation before deciding what needs to be done. Overall, it has made our monitoring processes much more convenient, helped improve our visibility across different areas, and reduced the effort involved in investigating incidents.
The biggest difference has been the time saved when reviewing footage and responding to incidents, as earlier finding a specific event could involve manually checking recordings from different cameras, which was quite time-consuming. With Cisco Meraki MV, I can narrow the search by time and location and use motion search to find relevant footage much faster, and for routine checks, remote access means I do not always need to be physically present to see what's happening in a particular area. I haven't tracked exact cost savings or response time percentages, so I wouldn't put a specific number on it, but the improvement in convenience and the time spent investigating incidents has been noticeable.
What is most valuable?
The best features of Cisco Meraki MV are its AI-powered motion detection, smart video search, remote monitoring, built-in storage, and real-time security alerts. I particularly find the smart search and analytics useful because they help save time when investigating incidents and monitoring activity.
The AI-powered motion detection and smart video search have been quite useful for saving time during daily monitoring, as if someone reports that an item went missing or there was some unusual activity in a particular area, I can narrow down the footage by location and time instead of manually going through hours of recordings. The motion detection also helps identify relevant activity without having to constantly watch the cameras, making it easier to investigate incidents quickly and keep track of what's happening across different areas.
One feature I use quite often is the ability to check live camera feeds remotely through the Meraki dashboard, allowing me to quickly pull up the camera feed without having to physically go there if I need to check whether an entrance is clear or see what's happening in a specific area. I also find motion search useful when reviewing an incident because I can narrow down the footage to a particular time and area instead of scrolling through hours of recordings, and having cameras managed from one dashboard makes routine monitoring and following up on security much more convenient.
I think that covers the main features I use regularly, and overall, I find the remote access and motion search the most useful in my day-to-day work, making monitoring and reviewing incidents much quicker, with the dashboard being fairly easy to navigate so I do not have to spend much time figuring things out.
What needs improvement?
Overall, it works well for day-to-day monitoring, but I think there are a few areas where it could be better, as the smart search is useful but sometimes finding the exact moment you need can still take a bit of time, especially when there's a lot of activity in the footage. It would be helpful if the AI could understand more specific search descriptions and identify relevant events more accurately, and I would also appreciate seeing more customization options for alerts, so I can get notified only about the activities that actually matter instead of receiving unnecessary notifications. Another useful improvement would be a simpler way to export and share specific clips with the team when investigating an incident, as these changes would make the system more efficient and reduce the amount of manual work involved in monitoring.
One small thing that would make my experience better is having more control over the motion alerts, since sometimes not every movement is important, so being able to set more specific rules for different areas would help avoid unnecessary notifications. I would also find it useful to have a quicker way to search for an event using simple descriptions rather than having to adjust the time range and review multiple clips.
Things that can make my experience better are having control over motion alerts, being able to set specific rules for different areas to help avoid unnecessary notifications, and a quicker way to search for an event using simple descriptions rather than having to adjust the time range and review multiple clips. I gave it a nine out of ten so that the improvements can be made much faster and it can be smoother and help us get things done faster.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Meraki MV for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It has been stable and reliable for me as of now.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is one of the more convenient aspects of Cisco Meraki MV, as if I need to expand coverage to another area or add more cameras, the centralized dashboard makes it easier to manage everything without having to work with each camera separately. The cloud-based setup also means I can access and monitor cameras remotely, which is useful when managing multiple areas or locations.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't had to contact their support team directly for any major issue, so I cannot comment on the actual resolution time from personal experience. However, one thing I found useful is that Cisco Meraki has documentation and troubleshooting resources available online, which can help with common setup and configuration questions. Since the cameras are managed through a centralized dashboard, it is also easier to identify which camera or setting needs attention when something isn't working as expected.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before using Cisco Meraki MV, I relied more on traditional CCTV setups where reviewing footage was mostly a manual process. If I needed to investigate something, I had to locate the right camera and time and then go through the recordings to find the relevant activity. The main reason for moving to Cisco Meraki MV was the convenience of cloud-based access and features such as motion search, which make finding specific footage much easier, and being able to manage multiple cameras through one dashboard is another advantage. The biggest difference for me is that monitoring and reviewing incidents feels less time-consuming, although I cannot speak to exact cost differences between the two systems.
What was our ROI?
I haven't personally tracked exact ROI figures or direct cost savings, so I cannot give a reliable percentage. However, the main benefit I noticed is the time saved when reviewing footage and investigating incidents, as instead of manually checking hours of recordings, I can use motion search to narrow down the relevant footage and find what I'm looking for much faster. Over time, these small efficiencies can reduce the effort spent on routine monitoring and help the team respond to issues more quickly, and I wouldn't say it has directly reduced staffing costs, but it does make better use of the team's time and simplifies the overall surveillance process.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
From my experience, the main thing with Cisco Meraki MV is that the upfront cost can be a bit high compared with traditional camera setups, especially if I am planning to install multiple cameras. The setup is relatively straightforward because the cameras are managed through the cloud dashboard, so there's less need to deal with complicated onsite configurations. I also appreciate having everything managed in one single place, which makes ongoing monitoring easier, and in terms of licensing, I would say it's important to understand the subscription terms, available features, and renewal costs before committing because these can affect the overall budget. I haven't personally handled the purchasing or licensing negotiations, so I cannot provide exact figures, but overall I can say the convenience and centralized management need to justify the initial investment.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I wasn't directly involved in the final purchasing decision, but some common alternatives in this space are traditional CCTV systems and cloud-managed solutions from brands such as Verkada and Axis. The main things worth comparing are video quality, AI-powered search, remote access, storage options, and the overall cost of ownership. Cisco Meraki MV stands out for its centralized dashboard and integration with the broader Cisco Meraki ecosystem. I cannot say for certain which alternatives our organization formally evaluated, but these are the main factors I would consider when comparing solutions for day-to-day monitoring.
What other advice do I have?
I think the AI capabilities are useful, especially for motion detection and finding relevant footage, but security and privacy are equally important when dealing with video surveillance. I appreciate that Cisco Meraki MV allows me to manage cameras through a centralized dashboard with controlled user access, so not everyone needs to have the same level of permissions. From a governance perspective, I would want clear control over who can view or download recordings, how long footage is retained, and how access is monitored. Since the system uses AI to identify activity, it is also important that alerts are reviewed in context rather than treated as automatically correct every time, and overall, I feel the approach is practical but having transparent privacy controls, clear audit logs, and flexible access permissions is essential for using these AI features.
Overall, I would say the AI features are fairly reliable for everyday monitoring, especially when it comes to detecting movement and narrowing down footage during an incident, making it much easier to find relevant activity without having to review hours of recordings manually. However, I wouldn't say the output is always perfect, as busy areas, changing lighting conditions, or multiple people moving around can sometimes make it harder to identify exactly what's happening. That's why I still prefer to review the actual footage before drawing conclusions or taking actions, as for me, the AI works best as a tool that speeds up the investigation process rather than something that replaces human judgment, making it useful and time-saving, while having the ability to verify what it detects is equally important.
My advice would be to first understand what you actually need from a camera system and whether the additional features justify the cost for your setup or not. Cisco Meraki MV is worth considering if you want centralized camera management, remote access to live feeds, and an easier way to search footage when something happens, rather than spending time reviewing manually. I would especially recommend comparing the total cost including cameras, licensing, and any additional infrastructure before making a decision, and overall, I would say it's a good option for businesses that value convenience and easier day-to-day monitoring, but it's worth comparing it with traditional CCTV and other cloud-managed solutions before committing. I provided this review with a rating of nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?