As a cloud-native Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) solution, Arcules offers a powerful way to extend your Milestone XProtect system beyond the constraints of local infrastructure. With its open platform design and familiar XProtect-like interface, Arcules is perfectly suited for organisations that need to connect remote sites or temporary installations - without the hassle of complex cabling or networking.
Whether you're monitoring a construction site, managing remote facilities, or responding to a fast-moving security requirement, Arcules makes it simple: deploy a camera with 4G/5G connectivity, link it to the Arcules platform, and use the Milestone Arcules plugin to bring live video directly into your XProtect system.
We make rapid deployment even easier. With pre-configured, ready-to-deploy camera kits, we can help you get up and running fast—wherever you need coverage. If you’re looking for a turnkey solution, get in touch with us. But if you already use Arcules and just want to connect it to your Milestone setup, follow the steps below.
This how-to guide shows you how to integrate cameras from remote Arcules sites into your existing Milestone XProtect system, making it easier to manage and adding flexibility to your setup.
These cameras behave in XProtect the same as all other added devices, allowing you to view live images, play back recordings and export video as if the camera was added to Milestone natively. This gives a seamless and centralised experience at no additional cost, without the need for an additional Milestone device licence or an Interconnect licence.
Before we begin, it is presumed that you already have an Arcules account configured with cameras through an Arcules gateway or cloud-connected camera.
Step 1 – Add an API user to your Arcules organisation
Milestone requires a set of credentials to be provided to authenticate to the Arcules web services and organisation. This is used to authenticate the connection for live video, recorded video and alarms.
This user will require a valid email address for registration.
Give the user the role of ‘API User’ only. And don’t forget to add the site/location for which cameras you want to add to Milestone, otherwise Milestone will not find any cameras to add.
Step 2 – Download and Install the Arcules Plugin
In the Arcules menu select the ‘Settings’ menu 
and choose the ‘Apps and Plugins’ option.
Download the Arcules plugin for XProtect and save it to your Milestone server.
> 
Install the plugin on the management server.
If you had the management client open, you’ll need to fully restart it to access the Arcules plugin settings. Refreshing will not apply the necessary changes, so be sure to close the client completely and then re-open it. You will then see the Arcules plugin referenced in the navigation tree. Click 'Connections' to create a new connection.
Step 3 – Create a New Connection
In the Arcules menu, create a new connection.
Name: A label for the connection.
Cloud region: Select ‘Europe’ if you are in Europe.
Username & Password: Details of the API user you created in Step 1.
Test the connection. You should get a green tick if all done correctly so far.
Step 4 – Adding Arcules Devices
To add devices, go to your new connection and select the ‘devices’ tab at the bottom.
In the "Add Location" dialog, make sure you select:
- The Recording Server where the Arcules cameras will be added/configured. Only recording servers with the MIP Driver installed will be listed.
- The Arcules Location you want to import cameras from.
- The cameras you want to enable in the system (un-checked cameras will still be added to XProtect, but they will be disabled by default).
- Click the Add button to start importing and configuring the selected cameras.
Step 5 - Working with Arcules Cameras in XProtect
After the cameras have been added in the Arcules Cloud Services section, you will be able to view the cameras in the XProtect Management Client under Devices -> Cameras.
By default, they appear in a new camera group called Cloud Cameras.
Underneath the Cloud Cameras folder, the folder structure will match your Arcules Site and Location hierarchy.
You can click on any of the cameras to preview the video feed. You cannot adjust any settings on the camera in XProtect, as the stream settings are managed in the Arcules Portal.
From here, you can assign these cameras to View Groups just like any other XProtect-connected camera, configure permissions, and assign them to roles. Key features such as Live View, Playback, Export, and Alarms are all fully supported.
Please note: Please note: the XProtect recording server does not record any data for the cloud-based cameras which are added. The recordings for these cameras are defined in Arcules and stored either in the cloud, gateway, or SD card in the case of Camera-to-Cloud (C2C).
If you need further help or support with Arcules integration, please contact us so one of our experts can help.