Interoperability is the linchpin of system success for security industry

There are signs of a change in the electronic access control industry in favor of systems based on interoperability as proposed by ONVIF

ONVIF 2014/2015 Review & Forecast: 

The year ahead certainly looks to be an important one. Interoperability, data security and ease of installation will all be of concern to the physical security industry. We see an increased awareness for interoperability among the end users in the industry, which in turns reflects back on the need for a broad acceptance for what ONVIF provides to the industry. There are signs of a change in the electronic access control industry in favor of systems based on interoperability as proposed by ONVIF.

All of these major trends are on ONVIF’s radar as well. The new Profile Q actually addresses three of these areas. Profile Q’s modus operandi is to provide the end user with out-of-the-box functionality and enhanced security features. The development of Profile Q actually was based on feedback from the community. ONVIF is continuously working to make interoperability as easy and secure as possible.

ONVIF’s membership has risen steadily to more than 500 this year, and we now have member companies on six continents, which is gratifying. This growth is an indication of the importance of standards for interoperability in the industry and even beyond. As the work of the organization progresses and new profiles are released, we see stronger and stronger support of ONVIF and its contribution to the industry.

We held our 11^th Developers’ Plugfest in 2014, our biggest yet. Profile C for access control and Profile G for video storage and recording were released, both significant in our profile portfolio. In addition, ONVIF was in attendance at the industry’s top trade shows, including as a first-time exhibitor at ISC West. This year, ONVIF also reached out to the security community to obtain feedback on what ONVIF is doing well and how we might improve our profiles.

The year ahead certainly looks to be an important one. As I have mentioned, interoperability, data security and ease of installation will all be of concern to the physical security industry. In December 2014, ONVIF will take the first steps towards finalizing Profile Q by publishing the “Profile Q release candidate” to our member community. We look for Profile Q to be very successful and widely adopted in 2015, following its scheduled June 2015 release.

There is unrealised potential across the board in the security market. As technology changes and advances bit by bit, the industry finds new ways to deliver faster, more accurate and more intelligent products to market. Interoperability is the linchpin that ties all of these technologies and advancements together, because in order for new technology to be of use to the end user, it must be able to work in concert with other devices, systems and brands.

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