Breaking Down Barriers
Video surveillance growing faster than any other physical security solution
- By Tom Galvin
- Feb 01, 2010
Even though network video surveillance applications are growing faster than any other vertical in the physical security market, its components are challenged by a lack of interoperability. The fast growth is encouraging network video market leaders, such as the Open Network Video Interface Forum, to embrace industry standards.
Formed in November 2008, ONVIF has three basic goals:
- Standardization of communication between network video devices.
- Interoperability between network video products, regardless of manufacturer.
- Openness to all companies and organizations.
Gaining Interoperability
Many people have questioned why the founding members -- Axis, Bosch and Sony -- banded together to create standards. For instance, it is easy to argue that Axis, with its many development partners and integrated software platforms, has the most highly integrated camera line in the surveillance industry. Why should they, along with Bosch and Sony, care about interoperability?
The answer is simple. They collectively see the lack of interoperability as a barrier to growth for IP video. Despite the competition, the real issue for these three companies comes down to growing the overall market for IP video. With ONVIF, their overriding goal is not to take market share from each other; it is to grow the IP video market together and take market share from analog CCTV.
Whether this will work depends on how widely their standard is implemented by the rest of the surveillance industry and its customers. One true measure of ONVIF’s success will be the actual rate of implementation by member companies. So far, it looks like it is on the right track.
ONVIF recently held a public “plug-fest” reception in Anaheim, Calif., during ASIS 2009. The purpose of the reception was to demonstrate interoperable products. Fourteen products from nine companies were demonstrated. In a peer-to-peer set up, AVerMedia, Axis, Bosch, Canon, IndigoVision, Lilin, Panasonic, Sony and Vivotek proved the successful implementation of the ONVIF core specification 1.0 into a total of 10 network cameras and four software clients.
At the same event, Sony released an entire generation of ONVIF- compliant products. Sources indicate that all Axis products will have ONVIF-compliant firmware by the end of 2010.
Mixed and Matched
Many customers want to benefit from the increased advantages of implementing digital/IP video. Contrary to the traditional analog surveillance system and the DVR, which can be typically mixed and matched among different brands, the basic components of a network video system are proprietary, including the IP camera, the NVR and the video management software. Every network camera manufacturer has implemented a proprietary camera interface. Though there are some standards for compression -- H.264 and MPEG-4 -- and streaming, the basic command and control interfaces for setting video quality parameters, network parameters and PTZ control are all proprietary. As a result, software and NVR manufacturers must implement camera-specific software interfaces to integrate network cameras.
Compare this to the relatively simple plug-in approach of CCTV, where its NTSC signaling works seamlessly across DVRs, monitors and cameras.
That’s one of the big competitive advantages of analog CCTV; integrators and installers do not have to concern themselves with interoperability. However, with network, digital or IP video, system designers and installers must confirm interoperability down to the basic camera, recording and management components.
Many VMS vendors, such as Milestone and ONSSI, have accomplished the meticulous undertaking of integrating hundreds of network cameras and encoders. For example, Milestone’s XProtect software currently supports more than 650 devices. Despite this achievement, the level of integration on many platforms is often significantly different between devices. In all too many cases, software will support some features, such as audio, on one camera but not on another.
Currently, it is up to the integrator to determine the degree of interoperability between network recorders, software and IP cameras. Since integration level and functionality varies between manufacturers and products, integrators must unravel a Gordian Knot to ascertain if the final system solution will meet the customer’s requirements. However, wth ONVIF certification, the basic level of integration will be standardized, freeing up integrators to focus on other services that add more value.
After all, there is a lot of historical evidence to suggest that standards for interoperability are generally good for the industry as a whole. Think of consumer electronics, DVD, VHS, telecommunications, SIP protocol for enterprise IP phones, and IT, IEEE standards for Wi-Fi and IETF standards for the Internet.
If the video surveillance industry widely adopts a standard, vendors will be obligated to provide value in different ways. No longer will camera integrations with a specific NVR or software package be a differentiating feature. Instead, vendor resources will be spent on building end-user value from new features, productivity enhancements, analytics and new service models. As end users derive more value from network video, the overall market for digital surveillance solutions will grow.
Will standards work in the surveillance industry? They already do. Many standards have already been widely adopted by network camera manufacturers. Many manufacturers have adopted standards for video transport and streaming that have been defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force. Other international standards for video compression, audio compression and IT standards, such as Universal Plug and Play, have been adopted.
ONVIF is taking the next step. Based on a set of existing network and IT standards, it creates a new application-level standard to address video interoperability. As stated, it is the application level, which defines interfaces for PTZ control, device configuration and event handling, where the biggest opportunity for interoperability exists.
Such operability greatly benefits the end user. And when end users benefit, the entire industry will benefit. Interoperability will allow the overall market for IP-based solutions to grow and benefit the entire supply chain.
Where Are We Now?
In its short life, ONVIF has achieved several key accomplishments. ONVIF has already published the first version of its interoperability standard and released a compliance process and compliance tools for companies to test conformance.
Just as importantly, it is being embraced as an organization. More than 90 companies have joined ONVIF. A recent report from IMS Research found that ONVIF member companies hold nearly 60 percent of market revenues for network video surveillance equipment. Although the typical ONVIF member is a camera manufacturer, several key software vendors have joined, including Milestone and GVI Video Management Solutions with their new AutoIP product. Also, Anixter, a leading distributor of network video products, is actively involved in ONVIF committees.
One symbol of success is competition. A challenger to ONVIF is PSIA, which also was formed in 2008 and currently has more than 50 member companies. Its members have a collective 20 percent market revenue share for network video surveillance equipment, according to IMS. While ONVIF’s goals are focused on video interoperability, PSIA has broader objectives that include all segments of physical security, including video and access control.
There also is standards activity in the United Kingdom and Australia. However, ONVIF and PSIA seem to have the most momentum and interest from major manufacturers. For now, both standards will co-exist, but one of the groups will prevail.
Some companies like Cisco and Milestone have even hedged their bets by joining both PSIA and ONVIF.
Some are concerned that having competing standards may hurt the overall process of achieving interoperability for the industry.
The fact that such a large group of influential and competitive companies is engaged in defining and adopting interoperability standards is a positive trend. It suggests that the industry has recognized the need for standards and the potential benefits to both end users and market growth. Thus, the emergence of both standards is raising the general profile of standards activity and industry adoption.
The completed ONVIF 1.0 standard is a publicly available at http://www.onvif.org. More information in PSIA can be found at www. http://psialliance.org.
This article originally appeared in the February 2010 issue of Network-Centric Security.
About the Author
Tom Galvin is the vice president of product management for
SAMSUNG | GVI Security.