Security Sales & Integration April 2022 - 46

Video
VMS Optimization
Opportunities
has a bunch of existing cameras that need to integrate
into their VMS platform. An integrator
is going to save time and money with an open
platform that works well with other systems,
both securely and easily. Look for a partner that
can provide an overall system in terms of both
hardware and software, as well as one that can
be deployed on third-party hardware.
Remote Management Capabilities
Looking at how much COVID has changed
the way companies do business today, remote
management becomes as important a factor
as any when it comes to deciding on the right
VMS platform. Remote management capabilThe
Open Architecture Debate
Looking at the open vs. closed architecture debate when it comes to VMS,
ultimately the advantages of an open platform outweigh the few advantages
a proprietary, or closed system, may provide - depending on the size and
nature of the deployment, of course.
But digging down a bit deeper into what was discussed earlier, having an
open architecture system goes beyond just being able to pick the types, models
and manufacturers of the cameras that an integrator or a client wants. For
example, it's being able to use existing systems while also having the ability to
pick and choose other systems, such as the desired access control solution, or
the right video analytics libraries or engines.
And, even more importantly, integrators are " future-proofing " their customers
by providing an open platform, which allows them to quickly take
advantage of any technology innovations, and to tailor the solution to the very
specific needs of a given customer, use case or vertical.
Leading VMS providers like Salient advocate working with a group like ONVIF,
which is a global and open industry forum with the goal of facilitating the
development and use of a global open standard for the interface of physical
IP-based security products. ONVIF creates a standard for how IP products
within video surveillance and other physical security areas can communicate
with each other.
The huge advantage to going with ONVIF for integrators is that there's a lot
of data normalization work that they don't need to worry about, such as object
classification (determining if it's a vehicle or a person). ONVIF is also preferable
for larger deployments because it's just easier to scale. One of the challenges
of getting more insight out of the video is doing it in a way that can scale
across the deployment, and not just solve it for one camera at one site.
Now, that is not to say that you should never use the native camera driver
to solve some of this, and there might be some markets where the deployments
only get to a certain size. For example, it is easy to control for a given
manufacturer, or even in a specific model line of a camera, where all of it can
be done with native camera drivers. But that's usually not the norm, and typically
there's data normalization that needs to go on and scalability concerns.
This strengthens the case for ONVIF as a better route to go, keeping in mind,
as noted earlier, the market vertical, the use case and the deployment pattern.
ities become even more crucial when an integrator
and end user are managing multiple sites
that may grow in number over time.
For example, a customer who has a preference
for deploying a VMS platform within their existing
infrastructure, which may be maintained
by IT, typically wants to create a fully virtualized
environment that they can visualize and
interact with from anywhere. So, it is not only
laying that platform onto third-party hardware,
but also deploying that in customer-provided
virtualized environments as well.
What's beneficial from a product standpoint
for an integrator is the ability to remotely access,
monitor and maintain the VMS platform.
While there are several different ways to
accomplish this, the Cloud is one option that
supports remote access, remote monitoring
and maintenance configuration - things that
are really beneficial for an integrator. Cloudbased
services, including remote management,
monitoring and maintenance of systems, also
provide some additional RMR, or subscription-based
revenue for an integrator.
In addition, if an integrator needs to add
more cameras, a technician can, potentially,
add more camera licenses, do basic configuring
and monitoring of cameras, as well as overall
health management of those systems remotely.
While that still may require someone to roll a
truck, a technician can save a lot of time assessing
the problem knowing what is needed for
the job and resolving the issue in the shortest
time possible. And if you look at that across
larger enterprise organizations, being able to
remotely monitor many locations across one
platform saves you from having to roll a truck
to multiple sites, for example.
Cloud also helps to remotely monitor and
push out software and other cybersecurity updates,
resolve issues in real-time, and provide
alerts and notifications to the proper departments
or individuals in a timely manner.
Ability to Leverage Data
As a customer starts thinking about doing
more with the video data that they have, the
right VMS platform can help an integrator to
provide meaningful operational and business
insights. For example, once the metadata has
been extracted and processed, it is vitally important
to have a system that allows you to sort,
search, visualize and leverage that data.
For integrators, video data is just underuti46
Security
Sales & Integration APRIL 2022
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Security Sales & Integration April 2022

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