The demand for reliable, flexible, and cutting-edge Video Management Software (VMS) solutions has never been greater than it is today.
The demand for reliable, flexible, and cutting-edge Video Management Software (VMS) solutions has never been greater than it is today, when security and technology are intertwined in complex and dynamic ways. The world of video technology is changing, not simply because of its capabilities but also because of the ethical and privacy issues that come along with it.
A future where open architecture and integrations with both emerging and legacy technologies stand at the forefront of security solutions is being shaped by major global VMS firms. This article explores perspectives from these market leaders, examining how their VMS platforms not only meet the demands of numerous industries today but also guarantee scalability and agility for the future.
Integrating with emerging security
One of the biggest factors to consider as a customer of VMS is the ability of a solution to integrate with emerging technologies. Security solutions are evolving quickly, with new additions entering the market at regular intervals.
“Milestone Systems is unique in terms of the openness of our platform which allows technology providers to easily develop integrations for our Video Management Software (VMS)—regardless of whether they offer emerging tech or legacy video solutions,” explained Sandesh Kaup, Country Manager for India at Milestone Systems. “Because of this, we now have an ever-evolving ecosystem of partners who can integrate everything from autonomous drones to wearable devices, to AI-powered sensors. Milestone’s Technology Partner Finder lists all of our available partner integrations and shows the incredible depth and breadth of the technology that can be used with our platform.”
Srivikraman Murahari, VP – Products & Strategic Alliances at Videonetics, pointed out that their company has differentiated as a ‘Truly Open & Unified Video Management Platform’, enabling greater interoperability between all products, maximizing the use of the infrastructure, seamless scalability, integrations with third-party devices, and much more.
“Videonetics VMS has a flexible and open architecture that allows our customers to integrate various sub-systems in the intuitive interface of VMS, ensuring that an organization’s business operations, risk mitigation, and security objectives are aligned,” Murahari added. “Our VMS has rich sets of APIs to share data with other applications. Over the years, we have integrated a number of third-party devices such as cameras with analytics on the edge, perimeter intrusion detection systems, access control systems, ip speakers, integrated command and control centers, radar, and so on.”
Speaking on similar lines, William Hinton, product line manager for video at Genetec, stressed that being built on an open architecture enables the company to cater to the diverse needs of customers.
“This allows our customers to build out a solution that meets their needs with a mix of software and hardware from an ecosystem of technology partners,” Hinton said. “They can easily swap out components to quickly adapt to changing needs. The ecosystem adapts much quicker than a single closed architecture company. As an open architecture solution, we work with a wide array of different technologies to connect them to our solution and with our open integrations to standard protocols, the sky is the limit.”
Genetec has a dedicated program in place to support developers in the creation of apps and integrations. They offer multiple levels of support to ensure developers are efficient in their development process. As part of their certification process, the company reviews integrations and provides feedback for improvements.
For integrator support, Genetec boasts a technical team ready to assist with plug-ins and custom solutions they have developed. Additionally, when a partner has developed an integration using the SDK, integrators have the opportunity to collaborate directly with the developer of that specific integration for further support.
Key considerations for optimizing your VMS
Video technology is one area where you’re constantly balancing the power of new technological capabilities with the potential associated impacts on privacy.
Let’s take AI-driven technologies, for instance. They have a vast array of incredibly positive uses, from helping victims of crime to providing timely medical assistance to patients in hospitals. At the same time, the added precision and autonomy that make such applications possible also pose challenges when it comes to protecting the privacy of individuals.
“At Milestone we’re constantly evaluating and re-evaluating how we develop our technology, how our partners sell our technology and how customers use our technology; these are all pre-requisite business and financial considerations and when making tech decisions,” Kaup said. “We also welcome regulations around AI to prevent misuse and protect fundamental human rights but encourage a balanced approach that does not limit innovation and competitiveness.”
Kaup added that emerging and novel technologies can—and should—be incorporated into VMS platforms in a way that is both timely and ethical. It’s possible to be committed to both interests—they’re not inherently zero-sum.
Murahari said that Videonetics VMS has been serving the critical needs of various industries of varying sizes of project implementation and manages their video effectively, optimally, and securely.
“Our VMS seamlessly fits into a spectrum of verticals, from smart & safe cities, industrial, mass transit, education, and healthcare to oil and gas,” Murahari pointed out. “Moreover, with the embedded AI-enabled video analytics framework, the platform optimizes the analytics pipeline purely on CPU and detects events with fewer frames, improving compute efficiency and reducing the TCO for customers. Our unified dashboard integrates all our events present across products; streaming based on WebRTC provides industry-leading faster response time.”
Hinton suggests that rather than look at your immediate security concerns, you should consider how the choice of a VMS today will impact what you will be able to achieve as your security needs and video technology evolve over time.
“Scalability, open architecture, and compatibility will provide you access to the latest IP cameras, adaptability to complex network topologies as well as new storage solutions,” Hinton said. “Our support team extends across various channels to aid our integrators and customers so that they have the information and tools that they need. With various levels of technical support available, training, certification programs as well as consultative services, we ensure that integrators and users are able to get extract as much value from our solution as possible.”
Conclusion
In the intricate and rapidly evolving domain of VMS, the integration of emerging technologies and adherence to ethical and privacy considerations stand out as pivotal elements shaping the industry's trajectory.
The open architecture model has emerged as a crucial framework, enabling a seamless blend of various technologies, from autonomous drones and AI-powered sensors to legacy video solutions, fostering an environment that encourages innovation while ensuring adaptability to the ever-changing technological landscape. Furthermore, the ethical deployment of these technologies, especially those harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence, underscores a collective industry commitment to safeguarding privacy and human rights, even as organizations harness the capabilities of advanced tech to enhance security and operational efficiency.
The balance between leveraging technological advancements and ensuring ethical, privacy-conscious implementations will undoubtedly continue to be a focal point of discussions and developments in the VMS sector, guiding future integrations and shaping policies that safeguard both innovation and fundamental human values.