3 8 · d e t e k t o r i n t e r n a t i o n a l
the
interview
attention from the industry?
"We would like to get more atten-
tion on how useful the profiles are.
There are quite a lot of opinions
left from earlier days suggesting it
is not so easy to get the specifi-
cations to work. And if it does
not work the first time you try,
often you do not want to give it a
second try. It has been two years
since we introduced profiles and
we have worked very hard to be
able to get that second chance."
What is your goal?
"We have set a vision that all
security systems will share a com-
mon interface in the future and
our mission is that more and more
people use our standard to achieve
that vision. Our desire is also to
attract interest from the alarm
industry."
Will you ever be "finished"?
"We will ensure that new products
will fit together, and we will
ensure that it works on a basic
level. ONVIF does not intend to
compete with producers; we need
to let innovation evolve, because
otherwise there would be no com-
mercial reasons for companies to
continue to innovate. We must
not undermine the will to bring
good products to the market.
We will never be finished." n
Will there also be a standard
for storage?
"Yes, we are working on a profile
called Profile G. It will simplify
storage in networks and make
it easier for NVRs with more
advanced storage functionali-
ties. The profile was supposed to
be launched in December, but
was not ready. Instead it will be
launched in June 2014. There are
other requests from our members,
for example to make interoperabil-
ity easier, a bit like IT products in
general, and of course, additional
features for access control, but it is
not clear yet. Another idea is that
we will look at a device profile
that is tied to integrate the device
with ONVIF rather than which
features it contains."
Is it difficult to agree
within ONVIF?
"I would say that it is relatively
easy, but it should be remem-
bered that a standard is always a
compromise. The work is quite
slow even if it is significantly faster
within ONVIF than in other of-
ficial standardisation. Obviously,
the ambitions among members
vary but since we agree jointly, we
will always find a level that suits
all members."
Do you think you get enough
a shift. Communication does not
become less safe because systems
are not closed, it is rather the op-
posite thanks to modern security
approach."
Will you be able to leverage on
the success with the standard for
IP video when it comes to access
control?
"We hope and believe that the
IP video's success will be spread
to other product categories. We
have a new vision for ONVIF it
is that all security systems will be
sharing an interface in the future,
much like you see on the internet.
ONVIF's mission is to provide
and promote an interface that
provides both functionality and
simplicity for its users."
When will there be a standard
for alarms?
"The members will decide when
they want to go in that direction
and it does not necessarily have
to be members from the alarm
industry who take the initiative.
For example, there are many
IP video companies who have
an interest in access control. A
lot of the major members are
involved in the alarm industry
even though they joined ONVIF
because of the standardisation
of IP video. It is very likely that
there will be a standard for alarms
in the future and it is also desir-
able from a standardisation point
of view."
But you are waiting for
members to put forward
suggestions for that?
"Yes, but we are already busy with
requests from members today.
There are no separate groups with
their own agenda or a commit-
tee that says let us do it now. We
must respond to what the market
requests."
Axis, Bosch and Sony took the
initiative to start ONVIF six years
ago. Today, the organisation has
nearly 500 members, and they
account for 98-99 percent of the
market according to Per Björkdahl
from Axis, who has been the chair-
man of ONVIF since September
2012.
The first ONVIF profile was
called Profile S and it included IP
cameras and video surveillance
products.
"The members make sug-
gestions for new profiles and
historically, there has been a fairly
close relationship between video
surveillance and access control.
We have been working on a speci-
fication for access control called
Profile C, and it has gone through
all the phases and was released in
December 2013. At ISC West in
Las Vegas in April we will have
our own booth where it will be
shown for the first time", says Per
Björkdahl.
ONVIF made a very strong
impact on the security industry
with the IP video profile. Does
access control have the same
potential?
"It is difficult to predict, but those
from ONVIF who are behind
this initiative are hoping for the
same success as with IP video.
Access control has historically
been a much more closed world
and many large companies have
invested heavily in systems with
a lot of hardware and where non-
interoperability has been one of
the selling points. Here we will see
Chairman of ONVIF believes in access control
The open industry forum ONVIF was founded in 2008
to develop a standard for the interface of IP-based
physical security products. It started with IP video
but since december, there is also a Profile C for access
control.
"we hope and believe that the success of IP video
will be spread to other product categories", says ON-
VIF chairman Per Björkdahl.
By Henrik Söderlund
Per Björkdahl, Chairman of ONVIF.
"We have set
a vision that
all security
systems will
share a common interface
in the future..."
Ethiris
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Video Management Software