Integrated Video Security Systems: What’s the Story There?

“Integration” is a term that has been almost inescapable in the security business for quite a few years now. With the launch of IFSEC Global, I thought the time might be right to provide something of an ongoing guide to integrated systems — and integrated video systems in particular — that’s of use to specifiers, end users, and integrators.

First up, then: the basics.

What’s an integrated security system?

Well, the essence of an integrated system is that it’s seeking to bring together a wide variety of security and safety functions into a single management system.

It could include video surveillance, access control, time and attendance monitoring, visitor management systems, intruder alarms, lift control, fire systems, building management, human resources, car park management, guard tours, logical security, vending, and more.

The BSIA has produced a guide to integrated security management systems.

It’s worth noting that the key words here — and increasingly throughout the security and building management businesses — are “management system”.

You can see from the list above that there’s an increasing range of elements which often fall under the control of the same operators. Ensuring that they can easily control all of these elements, without switching from one system to another, is what integrated systems are all about.

What’s an integrated video security system?

To justify the name, an integrated video security system needs to integrate together all the video components of a video security system — namely, the video cameras with the video management system and its displays.

Integration may be on an analogue platform, or increasingly on a digital IP platform. And those digital platforms could be proprietary or “open”.

Proprietary platforms typically integrate a given manufacturer’s cameras, recorders, software, and displays, but have limited connectivity to third-party cameras and other devices.

Open platform systems typically adopt the Open Network Video Interface Forum (ONVIF) standard to allow cross-manufacturer compatibility as the key to the widespread adoption of network video systems.

What’s a video management system?

Firstly, it’s worth acknowledging that there is some confusion over the abbreviation “VMS”. Here I’m using it to refer to a video management system, but it’s often used to refer to video management software — one of the key components of a video management system. Which is all very useful, particularly in an industry as awash in alphabet soup as security.

Proprietary video management systems exist and are typically built around a network video recorder with embedded software.

But video management systems now increasingly refer to open platform video management software for both recording and management, together with matched server and storage hardware, and it is this definition I’ll be using in this article and in future.

What are the benefits of a VMS over an NVR solution?

• An open platform VMS allows different cameras from multiple camera manufacturers to be used. And although in practice most people wisely limit their camera choice, the philosophy helps to ensure competitiveness and future-proofing of systems.
• The potential to interface third-party alarms, video, audio, and other functionality is much greater with an open-standard video management system.
• Technical advantages aside, the VMS philosophy appears to be winning in the marketplace, which in turn helps to encourage product and market development.

On a very basic level, then, the VMS is the central component of an integrated video security system — and today’s VMSs are likely to integrate other security aspects such as access control and intruder alarms as well. I’ll look at how to go about choosing a suitable VMS next time.