Per Björkdahl, chairman of THE ONVIF steering committee, explains how the standard is influencing manufacturers and the industry at large.
How strong would you say the need for standardization is in the security market, and how has ONVIF contributed to meeting that need?
We wouldn't be here today if there wasn't such a need. It is a fundamental need within the industry and ONVIF as an organization has achieved great momentum and has really been able to collaborate with the traditional surveillance industry. Thanks to ONVIF profiles and standardization, users can now use a very well-defined set of functions. Before, without standardization, different manufacturers had to invest a lot of time and money to achieve interoperability. All assured that it was possible to benefit from interoperability, but only if you were willing to pay for its development. Now, thanks to ONVIF, the industry is much more open.
So, would you say that the advantages that ONVIF has brought to the industry have been numerous?
Definitely. In addition to meeting the need for interoperability, ONVIF has helped build consensus among manufacturers and eased the burden on manufacturers of continuously updating drivers for certain products. If we continue to work together on interoperability, areas that were previously patented will become more accessible and open. In the end, customers will have more options.
How do you see the future development of onVIF and ONVIF profiles as a whole? Will it be more industry- or end-user-oriented?
THE members of ONVIF are also the technological innovators, so the technology itself within the industry becomes increasingly sophisticated. I think that the methodology by profiles that ONVIF has assumed is very intelligent. Changing a product's specifications can be a laborious process, but developing a profile can be accomplished relatively quickly. ONVIF is able to respond to market demands as they arise and is able to develop a profile to meet those demands using the underlying ONVIF specification to do so.
So you would say that ONVIF is a great way for different sectors of the industry to collaborate and work together to find solutions?
Yes of course. I think it contributes to standardization becoming increasingly important within the security industry. As government organizations around the world increase their spending, interoperability between different vendors offers transparency, which is key when it comes to public spending. The recognition by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is excellent for ONVIF and a big step towards standardization in the sector.
Are the ONVIF standards geared towards end users?
The ONVIF standard has always been designed to make life easier for the people who use the products. The adhesion of more companies that want to work with ONVIF has occurred naturally because the ONVIF specifications have struck a chord with end users, who have begun to request interoperability when specifying a new security system. Companies have realized that it is definitely a necessity within the industry.
