Axis Communications, Bosch Security Systems and Sony Corporation announced their collaboration agreement for the creation of an open forum for the development of a standard for the interface of network video products. Axis is an IT company that provides network video solutions for professional installations, Bosch is a global provider of security technology and services, and Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, gaming, communications and information technology products.
There is currently no global standard that defines how video products (cameras, VCR, and video management systems) should communicate with each other. The new standard is expected to unify the various specification interfaces such as video sequencing, device detection, intelligence metadata, etc.
The draft standard, with the incorporation of key elements such as the interoperability of network video products, will be released in October 2008 at the security fair to be held in Essen, Germany.
The main objective of this new standard is to facilitate the integration of the various brands of network video equipment and to help manufacturers, software developers and independent software suppliers to ensure that
product interoperability. In addition, a unified and open standard offers greater flexibility in choice to end users, as they can choose between products from different vendors to develop systems that fit their needs.
This standardization initiative is a sign of the strong commitment of Axis, Bosch and Sony to support the progressive change in surveillance processes in the security sector, from analog to digital. The forum created by these three companies will be open to all those companies and stakeholders who wish to participate in the standardization work.
The forum will open in the fourth quarter of 2008 and will devote its efforts to further developing the standard and reaching consensus on how best to implement the technology.
"We are very pleased to announce the collaboration between our companies," said Ray Mauritsson, President of Axis Communications. "An open standard will make it easier for integrators and end users to take full advantage of the wealth of possibilities offered by IP-based video surveillance technology."
"This collaboration is a major step forward in establishing an international open forum dedicated to network video surveillance," said Gert van Iperen, Executive Vice President of Bosch. "For manufacturers of network video software and hardware, both the forum and the standard will be an effective way to ensure product interoperability."
"We participated in this debate because we believe that an open standard will bring great benefits to all parties involved in the security sector," says Yoshinori Onoue, senior vice president of corporate executives at Sony Corporation. "Representatives from Axis, Bosch and Sony are working intensively to develop a draft standard and establish the guidelines for the standardization forum."
