ONVIF Develops Profile C for Physical Access Control, IP Video Integration
SAN RAMON, Calif. — ONVIF has announced the availability of the Release Candidate for Profile C, which enables interoperability between clients and devices of physical access control systems (PACS) and network-based video systems.
With Profile C, systems integrators, specifiers and consultants can deploy an integrated IP-based video and access control solution from a variety of different video and access control providers. Compatibility between edge devices and clients helps to simplify installation and user training by reducing the need for multiple proprietary monitoring systems to handle different PACS devices.
“Integration between IP-based physical access control systems and video surveillance is no longer considered a luxury in today’s market, and is becoming a necessary component for many different types of users,” says Baldvin Gislason Bern, chairman of ONVIF’s Profile C Working Group. “With Profile C, users and specifiers will be able to integrate the Profile C products of their choosing without relying on existing integrations between manufacturers.”
As part of a PACS, Profile C conformant devices will be able to provide information about doors and access points in the system. Profile C conformant clients will enable the monitoring of doors, access control decisions and alarms, such as if a door is unlocked, when a door has been accessed and other similar functions.
Profile C conformant clients will also provide basic door control functions, such as providing access and locking/unlocking doors. When combined with other profiles such as Profile S for video and audio streaming, users can also group together related access control and video devices using a configurable discovery scope. Profile C and Profile S also share the same device management features such as network configuration and system settings.
ONVIF introduced the profile concept to enable end users to identify features supported by a profile without determining the compatibility between versions of the ONVIF specifications. Profile S serves as the standard interface to stream video and audio between conformant devices and clients, and Profile G will encompass video storage, searching, retrieval and playback.
In order for ONVIF members and stakeholders to conduct a final implementation review, the organization circulates new profiles first as a ‘release candidate’ for six months. Upon completion of the process, ONVIF publishes the final profile, allowing technology providers to test their products for conformance to the final version of Profile C.
The final version is expected to be released in early 2014.
Additionally, the organization has released the ONVIF Network Interface Specification Set version 2.3 as part of the inclusion of physical access control to the scope of the consortium. The update incorporates new services for physical access control clients and devices and also includes a number of minor clarifications for better interoperability among ONVIF conformant clients and devices. The test specification set has also been updated with the Access Control Test Specification and Door Control Test Specifications for the new physical access control services.
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