ONVIF, SIA announce access control standards cooperation

SAN RAMON, Calif.—ONVIF, a global standardization for IP-based physical security products, announced recently that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Security Industry Association, signaling cooperation toward the further development of IP-based interoperability standards in access control, according to a joint statement.

The standards committees for both ONVIF and SIA have been working toward standardized interfaces for physical access control systems. ONVIF's Profile C is for interoperability between PACS panels and other network-based security management systems, according to the statement.

SIA's Open Supervised Device Protocol standard focuses on addressing interoperability between peripheral devices, such as card readers and security control panels, the statement noted. With a planned expansion to a networked version using IP protocols, the groups are aware of the opportunity for collaboration between their initiatives.

“Both SIA and ONVIF recognize that our respective access control efforts to date are quite complementary, in that we have been approaching the goal of access control standards from two different angles, ONVIF at the system level and SIA more targeted between peripheral devices,” Per Bjorkdahl, chairman of ONVIF's steering committee, said in a prepared statement. “We anticipate that our mutual support and collaboration will result in a more comprehensive outcome that provides greater benefits to the industry.”

As part of the relationship, ONVIF will provide support for SIA's OSDP IP extension initiative, the statement noted, while SIA will provide education to its membership and industry stakeholders of Profile C and ONVIF's other physical access control systems activities.

“IP-based communications have become the recognized communications framework within access control, as well as the physical security industry as a whole,” Joseph Gittens, director, SIA standards committee, said in the statement. “SIA is pleased to be collaborating with ONVIF in this next phase of its OSDP development.”