The Value of an Open Platform Video Security: A Smarter Approach to Modern Surveillance

Each day the surveillance industry delivers new innovations to meet business needs. AI-powered video analytics and cloud video solutions are becoming commonplace elements of smart, modern video security platforms. 

Unfortunately for most customers, their security systems are deeply ingrained into the fabric of their organization. Ripping and replacing their hardware simply isn’t an option, either due to budget, time, or a combination of both. Even if a company is able to completely replace their system, there may be pressure for their new solution to provide a worthwhile return on investment. As well as that, their system could end up getting outpaced in the next three to five years, leaving them back at square one. 

Because these businesses are often locked into closed systems which don’t offer them much flexibility or scalability, they lack the ability to easily adopt new solutions. It’s an all-or-nothing approach; if a customer does want to upgrade their system, they’ll need to work with a single provider to do so. This limits the ability of customers to test out new security solutions while also working with their previous investments. 

To balance the surveillance industry’s constant innovations with the need for a cost-effective, streamlined, and flexible security solution, open platform systems provide an answer. Open platforms give customers more options to expand their system’s capabilities and adapt to their operation’s changing needs over time to receive the best return on their investment. 

The Open Platform Defined 

Simply defined, an open-cloud platform is one that is device-agnostic and allows for third-party integrations. However, to better understand the open platform, one must go back to the origins of the model itself and how its advent revolutionized the security world. 

In 2008, Axis Communications AB, Bosch Security Systems, and Sony Corp. created the Open Network Video Interface Forum (ONVIF) to provide standards for the global video security industry. 

Now a staple in the security world, ONVIF reported in 2024 that more than 30,000 IP security products were compliant with its profiles. According to ONVIF, the benefits of interoperability include a cost-efficient system setup, more proficient workflows, flexibility in design, and component selection alongside a sustainable investment. 

The benefits of the open platform are gaining popularity year by year. IFSEC Global’s 2023 Video Surveillance Report stated that at least 40% of surveyed sectors viewed open/common standards as important in the purchasing of video surveillance devices, with some surveyed industries as high as 70%. 

Open Platform vs Closed Systems 

While previously a customer might need to be locked into a single company’s security offerings via a closed system, it’s clear that isn’t the norm anymore. In fact, as more of the video surveillance industry becomes platform-based, the open platform is also becoming increasingly more common. 

Offering an open platform enables a customer to choose the most advanced technologies from various providers. Managing a surveillance system on an open platform also allows a customer to evolve their solution as new technologies are introduced. On the other hand, offering a closed system means your customers will have to rely on a single solution for all elements of their system, even if that solution doesn’t excel across the board, whether that’s video, access control, or intrusion. 

Depending on budget considerations, if a business wants to move to an open platform to take advantage of freedom of choice, they should look at different segments and decide which can be migrated, thereby planning for a future architecture where the road is not yet paved. 

How the Open Platform Equips Customers for the Future 

Seamless integrations, artificial intelligence, scalability, significant advancements in hardware, and additional innovations are making it easier for security providers to deliver new solutions. By selecting an open platform, businesses can leverage these new capabilities to enhance business operations and improve security. Below, we’ll take a look at the advancements that can be offered by implementing an open platform into an organization’s architecture. 

Seamless Integrations and Customization 

An open platform lets customers integrate existing security and business systems to get more value from their initial video security investment for more flexibility and futureproofing. This includes both existing IP cameras as well as other security or business systems such as access control, alarm panels, identity management, and more. 

Access to Advanced Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

With an open platform, cameras that lack AI-powered features can be upgraded thanks to server-side analytics and analog-capable appliances, all while avoiding the cost of replacing the actual cameras themselves. Additionally, seamlessly add third-party cameras with specific analytic capabilities to fill any gaps in your security. 

Improved Processing Power at the Edge 

When combined with AI, edge computing enables cameras to use a dedicated analytics processor to recognize events where the camera is. Computing at the edge also doesn’t take away any storage or resources from servers, allowing customers to add cameras to their existing system without concerns for current processing limitations. 

Enhanced Scalability with an Open Cloud Architecture 

Open cloud architecture allows customers to scale their security solutions as their organization grows. Not only does this allow them to accommodate more locations, users, or cameras without requiring significant hardware investments, it also doesn’t require them to adhere to a single manufacturer. 

Operational Efficiency and Cost Savings 

Centralized management through an open platform simplifies the management of surveillance users, devices, and locations by enabling customers to access their security solutions in a single pane of glass. 

Future-Ready Innovation 

As new applications and integrations emerge, businesses can expand their ecosystem through an open platform, allowing them to adopt new innovations seamlessly without waiting for proprietary solutions. 

With these advanced solutions able to be easily offered via an open platform, security providers can equip their businesses for success and security. Instead of being limited in terms of which solutions your customers’ businesses have access to, you can help them choose best-of-breed technology to enhance their organization. 

Deliver More Value with OpenEye’s Open Platform 

OpenEye’s open platform solution provides your customers with the ability to seamlessly integrate new technology into their existing security investment, allowing businesses to upgrade their solution while saving money, all while doing so at their own pace. Our cloud video platform helps businesses flexibly scale their system across locations by working with a wide range of devices and systems, including access control, intrusion, and business intelligence. Instead of having to rip and replace, OpenEye Web Services (OWS) allows organizations to utilize their existing security measures. This offers better efficiency and cost-savings, while leaving the door open for future innovations. 

Ready to see how the OWS open platform can benefit you and your customers? Book a demo, contact us with any questions, or reach out to your OpenEye sales representative to explore what’s possible.