1. JUL2016●www.asmag.com
BYPrasanthAbyThomas
OpenorEnd-to-End?
SystemsIntegratorsDecide
Recentmovesfromsome
manufacturershaveseenan
increasingimportancebeing
giventoend-to-endsolutions
overopenarchitecture.There
areadvantagesanddisadvan-
tagestobothsystems,butitis
uptothesystemsintegrators
(SI)todecidewhatsuitsthem.
Inthisarticlewepresent
viewpointsofafewSIsfrom
aroundtheworld.
anufacturers, at a very broad level, can be categorized as those
providing solutions that are restricted to their own products
and those providing open architecture, allowing the flexibility to
integrate third-party applications.
There are both advantages and disadvantages to both categories, for customers
and the manufacturers themselves. The first category, often known as end-to-end
solution providers, has the advantage of forcing their customers to remain loyal to
the brand. These manufacturers can ensure that whatever application is required,
the customer does not look beyond them.
For the systems integrators (SI), end-to-end solution providers come with
an assurance of hassle-free installation. The manufacturers will guarantee
the different products they sell work well with each other. There will be no
incompatibility issues since the manufacturer would have configured everything
beforehand.
On the other hand, end-to-end solution providers limit the SIs in possibilities of
expanding their installations. They lack the potential to develop beyond what the
manufacturer prescribes and many SIs would find this too restrictive.
The recent months have seen certain manufacturers giving more importance
to becoming end-to-end solution providers. FLIR Systems, for instance, has been
buying up companies that cater to different segments of the market to become a
comprehensive solution provider. Recently, after acquiring visible camera maker
ISD, FLIR had pointed out how the new addition helps it become an end-to-end
solution provider.
30

2. 31
On the other hand, there are
companies like Axis Communications
that advocate open architecture and
suggest that open systems are the
future of the security industry. In a
report recently published along with
Nedap Security Management, the
surveillance giant had explained that
many analog, hybrid or IP solutions
available today have the problem of
being proprietary systems, offering
limited flexibility. Integrating third-party
products is impossible, limiting the user
to rely on a single vendor.
“Upgrading or expanding security
systems, whether it be cameras, audio
or card readers is often complex,
expensive and time-consuming,
because cables have to be laid and
connected to a main unit or a central
server,”said Daren Lang, Regional
Manager for Business Development
of Northern Europe at Axis
Communications.
In the end, however, it is up to the
SIs to decide what they prefer. This
could depend a lot on the nature of
the business that SIs do and the kind
of customers they have. But to get a
general idea, we interviewed a few SIs
from around the world. In this article,
we present their viewpoints.
Note: For this article, our questions
were limited to open and end-to-end
solutions in the video surveillance
market. Although some interviewees
may have referred to integrating other
solutions, our primary focus is video
surveillance.
One of the key attractions of open
architecture is the flexibility that it
offers.
Bob Mesnik, President of the
US-based Kintronics pointed out that
open solutions provide more opportu-
nities to expand their solutions. The
freedom to decide on what camera to
use depending on the requirements
of any given location and the multiple
features to integrate with ever-changing devices are all seen as advantages.
“I prefer the open architecture solutions,”said Mesnik.“It allows us more flexibility
and provides more growth options for our customers. Since we use open
architecture recording systems, we can specify any brand of camera. In some
cases, we may use different cameras depending on the requirement of a specific
location. Also the open recording systems such as OnSSi and Milestone have
much more features and functions and provide integration with other security
systems such as door access control and intercoms.”
Nicky Stokes, MD of the UK-based ISD Tech, agreed to Mesnik’s opinions,
indicating that for them the future will be all about running different applications
from a single network. He compared the security systems integration segment
to the IT industry, suggesting that in the future the former will follow the same
trends seen in the latter.
“Although closed protocol (end-to-end) systems have their place in security and
surveillance, for us the future of security will be about running everything from
one network surveillance, access control, buildings, intruder detection, smart
automation, corporate network traffic and more,”said Stokes.“At some point the
security industry has to go the same way as IT, with the capability to integrate
different security and operational systems onto a single network, and provide the
connectivity to optimize all operations to run smoothly in an efficient, coherent
way that eliminates the past problems and complexity of disparate systems.”
ISD designs, installs and maintains integrated security and life safety solutions
encompassing IP surveillance, access control, intruder and fire detection both
in the U.K. and overseas. Their focus markets include high-end retail, critical
infrastructure, education and renewables as well as a wide range of global
corporate enterprises. Such clients often require solutions that are well-tailored
to their unique requirements, and for this, an open architecture would be an
inevitable choice.
“Because we deliver highly customized solutions, tailored to each customer’s
specific needs, open architecture technologies offer the flexibility to mix and
match best-of-breed components to optimize overall performance,”Stokes said.
With more and more entry-level customers opting for DIY products, systems integrators are forced to look for more complex
installations.Openarchitectureisinevitableforthat.

3. JUL2016●www.asmag.com
“An open architecture approach
also offers greater scope to scale
and futureproof a video surveillance
system, making it easy for customers
to expand and upgrade provision
as their commercial requirements
evolve. Open architecture also offers
a far greater choice of equipment so
that we can be confident of delivering
the highest specification for every
aspect of an installation. Furthermore,
open architecture makes it easier for a
customer to re-use elements of their
existing security network investment
without the need to rip and replace
it all.”As systems become increasingly
IP-based, it would seem inevitable
that the security industry takes
the route of the IT industry. Walter
Candelu, Commercial Director of
Securitas UAE, went on to the extent
to say that open architecture is the
present and future of video surveil-
lance systems.
“In fact, with the advent of the IP
technology and with the increase of
performance, more and more security
professionals become aware of the
potential of video surveillance and,
consequently, they demand more
from their systems (higher resolution,
challenging lighting conditions,
video analytics, etc.),”said Candelu.
“However, every VSS manufac-
turer has different strengths and
weaknesses and alone they would
not be able to fit all applications. The
weaknesses, though, can be easily
compensated by combining different
brands and technologies and
integrating different functionalities
under the same platform.”
On a side note, Candelu referred to
the efforts that have been going on
in the recent years to standardize the
video surveillance market. These have
not been successful given the speed
of technological developments in
the segment and the wide variety of
products available. Any standardized
protocols will only allow integration
to very limited functionalities.
“This is why developers and manufacturers must continue to
focus to provide open integration to several third-party products,”
Candelu said.
The SaFeTy neT oF end-To-end SoluTionS
Despite the above-mentioned advantages, not everyone is
convinced that open architecture is the way to go. Several SIs are
quick to point out that end-to-end solutions come with various
advantages, as the guarantee of compatibility between devices
helps them handle any problems that their customers might
encounter.
Yohanes Edo Pribadi, CEO of the Indonesia-based Epri Total
Integrasi, said as much when asked about why he prefers
end-to-end solutions.
“I prefer end-to-end solution, because end-to-end solutions
help to protect the business for the partners to maintain
customers,”Pribadi said. When asked what changes he would
like to see in open architecture that could persuade him to
take the alternative, he said,“The open solutions should be user
friendly and able to develop their capabilities depending on the
customer’s needs, and always come with a good development
team.”
Abdullah Al-Malki, GM of the Saudi Arabia-based ITQAN also
said he preferred end-to-end solutions due to the ease of use that
they offer.
WhaT end-To-end lackS
The SIs who preferred open solutions were also willing to give
their opinions on how end-to-end solutions can be improved to
better serve the market.
“One improvement for end-to-end solutions is to provide a
more open recording system,”Mesnik said.“Some companies are
actually doing this. They offer recording systems (such as NVRs)
that support ONVIF cameras. They also need to provide more
features and functions to compete with the third-party systems.”
Others are less optimistic in giving suggestions. Stressing on a
similar point that Candelu made, Stokes said most manufacturers
have certain specific strengths in one or more areas, but none of
them have proved to be strong in all the segments. If any solution
provider can reach this level, we might see more SIs looking at
end-to-end solutions as an option.
“While we are in the open architecture camp, we are constantly
evaluating what’s available in the video surveillance market —
Ž



Œ
ŒWalterCandelu,
CommercialDirector,
SecuritasUAE
AbdullahAlMalki,
GM,ITQAN
ŽBobMesnik,President,
Kintronics
YohanesEdoPribadi,
CEO,EpriTotalIntegrasi
NickyStokes,MD,ISD
Tech
THE FREEDOM TO DECIDE ON WHAT CAMERA TO USE
DEPENDING ON THE REQUIREMENTS AND MULTIPLE
FEATURES TO INTEGRATE SEVERAL DEVICES ARE ALL SEEN
AS ADVANTAGES OF OPEN SYSTEMS.
32

4. 33
we pride ourselves in maintaining
an expert knowledge of what’s on
the market and the strengths that
different vendors can offer,”Stokes
said.“In our experience, most vendors
have specific strengths in one or more
areas but none offer the full breadth
of choice to compare with what open
architecture offers. If one manufac-
turer could truly deliver excellence
and choice across the product
spectrum, then we’d of course
seriously consider an end-to-end
approach. We acknowledge too
that an end-to-end solution is less
challenging than a multi-vendor
system when it comes to upgrades
and software updates, although this is
likely to become less so.”
Candelu is of the opinion that
end-to-end solutions can compete
in the market only if they open
their protocols and therefore start
integrating with third-party devices.
“Integration, however, should not
be limited to the ONVIF standards but proper native integration; therefore, it
would not be an end-to-end solution anymore,”Candelu concluded.
To open or noT — ThaT iS The QueSTion
SIs who prefer open architecture systems appeared to be overwhelmingly clear
about the reasons for their preference. Their answers have to be seen within the
context that systems integration is becoming an increasingly complex business
as technological advancements continue and the product-prices remain under
pressure. The changing nature of the market is also another reason for certain SIs
to prefer open architecture. Entry-level customers are increasingly opting for DIY
solutions.“Over the last few years, the security market has been changing,”Mesnik
said.“Since IP-based security systems are easy to install, they are being purchased
by end users rather than through dealers or systems integrators. The result is that
the market has split between products for self-installers and those for systems
integrators. Today, systems integrators are challenged to find more complex
solutions to increase their opportunities and margins. Open systems provide
better opportunities for these markets.”
However, the recent moves from manufacturers to be comprehensive solution
providers would seem to go against this logic. But all is not lost for the end-to-end
solution providers because if they can prove themselves to be strong in all aspects
of solutions, then SIs might opt for them. In this context, FLIR’s idea of buying up
companies that are already strong in certain areas would make sense. But it
remains to be seen how well such companies can integrate and cater to the
ever-changing demands of the customers.