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BY Prasanth Aby Thomas

Open or End-to-End? Systems Integrators DecideRecent moves from some manufacturers have seen an increasing importance being given to end-to-end solutions over open architecture. There are advantages and disadvan-tages to both systems, but it is up to the systems integrators (SI) to decide what suits them. In this article we present viewpoints of a few SIs from around the world.

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.

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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. Open architecture is inevitable for that.

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“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 SoluTionSDespite 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 lackSThe 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 —

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��Walter Candelu, Commercial Director, Securitas UAE���Abdullah Al Malki,

GM, ITQAN���Bob Mesnik, President,

Kintronics��Yohanes Edo Pribadi,

CEO, Epri Total Integrasi��Nicky Stokes, 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.

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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 QueSTionSIs 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.

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