Subscriber Discussion

Another Reason VMS Is A Bad Acronym For Video Surveillance Systems

Avatar
Luis Carmona
Aug 05, 2014
Geutebruck USA • IPVMU Certified

I never thought Video Management System was a good name for video surveillance systems, which probably should have been called VSS. As I have mentioned here before, Video Management System sounds more like either a movie collection or some other A/V related thing.

Now another reason occures why coining VMS for video was a mistake- what are you going to shorten the term Visitor Management Systems too?

(1)
(1)
JH
John Honovich
Aug 05, 2014
IPVM

In fairness, video management system sales are probably 10x those of visitor management systems. Both are certainly niches, but the latter is even more of one.

RW
Rukmini Wilson
Aug 05, 2014

Visitor Management Systems will just have to get in line behind all the other VMS wannabes...

Or they could trade out Visitor for something more memorable, say Public?

Avatar
Carl Lindgren
Aug 05, 2014

This kind of reminds me of HDcctv. That is the trademark of the HDcctv Alliance but many manufacturers use their own combination of the letters. I've seen HDCCTV, HD-CCTV, HD CCTV, etc. It does tend to confuse people but then again, the trademark holder does a good job of that themselves.

That is an issue with acronyms anyway. There are numerous other examples of one acronym representing numerous unrelated entities. Even IBM has competition:

IBM International Business Machines [IBM - United States]
IBM individual-based model
IBM I've Been Married [joke]
IBM Itsy Bitsy Morons [joke]
IBM I've been moved [joke]
IBM International Brotherhood of Magicians [The International Brotherhood of Magicians]
IBM I'm becoming Macintosh [joke]
IBM I Blame Microsoft [joke]
IBM It's Been Malfunctioning [joke]
IBM It's Been Manually [joke]
IBM Inferior But Marketable [joke]
IBM Instituto de Biología Marina, San Antonio [Argentina]
IBM Inadequate But Marketable [joke]
IBM Italian Business Man (a mobster) [slang]
(1)
Avatar
Mike Dotson
Aug 07, 2014
Formerly of Seneca • IPVMU Certified

Carl,

My previous workplace was IBM for many many years...this was a reminder of all the different ways 'Big Blue' was made fun of.

IBM test.... We had a class of people known a 'zipper heads'..... what was the general function of these folks?

Another acronym laden location is EPCOT in Disney World.....

'Every Paycheck comes on Thursday'

'Every Person Comes out Tired'

'Every parent carries out toddlers'

and many more.

New discussion

Ask questions and get answers to your physical security questions from IPVM team members and fellow subscribers.

Newest discussions