Who Offers Popular Combined Access/Video Systems?

Genetec registers consistently high in both video and access in our annual surveys, ie: Favorite Access Control Manufacturers 2018, Favorite NVR / VMS Manufacturers 2018

I have seen Genetec in action but don't know it well for sure. This is one I have heard end users say they like the video portion but the access side still lacks somewhat. Personally I don't know enough to say why either. Looks like a good product overall. 

All depends on what level you are talking about as well.  Four doors and six cameras or six hundred doors and a thousand cameras?

For this discussion I would say more in the 100 and up doors and cameras. I know for a few doors and cameras those exist. This could be Bosch cameras and intrusion with access added. TruPortal and TruVision go good together. This is just for me but I would guess others would like to know more about this as well.

S2/S2 Video - great end to end solution, and I don’t expect that to change with the latest news.  

Some other platforms that offer this include Avigilon (via ACM/ACC), Milestone's Access module (requiring a parent access management system however), and low-cost China options from Hikvision and Dahua Access Control, although both are brand-proprietary and not strong performers.

Hi Shannon, Avigilon comes to mind. And Axis too. I can't give an end user field report. But from a technology perspective, they are both strong (by security industry standards). 

DMP and OpenEye have an integration that’s really nice. I’m not a big fan of OpenEye. We do some integrations between DMP and NX and we’re happy with the way it’s setup. We’re hoping for a software integration between DMP and NX. For our clients having intrusion and access intergrated is more important than access and video since we can make that happen easier on our own. 

As a Lenel VAR and Milestone VAR the access module is still to be desired. Getting that particular integration to work so far is impossible. The OAAP works OK though. Avigilon video is really good I know and very simple to use but haven't worked with the ACC portion which I know was RedCloud. Again I know it works but some have said it lacks features others have.

Shannon, you are going to get as many suggestions as there are IPVM members!  I am not quite sure how you are going to sort out all the suggested systems, except to visit facilities similar to yours that are happy with their integrated systems, over a decent time period.  Perhaps you belong to an association that can recommend references for you. 

Getting permission to look at someone's security system is problematic, unless you have a common relationship to vouch for you. 

This is more for just information and what everyone is seeing and more importantly what are your customers saying more than what we think the systems do. I can say sure this system works great but like most integrators I don’t work with the details that an end user does on a daily basis. Are there any trends in the market. Do any systems stand out over others from the customer point of view. I have my opinions own on some different systems but just curious about others. 

Well as you pointed out, video manufacturers are typically good at video and access manufacturers are typically good at access, but not visa versa. That's when you can select the better options for both and include the VMS partner that supports you and those brands in a way you want. Not every VMS will support every access product, but the reality is a project can push integration support thru.

Tyco's Software House CCure and American Dynamics VideoEdge/victor have a truly enterprise unified solution. One DB,  profound access control and full cyber hardened architecture from one GUI.
If you haven't seen it Shannon, this could be the highway exit you were looking for.

Genetec was from the start a video platform, an OEM for GE and DVTEL I believe.  They decided to go on their own.  They integrated but really interfaced to some access control products.  Then they took that success and started to develop their own access control solution using HID VERTX (then latter Mercury).  It has taken some time but their access control solution is as good as any other solution on the market.  At least we have not found a customer that desired a feature we couldn't deliver.  In the beginning it was integrated with the video platform, it is no longer integrated - it is the same platform.  Integration is bi-directional, meaning an event in video can trigger an action in access control and vice versa.  Please note that people throw the word integrated around, it needs to be defined. To say that Genetec is an integrated solution but then to say that DSX and an NVR from Hikvision integrate, well that is not a good comparison.  Obviously I am a Genetec dealer but the biggest fallacy I hear people try to amplify is that Genetec's access control system is not that good.  That is simply not true, we have put it in a great number of times as just a stand alone ACS.  Very cost effective.  What UTC does with S2, who knows, but more than likely they will screw it up if the past is any indicator of the future.  S2 as we all know is or was working on their own VMS assuming that they didn't want to be so in bed with Tyco.  I imagine that will be accelerated with the UTC purchase.  So start to listen to their pitch change to other non video related features instead of actual video surveillance features, kind of like what ONSSI started to do years ago when they lost their video recording engine.  Just my opinion.

Genetec Security Center with their 3 unified modules for Video (Omnicast), Access Control (Synergis) and Automatic License Plate Recognition (AutoVu) registers high by our end users, i am sharing true stories after we took over different legacy systems and other Access control and video systems comprising of 1000 + doors and 500 + cameras all together.

It is a One Unified Single System and not an Integrated System, in other words the end users have ONLY one place for system support, one service agreement to pay for, their personnel are trained on one unified platform and interface, compatibility with seamless upgrades and of course End-to-end encryption is always assured .

Victor was terrible... Until 5.0 was released. I have worked with the product since it's original release, and in 5.0 + it has greatly improved.

I am both an integrator, and the primary administrator for a large University system, so I see both the end-user and integrator sides of the product.

I still think Milestone and Genetec outperform in some areas, but AD made some large strides in the new platform.

We have not unified with CCure in our system, but I do work with customers who have, and have seen no major issues. (Usually errors in setup that are easily corrected.)

Axis have a very nice solution and also have a great video intercom apart of the offering  a single Payne of glass