Video Inside EAC Or Access Inside VMS?

PSIM! lol

Background - Video Surveillance / Access Control Integration

This exact question/debate is how we ended up with Lenel OnGuard as our VMS. At the time we made the VMS decision we knew that there was a 75% chance we would be moving from Picture Perfect to Lenel EAC. At that point the question was go with Genetec, ONSSI, various other lower end VMS’ or OnGuard. We liked pretty much everything we looked at more than OnGuard, but in the end decided the integration would be better if it was pure, meaning the same company same product name for VMS and EAC.

After looking at numerous other enterprise level systems in place around Michigan I still think that was the right decision. The feature set of OnGuard is not near what the other VMS’ have, but it is still ahead of what we actually NEED. When we start to transition our EAC over to OnGuard the team is already familiar with the Lenel OnGuard name/brand, what it looks like, how it works, etc. That is huge when you have a large department with multiple Officers and Operators.

With the change to Lenel pretty much at a 100% certainty I am glad we went the way we did.

I think, that we can consider this question from technical side, not marketing.

"Video inside an EAC" means that you have complete access control management system (you can configure devices, users, access levels and so on), but not sure about what you can do with video.

"Access inside VMS" means that you have complete VMS, but can you configure access ? Most of integrations is just events monitoring and may be control, but not configuring access control devices.

PSIM is 3rd system on top of 2 (video and access control), so usually, it will not allow you to configure devices, only manage events.

So, the right answer is not in this list. Because, what customer needs is one system to completely manage devices from both fields.

Genetec and Lenel are good examples of this type. But how to call it, I don't know. Unified ? Maybe.

I certainly believe Genetec has a good product however I also believe end users shouldn't be cornered into a manufactured proprietary arrangement for both categories or at all. Shouldn't the debate be about what the best solution is, not the best product that may accomplish it the easiest for the installing dealer which may eliminate the agnostic open standards approach?

What is the best network arrangement between the surveillance and the access system? Isn't the integration generally an event push? ie. from the ACS - invalid card read, access denied, door prop, or/ NVR - motion detection, line crossing, light on, etc.

Life without another proprietary headend would be good. ACS devices, just like surveillance edge devices, should be ONVIF and/or other open standard to allow for either push or pull. My 2 cents.

In my experience the Access Control System is either already there ( so Video is being added later) or takes prime position as the designers think Access Control first.

I do not believe anyone would construct a commercial building without Access Control... but plenty are opened with little or no CCTV.

Also, Monitoring Centres are used to the green screen/text message alerts of Alarm monitoring, to be enhanced with Access Control alerts ( also text based)

Integration involves a screen popup in the EACS display ( with replay controls) when a defined Access event occurs.

Now both of the above may be both historic and cultural... in the Australian context, the market is dominated by 3 players, only 2 of which provide an SDK so I agree with David above... untill the ONVIF standard for Access control arrives it gets real difficult real quick!