Expanding Our Portfolio of Third-Party Integrations

As the video surveillance industry evolves and new players and technologies emerge, security integrators face the constant challenge of figuring out which manufacturers’ platforms support which products.

Most enterprise-level customers have complex security needs requiring multiple systems and applications. A good integrator must be able to bring all of these together into one cohesive system that can be easily managed by the customer.

Manufacturers can help by designing their products on open, standards-based platforms and ensuring their devices integrate well with other third-party products. They can also promote the development of innovative new applications by releasing software development kits.

Taking the open approach

While most consumer products manufacturers now encourage integrations with their products (think about the myriad of gadgets that work with your smartphone or tablet), the video surveillance industry is still working through this transition.

We’ve made progress over the past several years with the continuing adoption of ONVIF protocols, but as an industry, there’s still room for improvement when it comes to how we think about integrations.

At March Networks, we’re committed to designing our IP cameras, network video recorders (NVRs) and video management and application software to work with best-in-class third-party products. We understand that our customers want greater choice and flexibility when selecting their video surveillance solution.

Also, security systems evolve over time. A customer may start out with one recorder and a dozen analog cameras, but as their business grows, their video surveillance system has to adapt. They may want to integrate their point-of-sale (POS) data with video, incorporate some IP cameras for higher resolution images, or even switch camera manufacturers entirely. Having products in place that can easily scale and integrate with both legacy systems and new technologies can save a lot of time, money and headaches over the long term.

That’s why March Networks is focused on expanding both the number of companies we integrate with, and the types of third-party integrations we offer. We’re also committed to making information about our integrations as accessible as possible, so our certified partners can choose the best possible solution for their customers.

The information you need – at your fingertips

For example, we recently introduced a new section on our website dedicated to our integrations information. The webpages list each of our
Hybrid NVR, Command VMS and Searchlight software integrations by partnering company and integration type, allowing you to quickly find the information you need and simplify the system design process. For access control integrations, the pages include the specific products and supported software versions, as well as information on any licenses or plugins required.

The pages build on the information offered in our online supported IP camera search tool, which allows you to search all third-party IP cameras we support, and confirm the key features (multi-streaming, audio, PTZ) we’ve integrated.

We’re continually adding new cameras to the list, so you always get the most up-to-date, accurate information.

For added convenience, all of our integrations information is also accessible from our
GURU Smartphone Application.

The way of the future

As more businesses start using surveillance video with video analytics to gather business intelligence for non-security applications like customer service and marketing, the demand for more flexible security products and platforms will only grow. Banks, retailers and other businesses understand that video can help solve real business problems that go beyond security and loss prevention, and they’re increasingly choosing the systems that allow them to tackle all these challenges simultaneously. Integrations are, and will continue to be, key to delivering these solutions.

If you’d like to learn more about March Networks’ integrations program, or if you’re interested in developing a new application on one of our platforms,
contact us or leave your comments below: