ONVIF

Open Network Video Interface Forum
Abbreviation	ONVIF
Year started	25 November 2008
Domain	Interface of physical IP-based security products
Website	www.onvif.org

ONVIF (the Open Network Video Interface Forum) is a global and open industry forum with the goal of facilitating the development and use of a global open standard for the interface of physical IP-based security products. ONVIF creates a standard for how IP products within video surveillance and other physical security areas can communicate with each other. ONVIF is an organization started in 2008 by Axis Communications, Bosch Security Systems and Sony.^[1]

It was officially incorporated as a non-profit, 501(c)6 Delaware corporation on November 25, 2008. ONVIF membership is open to manufacturers, software developers, consultants, system integrators, end users and other interest groups that wish to participate in the activities of ONVIF. The ONVIF specification aims to achieve interoperability between network video products regardless of manufacturer.

ONVIF concerns itself with standardization of communication between IP-based physical security products to achieve open interoperability between equipment from different manufacturers.

Members

In December 2009, the ONVIF member base had grown to 103 members. This comprised 12 full members, 13 contributing members and 78 user members.^[2] In December 2010, the forum had more than 240 members and more than 440 conformant products on the market.^[3] By January 2015, this had grown to more than 3,700 ONVIF conformant products and 500 members.^[4] By August 2016, this had grown to more than 6,900 conformant products on the market but shrunk to 461 members.^[5] In February 2020, ONVIF reached more than 14,000 conformant products.^[6] As of June 2022^[update], there are 496 members and more than 23000 conformant products.^[7]

Name

ONVIF originally was an acronym for Open Network Video Interface Forum. The longer name was dropped as the scope of the standard expanded beyond video applications.^[8]

Specification

The ONVIF Core Specification aims to standardize the network interface (on the network layer) of network video products.^[9] It defines a network video communication framework based on relevant IETF and Web Services standards including security and IP configuration requirements. The following areas are covered by the Core Specification version 1.0:

IP configuration
Device discovery
Device management
Media configuration
Real-time viewing
Event handling
PTZ camera control
Video analytics
Security

ONVIF utilizes IT industry technologies including SOAP, RTP, and Motion JPEG, MPEG-4, H.264 video codecs and H.265 video codecs. Later releases of the ONVIF specification (version 2.0) also cover storage and additional aspects of analytics.^[10]

Milestones

November 25, 2008: Incorporated as Open Network Video Interface Forum
November 2008: Release of Core Specification version 1.0^[11]
December 2008: Release of Test Specification version 1.0
December 2008: First member meeting in Washington, DC
March 2009: Set up of several working groups to work on the further development of the forum^[specify]
May 2009: Release of test tool and conformance process
July 2009: Release of the world's first ONVIF conformant products by Merit Lilin
September 2009: Show plug fest in Los Angeles, USA
October 2009: ONVIF reaches 100 members
April 2010: ONVIF extends the scope to cover access control in addition to video
July 2010: ONVIF reaches 200 members
November 2010: Release of Core specification version 2.0
December 2010: Release of Test Specification version 1.02.2
January 2011: 600 ONVIF-conformant products on the market
December 2011: Test Specification version 11.12 released
January 2012: Profile S specification released to clarify interoperability^[12]
June 2012: Test Specification version 12.06 released
December 2012: Test Specification version 12.12 released
June 2013: Test Specification version 13.06 released
August 2013: Release of Core specification version 2.4
December 2013: Test Specification version 13.12 released
December 2013: Profile C Specification released^[13]
March 2014: Final release of Profile C^[14]
June 2014: Test Specification version 14.06 released
June 2014: Profile G Specification released^[15]
December 2014: Profile Q Specification released
December 2014: Release of Core specification version 2.5
June 2015: Release of Core specification version 2.6
December 2015: Release of Core specification version 2.61
June 2016: Release of Core specification version 16.06
December 2016: Release of Core specification version 16.12
June 2017: Release of Core specification version 17.06
December 2017: Release of Core specification version 17.12
June 2018: Release of Core specification version 18.06
December 2018: Release of Core specification version 18.12
June 2019: Release of Core specification version 19.06
December 2019: Release of Core specification version 19.12
June 2020: Release of Core specification version 20.06
December 2020: Release of Core specification version 20.12
June 2021: Release of Core specification version 21.06
July 2021: Ends support for Profile Q^[16]

^[17]

References

^ "A brief history of ONVIF: How the global industry standard has grown".
^ PSIA and ONVIF: Measuring Video Standards
^ ONVIF Chairman, Jonas Andersson, On The Importance Of Open Protocol In IP Video And Access Control
^ 7 FAQs about the ONVIF Standard
^ "Conformant Products". Retrieved 2016-08-10.
^ "Conformant Products". ONVIF. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
^ "Conformant Products". ONVIF. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
^ Per Björkdahl (2016-05-13). "ONVIF: The Evolution of a Standard". Memoori.
^ Ted Knutson (December 4, 2008). "First cameras to meet new ONVIF interoperability standards due in a year". Security Systems News. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
^ "Profiles, Add-ons and Specifications". ONVIF. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
^ "Open Network Video Interface Forum Core Specification, Version 1.0 November, 2008" (PDF).
^ "ONVIF Profile S Specification" (PDF).
^ "ONVIF Profile C Specification" (PDF).
^ "ONVIF Opens Doors With Profile C, New Membership Level". www.sdmmag.com. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
^ "ONVIF Profile G Specification" (PDF).
^ "Profile Q deprecation". ONVIF. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
^ "Specification History". ONVIF. Retrieved 2021-11-17.

External links

Official ONVIF website
ONVIF Member List

[1] "A brief history of ONVIF: How the global industry standard has grown".

[2] PSIA and ONVIF: Measuring Video Standards

[3] ONVIF Chairman, Jonas Andersson, On The Importance Of Open Protocol In IP Video And Access Control

[4] 7 FAQs about the ONVIF Standard

[5] "Conformant Products". Retrieved 2016-08-10.

[6] "Conformant Products". ONVIF. Retrieved 2020-02-14.

[7] "Conformant Products". ONVIF. Retrieved 2022-06-29.

[8] Per Björkdahl (2016-05-13). "ONVIF: The Evolution of a Standard". Memoori.

[9] Ted Knutson (December 4, 2008). "First cameras to meet new ONVIF interoperability standards due in a year". Security Systems News. Retrieved October 23, 2013.

[10] "Profiles, Add-ons and Specifications". ONVIF. Retrieved 2021-11-17.

[11] "Open Network Video Interface Forum Core Specification, Version 1.0 November, 2008" (PDF).

[12] "ONVIF Profile S Specification" (PDF).

[13] "ONVIF Profile C Specification" (PDF).

[14] "ONVIF Opens Doors With Profile C, New Membership Level". www.sdmmag.com. Retrieved 2020-07-24.

[15] "ONVIF Profile G Specification" (PDF).

[16] "Profile Q deprecation". ONVIF. Retrieved 2021-11-18.

[17] "Specification History". ONVIF. Retrieved 2021-11-17.