The Physical Security Interoperability Alliance (PSIA), a global consortium of physical security providers focused on promoting the interoperability of IP-enabled devices, released its Video Analytics 1.0 specification.

The Video Analytics specification, based in part on ObjectVideo’s OV Ready protocol, enables video analytics to more easily and consistently integrate with video management systems and physical security software platforms through standard interfaces. The document, developed by the PSIA Video Analytics Working Group, recently moved through a public comment period prior to being finalized. A wide range of comments and suggestions were posted during the public comment period, which were used to further refine the document, PSIA said.

“The PSIA Video Analytics specification will enable a faster and more widespread adoption of video analytics,” says Bob Cutting, vice president of product management, ObjectVideo, and chairman of the PSIA Video Analytics Working Group. “This provides users with freedom of choice as it enables video analytics of all types and brands to communicate with existing infrastructure.”

The specification — crafted through collaborative input from multiple analytic, IP camera, VMS and platform vendors that participate in the Video Analytics Working Group — defines a standard way to share video analytics capabilities supported by an intelligent device and output, receive, store and use various video analytic events. The open interface addresses event output including security alerts, counting events and analytics system health messages. The interface also supports the streaming of object metadata output, which includes foundational analytic output regarding all objects tracked by the analytics, including object classification, bounding box data and velocities.

“The Video Analytics specification is the culmination of input from numerous industry-leading technology providers,” said Tomas Brodsky, technology integration leader, Honeywell Security Group. “This collaborative approach to standards development enables us to develop specifications that best represent the needs of the industry and greatly simplify integration of analytics into customers’ systems.”

The PSIA Video Analytics specification will be on display at the PSIA Interoperability Reception at the ASIS International 56th Annual Seminar & Exhibits on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. This networking event, which will be held in Room A122 at the Dallas Convention Center, is an opportunity for all industry stakeholders to witness the benefits of the PSIA systems-based approach to interoperability. Arecont Vision, Milestone and Synectics are the sponsors of this year’s event.

The Video Analytics specification is now available on PSIA’s website.