ONVIF is announcing a new concept for add-ons, which extends the conformance process to individual product features intended to solve specific use case or end user needs. This new add-on concept enhances the ability of ONVIF to more quickly respond to the needs of the market with increased interoperability and flexibility of choice for end users and systems integrators.

This new development comes as a response to the market’s increased demand for more standardized solutions to solve a variety of use cases. As profile development can be a lengthy process, add-ons will allow ONVIF to more quickly offer additional capabilities and functionalities that carry the weight of ONVIF conformance to the market. Much like members can send development proposals for profiles, they will also be able to do so for add-ons.

What is an ONVIF add-on? How does it differ from a profile?

An ONVIF add-on is one or more features that solve a particular use case; for instance, a need for standardizing file formats when exporting video. To conform to an add-on, a product must also conform to an ONVIF profile. The add-on concept enhances the ONVIF profile model by enabling conformance claims to additional features and capabilities that are not already included in ONVIF profiles.   

In comparison, an ONVIF profile involves a fixed and comprehensive set of features that enable a functional product to be developed solely on the profile specification. While the features included in profiles cannot be changed, add-ons are easily adaptable to evolving technology/specification requirements. Because an add-on supports version handling, it can be updated quickly to adjust for new technology additions or updates.

Extending ONVIF conformance tests to include optional add-ons ensures that an ONVIF conformant device, such as an IP camera, and an ONVIF client, such as a video management system, that conform to an add-on will work together regardless of the manufacturer.