[1] The PSIA promotes and develops open specifications, relevant to networked physical security technology, across all industry segments including video, storage, analytics, intrusion, and access control.
Its work is analogous to that of groups and consortia that have developed standardized methods that allow different types of equipment to seamlessly connect and share data, such as the USB and Bluetooth.
The PSIA has created seven complementary specifications that enable systems and devices to interoperate and exchange data and intelligence.
[2] PSIA specifications are expected to become more critical to security system architecture as major users integrate video surveillance, access and area control, mobile devices and local and cloud-based storage across a common information technology platform.
This specification allows vendors to simplify their interoperability communications by simply putting their device-specific information on top of the baseline Common Metadata and Event Model protocols and services.
[9] This specification standardizes the communication into access control and intrusion products, making them interoperable with an overall security system.
Harmonizing and sharing data between access control, intrusion, video, and analytics systems results in optimized and more easily integrated security management.
The following companies were at the initial meeting: Adesta; ADT; Anixter; Axis; Cisco; CSC; GE Security; Genetec; IBM; IQinVision; Johnson Controls; March Networks; Pelco; ObjectVideo; Orsus; Panasonic; Sony; Texas Instruments; Verint; and Vidyo.
PSIA supports license-free standards and specifications, which are vetted in an open and collaborative manner and offered to the security industry as a whole.
In either case the document is expanded and reviewed by its working group members, with consensus determining the features and characteristics of the specification.