Definition
A VMS (Video Management System) is software that manages cameras, recording, user permissions and live viewing. It ensures footage is recorded, retained for the required period and available when it needs to be replayed.
VMS versus analytics
A VMS stores and serves images. Analytics interprets them. These are two different functions, bundled together in some products, but solving different problems.
In deployment practice, analytics connects to the same cameras the VMS uses, or pulls the stream from it. A plant does not have to replace its existing recording system.
What to look at
The essentials are: retention period required by procedures, support for the streams of the cameras you own, access management, and the ability to export evidence in a form an insurer will accept.
When planning analytics one more question appears: whether the VMS allows a parallel stream pull without loading the cameras with multiple connections.
Frequently asked questions
Must the VMS be replaced to add analytics?
Usually not. Analytics can pull video directly from cameras or from the VMS, depending on the network setup.
Does analytics keep its own recordings?
It stores evidence for detected events. It does not replace the continuous recording performed by the VMS.
Can a VMS detect events by itself?
Some systems offer simple functions such as motion detection. That is not the same as recognising objects and behaviour.