Flexibility of Third-Party Integration and Data Sharing

Through the use of the SDK, new services or applications can be developed to synchronize data between Genetec's solutions and other business systems in a seamless manner that is transparent to the user. The SDKs provide an extensive list of programming functions to extract access control and video information in real time, as well as a variety of configuration functions. These functionalities facilitate the sharing of data with multiple external databases or systems such as building management systems (BMS), human resource management systems (HRMS), enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), intrusion and fire detection panels, and external visitor management software, among many more. Information is shared between end users security applications and their business systems, thus avoiding the duplication of data entry activities.

Integration also enables the automation of workflows between a company’s IT, security, and business systems. For example, the termination or suspension of an employee will update all systems affected by the change, or motion detection triggered on a video camera can automatically prompt the building management system (BMS) to turn on the lights or the heating system.

Development of New Integrations and Custom Tasks

Genetec's SDK facilitate the integration of different systems for license plate recognition, video surveillance and access control systems within the Security Center. Although the default Security Center tasks have extensive functionalities, end users may require scaled-down versions of a specific task to match their internal and possibly simpler workflows. For example, a university may require a simple student enrolment and card tool that is tailored to the experience of their personnel. Or, a customer may want to set up a custom task for viewing and monitoring analytics events from a third-party solution.

 The ability to add new custom tasks takes integration one step further by allowing organizations to seamlessly incorporate other solutions within the Security Center user interface. The need to jump from one interface to another is obsolete. Operators become more efficient as they focus only on the tasks and tools that are applicable to their job.  

Examples of additional functionality that can be developed through the SDKs include:

• Developing applications or tasks to display live and playback video, export video, remote live viewing control, PTZ control, and more. 
• Building custom applications or tasks to configure and manage cardholders and credentials. 
• Synchronizing cardholder, card, and visitor data with any third-party human resources system, visitor or badging system in real-time. 
• Designing graphical maps embedded with executable applications, allowing for more advanced access and video functionality. 
• Sending access and video events, alarms, and status information from Synergis or Omnicast to an external system, as well as receiving and displaying events, alarms, and status information from the same external system. 
• Triggering video popup and alerts within the Omnicast platform when alarms or events from external systems are set off. 
• Establishing communications with any external device such as a building management system, central station receiver, or an intercom system over an IP, RS232, or RS485 connection.

Dynamic Synchronization and Automation

Use of the SDK can enable an increased level of automation within a company. As indicated previously, removal of an employee from the HR database can automatically trigger the disabling of the employee's access rights in the physical access control system. Through this type of account linking, a user can remove the current practice of having to manually disable the employee's profile in both the HR and security systems.

The same can be extended to the logical security system through Genetec's support of Microsoft Active Directory. The tangible benefits of removing manual intervention and replacing it with an automated process are that you only need to make the change in one place as it will automatically be done in the other systems. What's more, the likelihood of human error inherent with manual activities is virtually eliminated. This and more is possible with the Security Center SDK.

Ability to Leverage the Corporate IP Network

Historically, system integration was achieved with dedicated hardware and communication links between systems. With the advent of IP technology, the use of dedicated hardware links between systems becomes a thing of the past. Today, companies who chose to use Genetec's SDKs can leverage their investment in the corporate IP network to seamlessly link systems residing on the same network, whether they are in the same building or housed across multi-site and geographically dispersed facilities. All of Genetec's solutions have been developed from inception for an IP networking environment, thereby ensuring they not only effortlessly communicate over IP, but can also scale over IP to meet users' requirements.

Multitude of Underlying Technologies

Genetec's SDKs use a variety of open technologies such as the C++ and C# programming languages, in addition to the .NET framework. Software developers can create either HTML-based applications using VBScript or Jscript, or Win32-based applications using Visual Basic, C, C++ or C#.

Security Center has a variety of development tools available that allow Genetec partners and customers to expand their security platform by integrating additional systems or adding new custom functionalities. All these development tools are built on the same core functions, providing access to all core technologies within Security Center. Therefore, video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection and license plate recognition function calls are all available through a single software development kit (SDK).

C# Macros

The Security Center SDK enables users to enhance each product's abilities through the use of macros. Macros are custom scripts written with the SDK and loaded into Security Center for real-time execution. Additionally, macros can be added at any time without requiring a new version of a system. Backwards compatibility ensures that any development will work with a new version of Genetec's solutions. This gives unlimited power to trigger advanced system actions and behaviors that could never be possible with cameras, video encoders or door controllers alone.

The Security Center Directory role can execute C# macros in the background on schedule or on event. The macros can execute any method of the SDK that does not require any user interaction. This approach works for very simple integrations that can be implemented with a few lines of code and removes the burden of implementing a complete .NET Windows service.

Security Desk SDK

In Security Center 5.0, the Security Desk has a Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) plug-in architecture where partners can create customized tasks.

The Security Desk SDK is an easy way to integrate third-party systems inside a single application, preventing users from having to switch to different applications and ultimately increasing operator’s efficiency. The Security Desk SDK also has full access to the .NET SDK which enables mixing video images and information from external systems.

XAML Plugins

This plug-in architecture (previously referenced as Map SDK) can be developed with Microsoft Expression Studio. The Tile Plugin SDK framework provides a series of ready to use XAML controls (cameras, doors, areas, alarms, zones) that enable C# developers to easily create a customized interface running in a Security Desk tile.

It also allows developers to embed any C# code or even external components inside their XAML plugin as a regular WPF project. The generated DLL is then automatically deployed on the client workstation when the end user requests to view that plugin.

The most common scenario is someone developing customized floor plans that display Security Center objects as well as other objects such as heating and lighting system, parking gates, etc.

Web-Based Plugins

Genetec partners can run any web-based application inside a tile of the Security Desk. In fact, the Security Desk can embed Internet Explorer inside a tile. The end user configures a URL in the system which is used by the Security Desk to launch the embedded Internet Explorer without any browser controls.

This is useful for very simple integrations with internet-based third-party systems. The web-based plugins support running third-party ActiveX control embedded in HTML.