SIA's OSIPS framework approved as national standard

Aug. 22, 2008
OSIPS framework approved as American National Standard by ANSI

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Security Industry Association (SIA) today released American National Standard ANSI/SIA OSIPS-01:2008 SIA Open, Systems Integration and Performance Standards – Framework, the foundation for all of SIA's Open Systems Integration and Performance Standards (OSIPS) family of standards.

"The framework is the parent of the OSIPS family of standards. All OSIPS Standards derive from it, ensuring the opportunity for broad interoperability and integrability of OSIPS compliant products in diverse markets," said Hunter Knight, president of Integrated Command Software, Inc. and chair, Standards Pan Industry Data Model Subcommittee. "Manufacturers of OSIPS compliant products will likely see expanding markets as their products are adopted to fit new purposes."

OSIPS enables the open integration of different types of components within the enterprise systems. It is essential to establish precise definitions of shared system elements and common means to communicate. The OSIPS Framework provides requisite definitions, including interface infrastructure requirements and special interfaces for shared activities, such as event reporting, schedules exchange, and other common elements.

"Participating in OSIPS activities provides a competitive edge for manufacturers in their product development efforts," says Gary Klinefelter, vice president for Strategic Innovation, HID Global and chair, SIA Standards Committee. "Acquiring market intelligence, enabling rapid acceptance of products in new markets and helping shape the future of the industry are all benefits of involvement."

The OSIPS family of standards includes areas such as access control, identity and carrier management, digital video and access points. The Framework includes:

• The General Elements section defines a host of model elements that require global use throughout the security solution to ensure proper implementation. This includes globally recognized data element definitions and a common message format.

• The Component Connection Interface data model details the mechanism by which a consumer connects to a component to obtain a GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) needed to use other component services.

• Capabilities Exchange Interface details the mechanism for consumers learning about the capabilities of a component.

• The Event Reporting Interface details the mechanism by which a component may report events.

• The Authentication and Authorization Interface defines a mechanism through which a consumer may manage the authorizations of consumers to use component services.

• The IO (Input/Output) Point Interface section defines a model for the messages used to provision, control and monitor I/O Points.

• The Schedules Exchange Interface defines a model for the exchange of schedule information.

• Conformity Assessment is a major area addressed in the OSIPS Framework. As part of the OSIPS model requirements, there are three primary test areas defined in the document: messages supported, data elements and their attributes, or any other model specific tests. As the Framework also defines the above 6 interfaces, conformity assessment is defined for each.

Intended for use by manufacturers of security systems and components to ensure equipment interoperability; this standard also affects security system installers, specifiers, and users dealing with interoperability issues.

"There is strong market demand for product standards that enable interoperability," said Richard Chace, CEO, Security Industry Association. "The Framework strikes to the heart of that goal. It is an essential reference document for our OSIPS efforts and the industry's path to standards success."

To purchase the OSIPS Framework, visit www.siaonline.org.