Video surveillance systems no longer operate in isolation. Cameras, access control, analytics engines, storage platforms, and management software now intersect across sites, networks, and organizational teams. In this environment, closed systems create friction. Open standards reduce that friction. Interoperability is now the backbone of modern surveillance. When devices communicate through widely adopted protocols, integrators can design around operational needs - not vendor limitations. This isn’t about experimentation. It’s about building systems that behave predictably and scale with confidence. Interoperability as Operational Insurance Open standards such as ONVIF have become foundational to IP-based deployments. By defining common communication frameworks between cameras, [...]