Walk into almost any building and you’ll notice a mix of camera brands such as Axis, Bosch, Hanwha, and more all working together without issue. The security industry pulled off something most tech sectors still fail at: true interoperability.

It didn’t start that way. When IP cameras began replacing analog models, every manufacturer spoke its own language. If end users were committed to a particular vendor, they were essentially locked in. Switching meant ripping and replacing an entire system. Integrators spent half their time wrestling with drivers and firmware quirks. End users paid more and had less freedom. It was inefficient, and a little territorial.

Sony saw the problem clearly. IP videos can’t be scaled without interoperability. The industry needed to speak a common language.

In 2008, Sony, Axis, and Bosch co-founded ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum), a standards group that made it possible for cameras, VMS platforms, encoders, and recorders from different companies to all speak the same basic language.

Today, there are over 30,000 ONVIF-conformant products, from approximately 500 companies.

Suddenly, manufacturers no longer had to reinvent integrations with every new release. Integrators could design systems based on performance and project requirements instead of compatibility constraints. End users finally had leverage - they could upgrade or expand without starting over from scratch.

The open, multi-brand security world we live in today traces directly back to that decision and Sony was one of the key forces that made it possible.

In parallel, Sony was developing image sensors that changed the game. Image sensors are the “eyes” of any camera. Most security footage happens in less-than-ideal lighting. For example: parking lots at night, warehouses at dusk, or bright sunlit entrances that wash out details.

For years, those scenes were a blur of dark silhouettes and guesswork. Then, Sony’s STARVIS image sensors arrived, designed specifically for surveillance lighting, with exceptional low-light sensitivity and high dynamic range. Cameras using Sony STARVIS sensors could now see clearly in near darkness or challenging light transitions.

At one time, Sony was one of the largest security camera manufacturers in the world, but the company exited that business several years ago. Yet, even without producing its own cameras, Sony remains at the very center of the industry.

Why? Because its image sensors are by far the market leaders in the mid to high-end security camera space. Many of today’s leading brands, often competitors in name, still rely on Sony’s imaging technology inside their products.

Artificial intelligence is transforming security. Cameras are shifting from reactive to proactive, capable of detecting and understanding threats in real time. For AI to work, it needs clear, accurate imagery to analyze, and that’s exactly what Sony’s STARVIS technology delivers.

With STARVIS 2, Sony has pushed low-light sensitivity and dynamic range even further, capturing fine detail in conditions that once seemed impossible. When the image is clean, the AI can truly do its job: recognize what’s happening, understand it, and alert in real time.

Sony’s influence on the modern security landscape is profound. From co-founding ONVIF and setting the standard for interoperability, to engineering the world’s most advanced image sensors, Sony remains a foundational player in how we see and secure the world.

Macnica is proud to be part of that journey, as a longtime Sony partner and value-added distributor.

Reach out to learn how Sony’s STARVIS sensors can support your next camera design and help bring your vision into focus.