The VMS Market Is Shifting - Is Genetec Losing Strategic Ground?

The global video management systems VMS market is undergoing structural change. After years of consolidation around a relatively small group of dominant vendors, competitive differentiation is increasingly defined by openness, ecosystem breadth, cloud readiness and analytics integration. In this evolving landscape, long standing leaders are being reassessed as procurement priorities shift.

Genetec built its reputation on unified security management. By combining IP video, access control and ALPR within a single architecture, it positioned itself as a comprehensive solution for municipalities, campuses and critical infrastructure. For years, this integrated model aligned well with procurement strategies focused on centralization and operational consistency across distributed environments.

IT Prioritize Diversification

However, buying criteria are evolving. Security platforms are now evaluated through a broader IT lens that emphasizes API openness, interoperability with third party hardware and software, hybrid and cloud deployment flexibility, and long term licensing transparency. In parallel, the VMS layer is increasingly expected to function as an integration hub for analytics engines rather than as a closed operational silo.

Among the most visible competitors in this space are Milestone Systems, Avigilon under Motorola Solutions, and Axis Communications. Milestone in particular has strengthened its positioning around an open platform philosophy and a broad partner ecosystem. In public communications, the company has emphasized that an open architecture enables customers to select best of breed technologies while maintaining long term flexibility and scalability. This positioning aligns with enterprise IT procurement trends that prioritize modularity and vendor diversification.

"Customers increasingly evaluate how easily analytics can plug in"

A major driver of change is the rapid expansion of AI powered analytics. Facial recognition systems and object detection platforms, which have become more prevalent in recent years, typically integrate directly with VMS environments. These systems generate real time alerts that appear directly within Milestone and Genetec control room interfaces, effectively transforming the VMS from a recording system into an operational decision layer.

According to a senior executive at a facial recognition vendor who requested anonymity, “End customers increasingly evaluate the VMS based on how easily advanced analytics can plug in and scale. The integration experience and commercial flexibility often matter as much as core video capabilities.” This perspective reflects the broader shift toward analytics driven procurement criteria.

The VMS market itself is also maturing. Core video management functionality is widely commoditized. Growth is increasingly associated with analytics, cross system data correlation and cloud based service layers. Industry observers note that in mature segments, competitive dynamics tend to shift gradually, as shortlists expand and buyers compare ecosystem depth and long term architectural flexibility.

System integrators report that procurement processes now frequently include side by side pilots, detailed licensing analysis and explicit cloud roadmaps. Brand recognition alone is rarely decisive. Instead, measurable operational outcomes such as reduced mean time to verify incidents, streamlined alert handling and scalable multi site deployment are central evaluation metrics.

Genetec: No Comment

Genetec continues to maintain a significant installed base and global presence. However, as buyers place greater emphasis on openness, analytics partnerships and cloud alignment, competitive pressure is increasing across the VMS segment. In mature technology markets, shifts in positioning are typically incremental rather than abrupt, emerging through evolving procurement preferences rather than headline events.

Véronique Froment of the public relations agency Bubble which represents Genetec, declined to respond to a media query on the subject, stating that the relevant executive at Genetec was "out of the office for the next couple of weeks" and would not be available for comment.