What Is a VMS (Video Management System)?
VMS stands for Video Management System: software that records, displays and searches camera video. Learn how it works and what it does in CCTV.
VMS stands for Video Management System. It is the software that connects to IP cameras, shows their live video, records it, and lets people search and export footage when they need it as evidence.
What does a VMS do?
- Live viewing: operators watch many cameras from one screen.
- Recording: video is kept continuously, on a schedule, or when an event such as motion occurs.
- Search and playback: footage is found by camera, time or event, instead of by scrubbing through hours of video.
- Evidence export: the relevant clips are saved with a record of who accessed them.
- Camera and user management: the system tracks which cameras are connected and who is allowed to see what.
VMS in CCTV and security
In CCTV and security work, VMS usually means this software layer between the cameras and the people who monitor them. It brings many cameras into one system with one set of rules about who can view and export video.
VMS and video analytics
A VMS manages video. Video analytics reads it. Analytics software detects things in the footage, such as a vehicle, a person without a helmet or someone in a restricted zone, and passes the event to the VMS so operators see an alert with the clip attached.
The Futops DAIOS platform includes a video management layer for live viewing, event-based recording, search and evidence export. It works with the cameras you already have, so existing cameras do not need to be replaced. It supports ONVIF and RTSP cameras and NVR-recorded video.
Does VMS mean anything else?
Yes. In road and highway work, VMS often means variable message sign: the electronic roadside display that shows drivers warnings, diversions and travel times. It is a different thing, and it is one component of a traffic management system. This page is about the video management meaning.
VMS can also stand for visitor management system (recording who enters a site) and vendor management system (managing suppliers and contractors).
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