What does ONVIF conformance mean?

Conformance to ONVIF means that a product is conformant with one or several ONVIF profiles. Specific profiles specify the features that products must have to ensure interoperability with other conformant products. Conformance is achieved when the technical specifications of the device or client meet the technical requirements stated in the specific ONVIF Profile Specification document(s).

ONVIF conformant products can help manufacturers to easily gain market acceptance, helping companies to win projects and further drive the growth of the industry. When two products that conform to the same Profile are used together, systems designers and end users know that they can easily design and use a system with ONVIF conformant products that will seamlessly communicate with each other.
 
How does it work?

Only ONVIF members can claim conformance. To claim ONVIF conformance, the ONVIF device or ONVIF client must comply with at least one ONVIF profile. Conformance is achieved through a self-declaration process where manufacturers test their products using the ONVIF Client Test Tool or ONVIF Device Test Tool. The test tools automatically generate a Declaration of Conformance, Feature List Document and ONVIF Test report.

To be listed as a conformant product on the Conformant Products page of onvif.org, three documents have to be submitted to ONVIF:

• Signed Declaration of Conformance
• Feature List Document
• Manually Created ONVIF Interface Guide

The Conformant Products page is the only authoritative list of ONVIF conformant products. Each ONVIF conformant product must be tested, certified and listed individually on the Conformant Products page to be considered conformant. Each specific model of a product “family” must be tested, certified and listed individually even if all products within that group are conformant.
 
Where can the ONVIF Device Test Tool and ONVIF Client Test Tool be found?

The ONVIF Device Test Tool and the ONVIF Client Test Tool can be found in the ONVIF Member Forum.

Full, contributing and user members can self-register for the Member Forum and/or request instructions from help.onvif.org.
 
What are mandatory and conditional features and is this important for conformance?

Mandatory features of a profile are features that must be supported in order to be conformant to the Profile. Conditional features are features that shall be implemented by an ONVIF device or ONVIF client if it supports that feature in any way, including any proprietary way.

For example, in Profile S, video streaming is a mandatory feature for both clients and devices, but PTZ control and audio streaming features are conditional as not all cameras have these functions. At times, the expectation that every feature included in a Profile must be supported by conformant devices and clients has led to misconceptions about the conformance of a product. More information about ONVIF profiles and a quick overview of the features that are mandatory and conditional in each profile are available on the ONVIF Profile page on www.onvif.org.
 
How do I know if a product is officially conformant?

Manufacturers or other vendors claiming ONVIF conformance for their products must be members of ONVIF in good standing. Products claiming conformance must support at least one ONVIF profile. You can verify conformance by checking if the product is registered under the official ONVIF list of Conformant Products.
 
Are there products on the market that improperly claim ONVIF conformance?

Like most reputable brands, ONVIF has experienced issues with improper conformance claims and fraudulent uses of its logo on products, in advertisements, sales literature or online. To avoid being misled, users are encouraged to verify conformance using the ONVIF Conformant Products search page, available on www.onvif.org, which is the only official source for determining whether or not a product is officially ONVIF conformant and supports one or multiple ONVIF profiles.

Products claiming improper conformance are asked to cease claims until conformance can be met.
 
How can the public report issues of improper conformance claims to ONVIF?

The public is encouraged to report ONVIF products that they believe to be improperly claiming conformance by using the online Improper Conformance Claim form.