ACAP · Axis Technology Partner
Axis camera application development
Apps that run on the camera with ACAP, plus VMS hooks through VAPIX — not just installing a camera.
What we build
Axis publishes an open platform called ACAP (AXIS Camera Application Platform). The app runs on the camera — analytics, events, an external-system hook — without sending every frame to a server. Documentation and the SDK are public.
yairsys writes the application for the site: XProtect events, custom logic, or a gap that off-the-shelf apps don’t cover. yairsys is a registered Axis Technology Partner — a technology partnership, not a distributor or channel appointment. Work inside the VMS — a plugin or driver with MIP SDK — is described on Milestone development.
Where this sits next to XProtect
An ACAP app runs on the camera: analytics, an event, or a hook into another system, without sending every frame to a server. Events and metadata can reach Milestone XProtect through VAPIX or ONVIF, without replacing the VMS.
That is a different path from a recording driver. StreamBridge ingests a live source into the Recording Server as a camera. A MIP plugin runs inside Smart Client or Management Client. A Hikcentral interface is a bridge for events, cameras, and identities — not an app on an Axis camera. Sourced notes: Axis and Hikcentral. Short answers: FAQ.
What we check before writing
Axis publishes the ACAP documentation and the SDK, and states the SDK is free. Not every model runs every capability. The product page, under System Integration, shows whether that camera supports ACAP. The app then has to fit the ARTPEC generation and the AXIS OS on site.
- ARTPEC-9 — the current generation, including AV1 encoding. MACsec link encryption is an AXIS OS capability (automatic mode from 11.8).
- ARTPEC-8 — deep learning on the edge, including partner apps on the camera.
- ARTPEC-7 — Lightfinder 2.0, Forensic WDR, signed firmware, and secure boot.
- Some models use a third-party SoC and still run the same AXIS OS.
The same kind of work on Hanwha Vision cameras goes through Wisenet Open Platform. There the SDK is a partner-program benefit, not a public download. Hanwha development.
AXIS OS 13 (announced Oct 2026): HTTPS-only by default, signed ACAP apps only, and manifest.json required. Before upgrading a site we check app signing and go through AXIS OS 12 LTS.
Development work
- ACAP applications on the camera
- VAPIX and ONVIF interfaces
- Events and metadata into Milestone XProtect
- Fit to the ARTPEC generation and the specific model
Hardware
Most cameras use Axis’s own ARTPEC chip. The current generation (ARTPEC-9) also brings AV1 encoding and MACsec link encryption in AXIS OS. Sourced notes: Axis notes.
Need an ACAP app or a bridge from an Axis camera into XProtect? Send a few lines about the model and the site.