NiCE’s Evidencentral platform has reached a scale that few in digital evidence management can match, over 37 million active criminal cases and 240 million digital evidence items currently under management. This isn’t just a milestone for law enforcement. It signals a fundamental shift in how surveillance footage and related digital evidence are captured, stored, and presented in legal workflows. For physical security installers and systems integrators, it underscores a growing demand for video infrastructure that supports more than monitoring – it must now meet evidentiary standards in the justice system.
As digital evidence becomes the backbone of criminal investigations, the systems used to generate, collect, and transmit that evidence are under increased scrutiny. NiCE’s Evidencentral, a cloud-native, AI-driven platform, is designed to handle the entire lifecycle of digital evidence, from intake and storage to court-ready presentation. Its growing adoption by police forces, prosecutors, and justice departments globally has implications for the security technology supply chain – especially those who design and install surveillance and access control systems.
At the heart of the issue is the sheer volume and variety of digital content entering the justice system. CCTV footage, body-worn video, mobile recordings, interview room captures, and smart doorbell video now make up the bulk of evidentiary materials. NiCE estimates that over 90% of criminal cases rely on some form of digital evidence. But without structured, automated, and secure handling, much of that data becomes a liability, causing delays, backlogs, and even case dismissals.
Evidencentral addresses this by automating evidence intake and analysis. Rather than relying on officers or technicians to manually retrieve footage from disparate systems, the platform allows automatic ingestion from multiple sources—indexed, searchable, and instantly accessible to authorised users. This is where system integrators come in: the performance of platforms like Evidencentral depends heavily on the quality and interoperability of the source systems, including NVRs, bodycam docks, and fixed IP camera networks.
The shift toward AI-powered digital case management demands higher standards from surveillance systems at the installation phase. Cameras must deliver consistent time-stamped footage. Systems must retain metadata that supports search and audit functions. And where video is likely to be used as evidence, installers must ensure integrity through encrypted transfers and appropriate retention protocols.
Furthermore, Evidencentral’s tools for video annotation, transcription, redaction, and multi-camera synchronisation rely on standardised, high-quality inputs. Poor image quality, mismatched timecodes, or incompatible formats slow down investigations. Installers that specify systems with ONVIF compatibility, edge AI, and cloud readiness are better positioned to support justice-sector clients or private organisations with similar regulatory pressures.
For city-wide surveillance, healthcare, education, and transport projects – where public-private collaboration is increasingly common – understanding the workflows of platforms like Evidencentral is essential. For example, when a police force needs quick access to private CCTV footage following an incident, traditional manual processes create friction. But if that footage is already in a compatible format, with secure cloud access and proper metadata, Evidencentral can facilitate secure, traceable sharing within hours instead of days.
NiCE’s platform also introduces the ability to link and visualise evidence across timelines and maps, functionality that enhances courtroom presentation. This makes the case for installers to invest in accurate geolocation tagging and networked time synchronisation across devices. These technical specifications may have once been seen as optional—but in environments where surveillance serves as legal evidence, they are becoming baseline requirements.
Crucially, Evidencentral is not a siloed platform. With over 3,000 public safety customers worldwide, its ecosystem approach depends on seamless integration with third-party technologies. That creates a significant opportunity for manufacturers and integrators alike. Vendors that can demonstrate proven compatibility, either through direct integration or via open APIs, are more likely to be specified in large-scale deployments tied to digital evidence workflows.
From a business perspective, this shift toward evidence-grade video systems adds long-term value. Installers who understand how to make surveillance “court-ready” can offer consultancy services, recurring maintenance contracts, and integration support for cloud-based platforms. They also futureproof their offering as justice systems continue to digitise.
NiCE’s Evidencentral may have originated in the public safety domain, but its impact is spilling into physical security. The platform’s scale and functional demands place new expectations on how video systems are designed, deployed, and maintained.