Key Markets For IP Surveillance
Chris Davies, 15/12/2009, posted in "Analysis"
Chris Davies is general manager UK and Ireland at D-Link, responsible for all aspects of sales, marketing and customer care. Chris has over 20 years’ experience working in IT. ...more info
Chris Davies is general manager UK and Ireland at D-Link, responsible for all aspects of sales, marketing and customer care. Chris has over 20 years’ experience working in IT. Prior to joining D-Link, Chris held senior management roles at IBM, NEC Computers and Viglen. ...less info
Over the years, closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance has proven itself to be an effective security measure in a wide range of applications and environments. CCTV has been most commonly used for monitoring private business premises and as a tool in tackling crime in public places, such as car parks, housing estates and town centres.
But now that IP Surveillance technology is demonstrating its true value as a more flexible, scalable and cost-effective solution to its CCTV predecessor, these core markets are taking note of this new breed of security.
The market for IP Surveillance solutions is set to grow at a rapid pace. Research firm iSuppli Corp, predicts that global revenue from video surveillance is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 13.2 per cent to more than $9 billion in 2011; IMS Research has forecast growth of around 30 per cent per annum and says that by 2013, IP cameras are set to claim 42 per cent of the worldwide market.
Driving this growth are a number of factors that are making the deployment of network based IP Surveillance solutions a viable alternative to more traditional analogue CCTV systems.
Digital IP camera prices, image resolution and network connectivity are now at a phase of development where they can make a compelling case to sit alongside or replace older analogue systems. Couple this with the dramatic reduction in the cost of network attached storage, and two of the biggest hurdles to mass market deployment have now been overcome.
Previously, technology infrastructure has also been a restricting factor in the broadest uptake. To make a completely IP-based surveillance solution work, you need something more than a few network cameras. You need plenty of reliable bandwidth across fixed and wireless networks. You also need specialist software that can turn all of this technology into a real solution that provides users with the ability to manage cameras and to record, archive, search and play-back footage when they need to.
While companies have developed IP surveillance solutions that cater for all manner of application environments, here I look at the key environments where IP technology is sure to make a big impression, and present growth opportunities.
Education authorities
Teachers, students, visitors, and parents all have an interest in safety and security measures at any learning establishment. They want to deter violence, drug dealing, and other criminal activities, and keep their student’s safe at all times. Education Institutions also need to capture evidence in order to successfully prosecute criminals and identify unfolding incidents.
IP technology aids security by providing innovative ways to protect those on the school premises. Traditional analogue surveillance, with in-person camera monitoring and live feeds, is time consuming and costly. Many schools can’t budget for personnel who specifically maintain multiple CCTV monitors.
Tape storage and physical back-up procedures can be costly, as well. Modern educational institutions need IP-based surveillance systems that allows users to monitor playground areas, corridors, halls, and classrooms with live feeds, remote alert systems, and compressed video archived on hard drives for easy evidence retrieval.
The IP standard offers simple installation and eliminates the need for specialised skills – IT administrators that handle the school’s network can easily attach cameras and run Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi access points to common routers and switches. Educators, administrators and security personnel can then view, manage, and record video locally and remotely using standard Internet browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari.
Schools are also looking to consolidate their existing network infrastructure to help reduce management, maintenance and network expenditure. School network infrastructures are increasingly becoming more substantial as they implement more interactive learning environments and also cater for wireless infrastructures across multiple sites.
This is why new IP-based surveillance and security systems that network digital cameras to existing school Ethernet networks are an attractive option, providing them with unprecedented intelligence, flexibility and ease-of-use. All this can make educational institutions reassuringly safer places.
Public sector organisations
Where the bulk of the market opportunity lies, however, is in the public sector. CCTV has generally been accepted by the public as a means of preventing crime, increasing public safety, and providing evidence.
Crime, vandalism and terrorism have been catalysts for government agencies to increase video surveillance and for system manufacturers to greatly improve solutions through the latest technologies. Government agencies at all levels are discovering that by installing or migrating to IP video surveillance, they significantly improve the overall effectiveness of their video surveillance network.
The kind of public sector environments that will benefit from IP Surveillance systems are housing estates, hospitals, local government agencies, car parks and town centres. These environments can all represent a higher degree of risk to the public, and as such require a constant measure of safety and security.
Twenty-four hour monitoring of these areas, without a dedicated administrator (as required with previous analogue systems), helps to deter criminals and provide evidence if a crime takes place. IP surveillance is often credited with providing indisputable evidence for solving vandalism crimes as well as providing better overall security to the public.
IP technology also provides search capabilities that enable video footage to be stored digitally and archived on network servers, hard drives, or network video recorders. Digital video is much easier to search when seeking images related to a specific event. All this means that valuable funds and resources can be saved and deployed more effectively.
An added benefit is that high traffic areas, both vehicular and pedestrian, can be visually monitored and recorded for evaluating congestion, faster response to emergencies, enforcing speed and traffic violations, and encouraging safer driving habits.
Small to medium-sized businesses
Another key market is the SMB sector as IP provides a cost-effective way for businesses to monitor and protect their assets and employees. For SMBs with tight budgets, IP technology can really help businesses achieve lower cost of ownership and realise greater value from their infrastructure they already have in place.
While the functional benefits are clear, its manifestation as a managed solution is especially appealing to small and medium sized businesses that don’t have the staff or resources to run their own system.
IP surveillance allows much more efficient remote management, meaning that IP video can be triggered by specific events, such as the detection of motion after business hours or doors being opened, instead of requiring constant monitoring. SMB owners can be alerted by these triggered events and quickly view the video immediately from a computer connected to the internet or even a mobile device.
For smaller businesses, one of the most valuable applications can be simply being able to leave the premises trusting that in the event of a criminal offence – this will be recorded. The ability to view the cameras from a 3G PDA or mobile phone provides complete peace of mind at all times.
I see IP surveillance as a major opportunity over the coming year. 2010 will be the year in which IP surveillance really takes off in the UK market.
Subscribe via RSS or via email
