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Okay, so the recent Super Bowl wasn't much of a game. But there were plenty of noteworthy elements beyond the weather, the halftime show, and the event's largest-ever television audience. Security at the event was unprecedented—not just the day of the game, but the days and weeks leading up to it. A 2.5-mile chainlink fence surrounded the stadium, and there were helicopters, boat patrols, and an advanced system of IP video surveillance cameras. Video was processed by an artificial intelligence system able to spot unusual or suspicious behavior. These new technologies point to a surveillance industry that is rapidly growing and open to innovation. Organizations have used surveillance cameras to improve security efforts for decades, but the wired analog technology left much to be desired. Cameras had poor resolution and limited controls. Creating a tethered network was expensive and time consuming. Industries welcomed the arrival of surveillance cameras using Internet protocol (IP) functionality, because the video would be encoded digitally and transported over a wireless network. Key Factors for Growth It's no surprise that there's been a boom in the sale and demand of these IP cameras. Wireless networks allow groups to deploy many more IP video surveillance cameras with far more capabilities and at a reasonable price point. The video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) market, which involves the hosted/Internet recording of security camera video, will be worth $2.4 billion annually by 2017, according to a report from MarketsandMarkets. The report points to three reasons:
  • Reducing prices of hard disk drives
  • Growing ease of installation for surveillance systems
  • Higher return on investment due to scalability of these systems
Ultimately, it all comes down to storage. Wireless technology can move the camera without the need for expensive cabling. Video feeds no longer have to be saved on tape, which is a finite storage solution. Instead, IP video storage is a growing market where companies providing these services can gain a competitive advantage. The goal is to create sophisticated storage services for a variety of organizations. The Global Market is Also Driving Growth Consulting firm IHS forecasts growth in the global market for video surveillance equipment at more than 12% this year, with annual revenues set to rise from around $14 billion in 2013 to just short of $16 billion in 2014. The global video surveillance market is projected to reach the $20 billion threshold by 2017. According to IHS, the fixed-dome and 360-degree network cameras—such as the Sony SNC-ER585—are a major reason for global growth. These cameras are best suited to the security needs of large buildings. The full-HD capability and 30x optical zoom only increase the appeal of cameras like the SNC-ER585. A Cloud-Based Future for Surveillance Organizations are switching to more scalable storage solutions. Cloud computing may provide a solution to store data for several years, cost effectively and securely. Such advances will only expand as the telecommunications infrastructure rapidly matures. Increases in network bandwidth and a reduction in network product costs will make cloud-based wireless video surveillance the best option available.