Network Video Surveillance Market Surges Ahead

A new market study from IMS Research has found that the trend from analogue CCTV to network video surveillance is in full swing. The world market for network video surveillance products increased by an impressive 41.9% in 2006 and is forecast to continue growing strongly for many years to come. By 2010, the combined market for network cameras, video servers and NVRs is forecast to exceed $2.6 billion.

Research Director at IMS Research, Simon Harris commented: “the market has the potential to grow even faster than this. Even at this impressive growth rate, network cameras will still account for only one-third of the security cameras shipped in 2010. The security industry is notoriously resistant to change and new technologies generally take a while to gain acceptance. The main challenge for suppliers is to educate the market about the many benefits of network video surveillance over traditional analogue CCTV”.

Whilst network cameras attract most of the attention in the network video market, the video server market should not be overlooked. Video servers enable companies to make use of their existing analogue cameras as they upgrade to a network video surveillance system, thus protecting their initial investment. With the trend to network video surveillance in its infancy, and an installed base of tens of millions of analogue cameras, there is a huge available market for video servers and so the market is forecast to grow strongly for many years to come. The report also highlights the growing demand for hybrid analogue-digital solutions. DVR manufacturers are releasing products that can record both analogue and network cameras and enable customers to mix and match technologies. Furthermore, they represent a more “future proof” investment for those companies currently installing analogue cameras who are considering upgrading to network cameras in the future.