Axis Communications, recognised for its role in pioneering network video, has published its latest technology trends report, offering insights on key factors impacting security and safety technology decisions for the upcoming year.
This is the tenth year of the report, which notably highlights the increasing integration of IT in security decision-making processes.
Embracing an ‘ecosystem-first’ approach
The study underscores a shift towards an “ecosystem-first” strategy as IT's influence over security decisions grows. The initial decision is now shaped by the choice of a solution ecosystem that customers choose to engage with. As solutions diversify to incorporate a broader range of devices, sensors, and analytics, maintaining seamless integration becomes critical.
A unified ecosystem facilitates this seamlessly, unlike mixed platform approaches. Thus, selecting a comprehensive platform with robust hardware and software offerings, as well as secondary partner support, is increasingly becoming a priority in decision-making.
Transitioning hybrid architectures
Cloud resources have also advanced in processing camera data into actionable business intelligence
Hybrid architectures represent a blend of edge computing, cloud resources, and on-premise servers, although these resource allocations are evolving with new use cases. The role of both edge and cloud resources is expanding significantly.
Edge AI-enabled cameras, in particular, are enhancing their image quality and analytic accuracy, performing tasks that were traditionally server-based. Cloud resources have also advanced in processing camera data into actionable business intelligence. While on-premise solutions continue to dominate, there is a notable alignment of these trends with IT efficiency drives, quality expectations from security teams, and the necessity for data integrity and security.
Significance of edge computing
Enhanced AI capabilities are ushering in a new era for edge computing, although hybrid systems still rely on on-premise servers for certain functions. The scepticism around fully embracing edge AI is reducing, largely due to improved AI capabilities.
There’s now a greater focus on determining the most effective deployment of AI, highlighting the advanced functionalities of cameras and expanding varieties of edge AI sensors. Edge processing empowers features like smart video searching and supports cybersecurity features by default, including secure boot and signed operating systems.
Growth in mobile surveillance
Mobile surveillance continues to experience robust growth, forecasted to expand further in the coming year
Mobile surveillance continues to experience robust growth, forecasted to expand further in the coming year. Factors contributing to this include enhanced connectivity, remote access, and edge AI, which have collectively enabled the use of sophisticated surveillance cameras in mobile applications.
This makes these technologies attractive for diverse environments, such as public safety scenarios, construction sites, and major events. Innovations in power management have also led to lower energy consumption without sacrificing quality, suitable for battery or renewable energy-powered setups. These portable solutions are also easier to approve than permanent installations, extending security and safety to challenging areas for physical personnel placement.
Pursuing technology autonomy
Companies are increasingly keen on gaining more control over essential technologies. However, venturing into areas like semiconductor design represents a complex challenge far removed from traditional business operations. Achieving technological autonomy significantly enhances offerings, with global partnerships playing a pivotal guiding role. Axis’s initiative to develop its own system-on-chip (SoC), ARTPEC, started over 25 years ago, granting it unparalleled control over product functionalities.
Amidst a rapidly evolving tech landscape, Axis's research facilitates the development of innovations that cater to the shifting demands of customers, while seizing opportunities to boost safety, security, operational efficiency, and business intelligence. These innovations are driven by collaborations, responsive customer interactions, and sustained partner relationships, as the industry collectively navigates challenges and steers towards future advancements.
Axis Communications, a pioneer in network video, shares its expert insights into some of the principal influences that will guide decision-making in the year ahead in its latest tech trends study.
Now in its tenth year, researchers highlight the underlying theme of IT’s increasing involvement in decisions related to security and safety technology.
Growing focus on ‘ecosystem-first’
Decisions define direction, and ecosystems drive decisions. Increasingly, as IT’s influence grows, there is a perspective shift to an “ecosystem-first” approach, where the first decision is defined by the solution ecosystem to which the customer wants to commit.
With the solutions including a greater variety of devices, sensors, and analytics than ever before, it’s vital to keep things seamless. That need stretches from integration to configuration, from management to scalability. Committing to a single ecosystem makes these things possible in ways that mixed platforms cannot. Selecting a platform that offers adequate breadth and depth in hardware and software, from both the principal vendor and a secondary tier of partners, is now the primary decision.
The ongoing evolution of hybrid architectures
Hybrid remains a mix of edge computing within cameras, cloud resources, and on-premise servers, but with the growth of new use cases and capabilities, the balance of resources is changing. Edge and cloud are becoming much more significant.
More powerful edge AI-enabled surveillance cameras are coming into their own: their image quality is improved, accuracy of analytics has grown, and they can run many previously server-based tasks. Cloud-based resources, too, have grown in their ability to turn camera data into business intelligence and insights. On-prem is still dominant, but this trend meets both the IT department’s drive for efficiency, the security team’s desire for solution quality and effectiveness, and the data integrity and security needs of both.
The increased importance of edge computing
Enhanced capabilities mark the beginning of a new era of edge, but under a hybrid structure, where on-prem servers still support some tasks, the full potential of edge AI hasn’t always been fully realised. Now, the arguments against moving more to the edge have greatly diminished in part due to the availability of enhanced AI.
The discussion around where AI is best deployed has brought focus to the growing capabilities of cameras and the increasing variety of edge AI-enabled sensors. Edge processing data has become the basis for advanced features like smart video searching, and system power has allowed strong cybersecurity to become the default, including dealing with functions like secure boot and signed OS.
Mobile surveillance on the rise
Mobile surveillance has already seen significant growth, and is set to grow further over the next year. Improved connectivity, remote access and edge AI have helped unlock the use of more advanced, higher-quality surveillance cameras in mobile solutions. This makes cameras an attractive option in a greater variety of situations, from public safety to construction sites to festivals and sporting events.
Power management within surveillance cameras has also advanced, resulting in lower power utilisation without a compromise in quality, perfect for battery or renewable-powered solutions. Mobile surveillance solutions also prove more straightforward to approve than permanent installations. Ultimately, these factors mean that security and safety now reach further, to locations where it would be difficult to place physical security personnel.
Focused technology autonomy
Companies across many sectors have been looking to gain more control over key technologies essential to their products. The problem is, extending an organisation’s focus from its traditional business to a fundamentally different and potentially highly complex area like designing semiconductors is easier said than done.
It is becoming clear that technological autonomy makes a fundamental difference to the offering, and everything else should be led by global partnership. Designing its own system-on-chip (SoC), ARTPEC, which Axis started doing more than 25 years ago, has given it the ultimate control over product functionality.
With a fast-moving technological landscape, Axis research supports the development of innovations that meet the evolving needs of customers, and opportunities to improve safety, security, operational efficiency and business intelligence. Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation, however; it occurs through collaboration, listening to customers and by maintaining close relationships with partners as we collectively navigate challenges and drive progress into 2026 and beyond.
