Improving video surveillance effectiveness with IP and analytics

The key driver to growth in the IP market is the effectiveness and efficiency of the technology

Technological advances in video surveillance are allowing end users the flexibility to do more with their systems than previously imagined. 2014 saw several new technological trends that shaped the future of the security market, with 4K and cyber security being the main drivers. The drift continues this year too with end users demanding HD video surveillance and wide-spread implementation of video analytics. Studies show that new technologies in both these areas are being assessed and adopted.

Adding value via HD surveillance and video analytics

That is the view of Willem Ryan, director of product marketing at Canadian based manufacturer, Avigilon. He thinks it’s a very interesting time in the security market with two factors driving it –  the increased need for and development of high definition surveillance, and the resurgence of analytics.

“Now 4K (8 megapixels) is part of the conversation, and we are seeing analytics making a resurgence. A few years ago analytics was over-hyped and under-delivered. Now it’s quickly becoming part of a system.”

“Using analytics beyond security and using it as a business tool are very exciting. Video surveillance becomes dual-purpose or even multi-purpose. So a security department that faces the challenge of being a cost centre is now transformed into a value centre.”

Need for an IP-oriented approach

Ryan says we are also seeing more integration of access control and video verification of alarms. “To have those integrated tightly is a good thing. Another example is managing doors and identities over IP. Our products have to work together with IT security. You need to have the technology to play well within that IT ecosystem.”

According to Ryan, the debate over IP or analogue is over. While analogue is still out there, now the question is: What is the most effective way of implementing IP? “People want the power and benefit of IP with the ease of installation of analogue.” There is less of a learning curve for installers, says Ryan, allowing them to offer all the benefits of IP, such as high definition.

In Ryan’s view, the key driver to growth in the IP market is the effectiveness and efficiency of the technology. Together with the reduction in storage costs, people can monitor more of their premises than is presently the case.

Improving access to security systems

In the consumer market, people expect high definition video. That feeds through to the security surveillance market creating a demand for better and better resolution. Mobile is also important, says Ryan; chief security officers are demanding access to video while they are out of the office – the idea is that the connection to your security is in the palm of your hand.

At an earlier media event, Avigilon demonstrated its new 7K HD Pro camera, said to be the industry’s first single-sensor 7K camera. “The idea is to get all the evidence and detail you need in one image. This enables our end users to make quick decisions and capture footage that is immediately actionable,” said Ryan.

HD data processing challenges

“For Avigilon, we believe in innovation and that analytics and high definition should be available to all. Doing that fast enough is a great problem to have but is a challenge. We’ve been one of the fastest growing companies in the industry, but we still find people who have never even seen the benefits of high definition video.”

But higher definition means more data, which means more of a challenge to manage all that data. ‘Infobesity’ is a term that Avigilon sometimes uses, and to counter that you need a system that delivers the right information at the right time. Finding the best way to do that is a great challenge, concludes Ryan.