The future of the IP video market in North America

DELRAY BEACH, Fla.—In 2014 and beyond, three technological trends will be the vanguard of the IP video market, according to Oliver Philippou, market analyst, video surveillance & security services, at IHS Research.�

Panoramic cameras, audio network cameras and thermal cameras being channeled to the commercial market all are projected to drive strong, sustained IP camera growth across several major verticals in North America, Philippou said during a presentation on the network video market in North America tailored for the TechSec audience.

He delivered his remarks at TechSec 2014 here on Jan. 28.�

Panoramic cameras, based on “improvements in dewarping software,” are able to “produce full coverage,” Philippou said, making the product a “much more viable option for retail solutions, as well as for airports and casinos.”

Meanwhile, the trend of manufacturers equipping IP cameras with audio functionalities continues to become de rigueur, Philippou noted. “In 2013, over 70 percent of network cameras shipped had unidirectional or multidirectional audio capability,” he said.�

Audio analytics, paired with pan-tilt-zoom cameras, are “well suited to public areas,” Philippou said, and solutions of this ilk have a “forecast of strong growth in the public sector and city surveillance.”

When it comes to the emergence of thermal cameras in the commercial market, Philippou believes a constellation of factors, such as new market entrants, lower prices and improvement of core detectors and sensors, will fuel broader adoption.

When asked how network camera manufacturers will account for the ever-expanding trove of video data that needs to be managed, Philippou said the market will lean on more technologically sophisticated and selective means of storage. These solutions will rely on the continued advancement of video analytics, he said, as well as on enhanced methods of video streaming and better compression technology.

“There will need to be new ways to manage storage in terms of producing larger capacities,” he said. “We're going to be looking at more event-driven video, and an increase in basic analytics is going to be driving that.”