You're Getting Warmer
A new year kicks off new technology and exciting solutions.
- By Elan Moriah
- Jan 05, 2010
It's an exciting time in the security
sector, and 2010 is poised to present
a host of developments and
opportunities in what continues to be
a rapidly evolving market. Whether
through green security systems, migration
to IP-centric solutions leveraging
existing infrastructure or adoption of
next-generation technology to improve
efficiencies, there are a host of drivers
in place that can help government entities
and enterprises meet their security
needs and boost their bottom lines.
Here, we'll explore some of 2010's
most interesting and emerging "hot
buttons," trends, considerations and
innovative technologies—and what the
year will bring to the security industry.
Green Security, Sustainability and Energy Efficiency
Sustainability and energy efficiency will
continue to be at the forefront of the
political and social landscape in 2010
and beyond. As organizations make
commitments to increase efficiency and
reduce pollution and waste, they also
will seek ways to make their security
and surveillance operations more sustainable.
The good news for these organizations
is that such a commitment
can yield considerable cost savings.
In 2010, buyers will continue to invest
in solutions that help reduce energy
consumption and operating costs.
Innovative technology solutions, such
as H.264 compression, reduced power
consumption and ENERGY STAR®-
qualified products, are poised to take
center stage in the security marketplace.
Buyers are increasingly demanding
more energy-efficient cameras, servers
and high-efficiency power supplies
to help meet their organizations' goals
of sustainability, while helping reduce
overhead and cost.
Remote monitoring capabilities also
will offer security professionals a viable
means to help protect the environment,
while saving their organizations
millions of dollars in travel costs. This
year will continue to challenge vendors
to introduce competitive, cutting-edge
and environmentally friendly solutions
to help their customers reduce total
cost of ownership without compromising
security needs.
Widespread Popularity of H.264 Technology
In 2010, it's believed that H.264 will
continue to rise in popularity based on
its ability to deliver high-quality images
in a substantially smaller file size.
H.264 helps improve the video compression
standards or codecs, providing
a crisper image and decreasing file size
by an average of 50 percent. Through
its open standard, security professionals
can adapt to meet the needs of their
particular industries and markets.
Potential savings for H.264 as compared
with MPEG-4 SP range from 25
to 60 percent, depending on the level of
motion. In the security industry, these
savings can add up quickly and have a
significant impact on an organization's
bottom line. Further, the retention of
surveillance video can require an enormous
amount of storage, especially
with the increasing use of megapixel
cameras and the demand for high-definition
images. Since storage represents
a significant cost of maintaining a
video management system, the H.264
video compression standard is expected
to grow in popularity based on its superior
image clarity and the substantial
cost savings it can yield.
Networked IP Video Solutions
The video security market continues to
experience a technology transition from
relatively passive analog CCTV video
systems—which use analog equipment
and closed networks and generally provide
only basic recording and viewing
capabilities—to more sophisticated,
proactive, network-based IP video that
uses video management and analytics
software platforms to efficiently collect,
manage and analyze large amounts of
video over networks. This transition
has greatly improved organizations'
abilities to quickly and efficiently detect
security breaches, as well as deliver
video and data across the organization
and to outside agencies, to help address
security threats, improve operational
efficiency and comply with cost-containment
mandates.
This year, organizations will continue
to seek networked-based IP video
solutions that will enable them to continue
the transition to a more intelligent
and scalable video solution. Certain
IP-based security applications, such as
video analytics, can have a quick and
positive impact by pinpointing potential
threat situations faster and more
accurately. By employing video analytics
as part of an integrated networked
video solution, companies are able to
more effectively assign their security
employees—such as guards used to
patrol corporate facilities or those who
monitor on-site control centers.
Although there are some initial
costs associated with upgrading from
analog systems to network-based IP
video systems, the gains far outweigh
them. Benefits include providing superior
technology systems that can help
increase the accuracy and frequency
of detection, reduced false alarm rates,
providing visual verification if events
occur, and delivering video documentation
of pre- and post-alarm activities
for forensic purposes.
Looking Ahead
As we usher in 2010, one goal is consistent
across most organizations: protect
people and assets, while meeting challenging
budgetary goals. Now, more than
ever, security solutions must deliver value
that encompasses a full range of physical
security requirements, which are closely
integrated with the IT infrastructure to
help ensure safer environments.