Rapid Growth
Millions IP cameras shipped globally in 2016
- By Mansoor Tariq
- May 01, 2017
According to IHS, last year an estimated
66 million network cameras were shipped
globally, which led to a 48 percent increase
in the raw capacity of enterprise
storage for video surveillance. The video
surveillance market is growing rapidly and
this growth can be attributed to many factors, including the
growing awareness for the need to improve safety and security
around the world. This is forcing governments and
organizations to take a proactive approach toward video
surveillance.
Additionally, improved technologies such as better camera
resolution and more advanced and accurate analytics is making
video surveillance attractive to a growing number of clients.
Companies are also applying video surveillance technologies to
improve business efficiencies, whether it’s in logistics, smart cities,
retail or countless other markets. The evolution of the video
surveillance industry, which has spurred these technological
innovations, can be attributed to the industry’s move towards
IT. However, the IT industry is not moving towards video surveillance
at the same rate, which presents challenges to security
professionals.
The Importance of Purpose-Built Solutions
Many of the traditional CCTV systems across the world are
analog systems that transmit an analog video signal over coaxial
cable back to a video recorder, such as a DVR or monitor.
For several years, the video surveillance industry has been making
the transition to IP solutions, which means that a digital
camera sends data via a computer network. IP solutions allow
for better picture quality, greater flexibility and scalability, and
the use of video analytics. This transition to IP has fundamentally
changed how security systems are conceived, designed and
deployed.
This fundamental change means that security professionals
are now embracing network equipment in their projects. However,
they’re regularly using infrastructure built for IT as part of
their security system. This can be attributed to some IT companies
failing to offer surveillance-specific solutions and simply
providing their IT offerings to security professionals. However,
this can cause massive headaches when these solutions underperform.
By selecting purpose-built infrastructure, such as storage
and servers, security professionals can leverage solutions that are
specifically designed to perform optimally in a write-intensive
video surveillance environment with surveillance-specific features
that optimize the read/write process during operation.
When using servers and storage for IT in video surveillance,
frame dropping and security leaks (gaps in the recording) become
real threats –and this can have serious consequences. Higher resolution
cameras and longer retention periods place an even greater
burden on IT infrastructure and increase the chances of dropped
frames. In these situations, having purpose-built solutions for
video surveillance becomes absolutely imperative.
Promise Technology develops purpose-built NVRs and storage
solutions that include a suite of proprietary features called
SmartBoost Technologies. These unique features are designed
specifically for video surveillance applications and enable them
to overcome performance bottlenecks and handle a much higher
number of IP cameras than competing solutions.
Education for IT and
Security Professionals
The move toward IP video surveillance and understanding the
importance of deploying purpose-built solutions relates closely
to the growing need for education and training amongst IT and
security professionals.
Many security professionals have been in the industry for
decades and have developed extensive knowledge around analog
systems, but now they must understand all of the effects
of the industry’s move towards IP. With analog solutions there
was no need to calculate bandwidth and data as they were often
plug-and-play. Alternatively, in IP solutions, everything is
dynamic.
This means that project design process is crucial. This can really
only be done properly after the security professional has undergone
certified training and education on all key components in
a security system. Certified hands-on training is essential. The bigger
the project, the bigger the impact and consequences are when
dealing with such a large number of cameras, data and storage.
Promise hosts free video surveillance certified training courses
around the world to equip security professionals with the skills
and expertise they need to design, install, configure and maintain
the optimal security solution for their customers.
The First Step Forward
The video surveillance industry is incredibly dynamic and this
presents challenges to security professionals. The first step in overcoming
these challenges can be delivered through certified training
programs and by utilizing purpose-built IT infrastructure.
This article originally appeared in the May 2017 issue of Security Today.