Booming network camera market set to exceed all expectations

IMS Research says it revised its forecast for the network camera market upwards due to faster than expected customer acceptance of the new technology.

Senior analyst Simon Harris said: "When IMS published its last report on this market two years ago, there was a great deal of scepticism about network cameras, but this has passed and users are now ready to embrace the benefits of networked video surveillance.

"We see the network camera market growing strongly over the next few years as users upgrade their systems to take advantage of the latest technology."

The IMS report cites several other reasons for the upgraded forecast, including heightened awareness and availability of network cameras following a flood of new product announcements during 2005.

"The limited choice of network cameras had previously been a barrier to growth, but potential customers now have a much wider selection of models from a greater number of suppliers," Harris said.

"There has also been a shift in the product mix away from basic, low-end cameras in favour of professional, higher value products, such as megapixel network cameras and network dome cameras. The result is that network cameras are now suitable for use in the majority of surveillance applications.

"IMS Research predicts that the next generation of network cameras will have embedded video content analysis capability to detect various behaviours or events. The first products are forecast to hit the market within the next 12 months."

l MLC Security, which claims to be the first UK company to offer secure broadband services dedicated to the security and IP CCTV markets, has signed a deal with The Protector group Ltd. This covers the provision of secure ADSL circuits for all new IP CCTV installations by the Protector Group's security systems installation division, as well as the integration of fail-safe secure servers within the Group's ARC for CCTV monitoring and response services using broadband.