Britons are happy to accept CCTV as part of their everyday lives, but balk when it comes to cameras catching them whilst driving, according to a survey for ntl:Telewest Business.

The survey claims that 88 per cent of the population are happy for CCTV to be used to fight crime, but the figure drops to 58 per cent for monitoring car tax evaders, and down to 54 per cent for its use against speeding offenders.

More women than men are supportive of CCTV use on the roads – 82 per cent believed it should be used to help catch drunk drivers, compared to 74 per cent of men. Eighty two percent of respondents said CCTV should be used for tracking stolen cars, but only 30 per cent supported its use in enforcing the congestion charge.

Seventy six per cent of respondents believed CCTV should be used to find missing people, 70 per cent were in favour of using it for crowd control, 79 per cent said they would employ it to prevent shoplifting, and 70 per cent were in favour of its use to track drivers leaving petrol stations without paying.

The study, called 'Britain After Dark', polled more than 2,000 UK residents for their opinions on CCTV.

• IMS research has predicted that the world market for video content analysis software will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 62 per cent over the next five years, to £318m by 2010, with embedded software accounting for the lion's share of the market.

The report says that video content analysis "has taken a huge leap forward this year and the market is now rapidly gaining momentum". This, it believes, is down to video content analysis algorithms being embedded in devices such as network cameras and video encoders, and reducing the price of the technology.

Perimeter security, system 'health checks', and creative applications in specific vertical markets are areas which the report suggests will experience growth in the coming years.

Source

Security Installer