Security has been the major concern of human beings since their existence, and security of life and property has occupied their mind all the time. But in the present-day technology-driven society, the concept of security has assumed utmost importance to cater to the modern-day demands. Now, we need security for all the more reasons to increase overall security and safety. Surveillance cameras are positioned in markets to help prevent crimes and break-ins. Conspicuously placed cameras have reduced threats of violence and vandalism drastically; remote monitoring is an extremely helpful tool. IP surveillance allows employees of an organization to view security camera footage remotely from any PC with network access. Multiple sites can even communicate over the same network with all of the camera views accessible online via the Internet. From CCTV cameras, sensors, intruder alarms to wireless systems for residential security, the demand for security equipment is on the rise.
"Security and surveillance are growing requirement today. In Indian homes, users are still not conversant with the benefits of such surveillance products. The overall use of video surveillance is rising steadily, due in large part to heightened security concerns across the globe. From the point of preventing retail thefts to corporate identity access to law enforcement to your own backyard which is considered to be a service, demand for video security and access control applications has increased exponentially in the past decade,"opines Sushmita Das, Country Manager – India, Kobian Pte Ltd.
Demand for security is growing from all verticals – shopping malls, retail outlets and residential areas, banks, city surveillance, warehouses, outer periphery, parking places, oil & gas, airlines, education, public institutions. Video surveillance has undergone a shift from analogue to digital format and away from the legacy tape-based systems. Increasing security concerns have necessitated that governments and businesses of all sizes invest significantly in digital video surveillance systems. Hemendu Sinha, B2B Sales Head, LG India, says, "The threat to the intellectual property of any SME is the core reason for them to opt for surveillance solutions. The growth of shopping malls, open plan offices, bank branches as well as other retail segments has increased the need for surveillance not only for larger issues of security like terrorist attacks but for petty shop thefts and irregularities of clients and staff."
Tushar Sighat, CEO – India & SAARC, D-Link (India) Ltd., feels that the security and surveillance sector is shaping up pretty well and a lot of growth is going to happen. Every industry vertical is talking about security and people want security in all aspects.
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| Sushmita Das Country Manager- India Kobian Pte Ltd. | Hemendu Sinha B2B Sales Head LG India | Tushar Sighat CEO – India & SAARC D-Link (India) Limited |
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| Tejas Sheth Head – Sales Mobotix | Sudhindra Holla Country Manager Axis Communications India | Devendra Kamtekar VP, Systems Engineering, Sales Organization, Cisco, India & SAARC |
As technology is developing with a galloping speed, threats are showing their pangs even more. Thus, the demand for security is increasing and so is the security industry. This has resulted in the growth of HDD-based digital surveillance technologies that allow surveillance systems to store and back up audio-video content more reliably and cost-effectively. As opposed to tape-based systems of the past, data networking is also a much more viable option when using drive-based systems.
Opportunity for Security as a Service
One of the key market trends driving the industry today is IP video "surveillance as a service". The coming years are likely to experience more demand for this concept, which is similar to the SaaS (Software as a Service) model. People will be able to avail surveillance solutions from a company specializing in the same for their homes and businesses, just the way they make use of telephone, electricity and other utilities. The physical security industry is also seeing the benefits and potential from Security-as-a-Service as this facilitates the user to limit capital expenditures and lets security departments to focus on their core competencies.
"As the market moves ahead on technology, we will see very little differentiation at the product level, since the USP will now shift to application and security level. With the addition of video analytics software to surveillance solutions, enterprises are adopting these solutions to get a new perspective into their businesses across verticals. We have encountered increased market interest and confidence globally throughout the security and surveillance industry trend for video hosting and monitoring services," explains Sudhindra Holla, Country Manager, Axis Communications India.
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| Sushil Bandi Country Manager, Indian sub-continent WD | Ranjit Nambiar Director - Sales, Identity and Access Management, South Asia, with HID Global | Chad Chiang Product Manager Synology Inc. |
Potential with the Convergence of Electronic Security and Storage
A large requirement for security brings in the need for larger storage. With the coming of IP- based security, storage is playing an important role. Surveillance applications are of a very demanding nature and require reliable equipment and components. Considering that a high-end surveillance system typically runs 24 hours per day, for seven days a week recording numerous simultaneous video streams, applications like these require drives that are suited to digital video surveillance and its many unique environments and application sets.
"The specialized surveillance drives enable IPTVs and other digital video surveillance systems to deliver a comprehen sive range of features and capabilities such as high-resolution image quality, streaming video from multiple cameras, video archiving with ultra-fast data access and on-demand video playback," opines Sushil Bandi, Country Manager, Indian Subcontinent, WD.
Talking about the brilliance and benefits of IP-based security, Ranjit Nambiar, Director – Sales, Identity and Access Management, South Asia, HID Global, says, "The beauty of IP-based solutions is that they seamlessly integrate with other sub-systems for monitoring and response. For example, security managers can configure alarm messages for safety management. In the event of an emergency, the system can determine the incident type and location and unlock emergency doors for evacuation. IP-based solutions are also convenient." Also, storage will be important in the near future due to video surveillance-as-a-service (VSaaS). "Despite the weak and uncertain economic climate, the world market for video surveillance will still grow at a strong pace. VSaaS, home automation and many other growing services will all be merged into what we call smart video surveillance in the very near future. Rapidly increasing traction for IP surveillance is forecast to lead to an acceleration of the tipping point, when IP surveillance market will overtake analogue CCTV market," said Chad Chiang, Product Manager, Synology Inc.
"In today's economic conditions, companies are looking to the consolidation of building systems for increased financial benefits. As the physical security market migrates to IP-based systems for increased return on investment, the demand for standalone, proprietary security systems is declining. This creates a gradual integration of building systems and IT departments and promotes a unified approach to security and data infrastructures."
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