The BBC News magazine recently published an article online under the heading, ‘The end of the CCTV era?’. The piece reported that some local authorities are questioning if further investment in video surveillance can be justified.
So, is this the end of a long period of sustained growth for the video surveillance industry? Peter Ainsworth, Head of Product and Marketing for the Security Solution division of Samsung Techwin, confidently predicts that nothing could be further from the truth.
While over recent years Town Centre monitoring schemes have represented a major source of revenue for all involved in the video surveillance supply chain, as a spokesperson for the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) states in the BBC News magazine article, public sector cameras are outnumbered by private sector cameras on a scale of 70 to 1.
The private sector is continuing to invest in and rely on video surveillance to help deter and detect criminal activity, with the latest generation of high definition IP network cameras proving to be very popular among users who require evidence grade images.
Open Platform ushers in a new era for video surveillance
The massive processing power of the DSP chipsets incorporated into latest generation of high definition cameras means that there are now some great opportunities to provide users with significant added value from their video surveillance systems.
It’s a win-win situation for all parties, including manufacturers of cameras and recording devices who understand the value of working in partnership with specialist software development companies and it is certainly an opportunity for systems integrators and installers of video surveillance, whether they operate in the IT arena or are part of the traditional electronic industry.
Endless Possibilities– Open Platform is a phrase that we will hear increasingly used. It relates to the opportunity to take advantage of the spare processing power of a camera’s DSP chipset to download and run edge based Applications in a similar way to adding Apps to a Smartphone, with the added bonus of reducing the need for dedicated video analytics servers by up to 90%.
Most Open Platform cameras which are currently available can only run one Application, but the processing power of Samsung Techwin’s WiseNetIII DSP chipset provides customers with the option to run multiple Applications at the same time.
Bespoke video surveillance solutions – Having the ability to utilise on board Applications creates opportunities for cameras to be used for multi-tasking, with various departments within a business or organisation able to simultaneously collect and analyse valuable management information via different specialist video analytics Applications. It offers operation managers the potential to improve efficiency in areas such as process control, health & safety, marketing and human resource management, as well as enhancing the ability of security personnel to react quickly and effectively to any security threat.
Retailers, for example, can use cameras with an Open Platform capability to integrate with other in-store systems, software and technologies, such as EAS, EPOS, Access Control, ANPR, facial recognition, people counting, heat maps and human resource data, to analyse customer traffic patterns, manage queues or understand the implications of customer behaviour in relation to signage, store layout and promotions.
Securing the Future
Our team of design engineers are playing a key role in securing the future for the video surveillance industry by providing installers and systems integrators with the opportunity to offer bespoke solutions that meet the requirements of a range of market sectors. These include banking, education, healthcare, retail, transportation, etc, and indeed local authorities that want to achieve a higher ROI from their investment in town centre monitoring schemes. ”
