Retailers are increasingly taking network IP seriously and growing numbers are planning to migrate in the next three years, according to the results of new research.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) survey into current and future use of CCTV by retailers, commissioned by Axis Communications, surveyed a total of 2,200 retailers, including more than 700 from across Northern Europe.
Close to 300 retailers encompassing over 21,000 stories were surveyed in the UK. The research found 92.4 per cent used CCTV, of which 70 per cent were analogue systems. It found 64 per cent of UK retailers are planning to migrate to network IP in the next three years, up six per cent from 2012.
Across Northern Europe, the number of retailers planning to adopt network IP saw a 16.5 per cent increase on the figures from 12 months ago.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director at the CRR, said: “This is the third survey we have done on this topic and it shows the strongest signals yet that retailers are taking network IP migration extremely seriously.”
Scott Brothers, retail business development manager for Northern Europe at Axis Communications, added: “Store-based retailing is extremely tough at the moment and therefore maximising return on investment from any technological investment is crucial as we consumers increasingly become more savvy and price conscious.
“However, video image quality is still an issue when it comes to successful prosecutions, so it’s hardly surprising that nearly two-thirds of UK respondents (the highest across the whole of Northern Europe) currently using analogue CCTV systems were planning to adopt network IP surveillance.
“Like last year, respondents cited easier integration with business intelligence analytics, better remote access and improving image quality through the use of HD IP cameras, as the primary drivers behind their plans to move away from analogue CCTV.”
