North American Security Software Market Grows

Terrorism and events such as the recent school violence in North America has called attention to the need for new video surveillance applications in transit, educational institutions, city centers and border crossings, according to Frost &Sullivan. Lower cost hardware and improved detection capabilities of the latest video analytics software have led to the growth of IP surveillance, says Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst George C. Paul. Additionally, the added advantage of integrating various security systems also drives the growth of the IP surveillance market. “The convergence of security with the IT infrastructure is providing the necessary business case for security managers to shift from analog to IP surveillance,” says Paul. “This convergence not only reduces the cost of deployment, but also helps build a unified database that can increaseinteraction among the various security systems.” The integration of security and IT has created a host of new products and has led to IP surveillance being utilized for many new security projects, he says. New opportunities arise from the advantages of digital technology in analyzing and providing real-time feedback for preventive action. Paul warns, however, the convergence phenomenon could be hampered due tothe differences in technologies between traditional security products and IPproducts. The restraint is more from educating the integrators and consultantsrather than the actual technology, he says.