Celebrity “sightings” are fairly common where I live in California. Gas station, grocery store, dog park, Starbucks — all around town there is a fairly good chance you’ll see someone you recognize from a movie or TV show. Just the other day I saw Robert De Niro, who was in Sleepers (1996) with Kevin Bacon. And at yoga class, I looked over and saw Reese Witherspoon, who was in Penelope (2006) with James McAvoy, who was in X-Men: First Class (2011) with…Kevin Bacon.

Ok, so some of you may be familiar with the joke, “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” which claimed you could connect anyone in Hollywood to Kevin Bacon within six steps. I was reminded of it when I began interviewing for SDM’s annual State of the Market series. The first installment of the four-part series looks at video surveillance, and when I started researching the market one major trend I found is that video is everywhere — connected to everything — and that fact is only exponentially growing.

Being a writer, I did a little research on where the concept of “six degrees of separation” came from. The original theory proposed that the modern world was “shrinking” due to an ever-increasing connectedness of human beings. That is a major trend in video — connectedness. The industry is finding success by capitalizing on new ways to connect people and businesses to video and also connect video to other security systems such as access control and intrusion.

More affordable, technologically advanced, and integrated than ever before, video is driving more projects — and that’s generating high expectations for the 2014 video surveillance market. If knowing Kevin Bacon would help you get a part in Hollywood, video is what will get you jobs — or at least a potential client’s attention — in 2014. Speaking with distributors, manufacturers, and integrators alike, video is generating promising results so far. 

“Video, not intrusion or access control, is more and more frequently the reason we’re being contacted for projects than ever before,” says this month’s cover dealer, Tim Lyvers, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Advanced Digital Solutions LLC (ADS), Charlotte, N.C.

ADS has seen major growth since 2009, with 2012 and 2013 being its best years ever, averaging $12 million in sales. “2014 is already shaping up to be even better with $3.5 million hitting the books in January,” Lyvers predicts.

The growth numbers I write about in “State of the Market: Video Surveillance” are exciting. There is energy in the industry as this new year starts. Read what technologies and market approaches are predicted to generate the most growth starting on page 44.

Video management systems (VMS) providers are also focused on connection — continuing to increase the number of products, technologies and systems their solutions will integrate with.

“Clearly the opportunity for installers and integrators is the shift to video installations integrated with other security and business systems. As customers learn more about what is possible — and real — they will start to request new functionality to extend their investment in a video system,” says Reinier Tuinzing, strategic alliance manager, America, for Milestone Systems, based in Beaverton, Ore. This is one trend Derek Rice, SDM contributing writer, examines in “2 BIG Reasons to Watch Where VMS is Heading” on page 61.

“What is possible with an open-platform video management system is only up to the imagination. Einstein said it best: ‘Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions,’” adds Milestone Systems’ Reinier Tuinzing.

Maybe for me, out here in California, one of life’s coming attractions will be an actual Kevin Bacon sighting? A Footloose fan can only hope.

P.S. – Kevin Bacon took his notoriety from “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” and is using it for good; check out sixdegrees.org to see the charitable opportunities Bacon is supporting.

In This Issue:

 Speaking of “connected,” you’ll find connections to a wide range of online content in the cover story on page 44. Extra videos, case studies, interviews, and more are all online at SDMMag.com. Just look for the More Online symbol in the story — and throughout the entire February issue.