The video surveillance market is ripe with opportunity, according to sources. Many security integrators and manufacturers realized strong revenues for 2019 and are even more optimistic for 2020. A number of factors, including easier deployment, maturing technology and open, customized systems are making it easier for integrators to meet demand from technically savvy end users wanting to upgrade legacy systems or use surveillance to meet their security and operational needs. Though products and technology are maturing and allowing for broader deployment, the evolution is a security integrator’s biggest challenge, making it difficult to stay knowledgeable, trained and focused on changing solutions.
For this edition of State of the Market, SDM looks at performance and expectations across the video segment, along with the biggest influencers and verticals for 2020.
“We had an excellent year on all fronts for 2019,” says Scott Dunn, senior director, business development solutions and services for the Americas, Axis Communications, Chelmsford, Mass. “I think there is a good economy, and a lot of new construction and expansion going on in many businesses; along with all the security threats right now in the world, this is creating more demand for security.”
Dunn has seen an uptick in deployment of simple video analytics this past year. He also expects technology improvements such as 5G wireless to continue to push growth in the IP and integration spaces. “These technology advancements will create an environment where more intelligent devices can be added to the IP infrastructure, creating opportunities in 2020 and beyond,” he adds.
“The 2019 atmosphere was great as far as growth,” says Matt Sailor, founder and CEO of IC Realtime Security Solutions, Pompano Beach, Fla. “We budgeted for a 4.5 percent increase and got closer to 9 percent. I would say what’s driving the market forward is a growing need for what we do. Ten or 15 years ago, surveillance was more of a want rather than a need, but what’s happening in the world continues to create paranoia and, along with regulations and mandates, it has been a major driver.”
Though Sailor expected more deployments from the company’s AI search engine, Ella, in the past, this year he anticipates wider adoption. “I do think the industry is finally ready for this type of technology,” he says. To further position itself for growth this year, the company migrated 30 percent of its higher end components from China to South Korea, and is also pursuing U.S. government Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) certification for its software. “We are extremely optimistic for 2020,” Sailor says.
Government Developments Affecting the Video Surveillance Market
- Jake Parker, senior director of government relations for the Security Industry Association (SIA), spends his time on Capitol Hill advocating for the security industry, so you don’t have to. Therefore, SDM asked him what legislation is affecting the video surveillance market. He shared five of the biggest legislative moves to affect the industry in the past year (and into 2020).
- After the U.S. placed a federal procurement prohibition on Chinese surveillance companies last year, many end users are seeking to replace these products — giving more opportunities to manufacturers based in other countries.
- At the end of 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) passed the Secure Airport Public Spaces Act, which allows the use of federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant funds to install video surveillance systems outside TSA-screened zones. Parker says he has seen an increase in airports using AIP grants for projects that incorporate security enhancements in 2019.
- Modernizing video surveillance systems also has been one of the top uses of the school security grants provided by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services since 2018; and the funding measure Congress approved at the end of December doubles funding for this program to $50 million in 2020.
- In 2020, the Federal Railroad Administration is poised to introduce a few rules that expand requirements for video surveillance systems on passenger trains after a notice of proposed rulemaking in August.
- While rapid advances in facial recognition technology are providing additional security value and return on investment to video surveillance systems, proposed bans on the technology are impacting potential customers. SIA is working with multiple stakeholders to protect beneficial uses of the technology, dispel misconceptions and support measures ensuring safe, accurate, ethical and responsible use.
— By Courtney Wolfe, SDM Associate Editor
A strong video market contributed to Arecont Vision Costar’s flat revenue for 2019, despite filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, being acquired by Costar Technologies Inc., reshaping the company’s focus and business, and opening up new offices, says Shane Compton, general manager, Glendale, Calif. “For us, we saw a lot of activity and a strong focus on cyber security, especially with the Senate bill in California,” Compton says, referring to SB-327, the first state-level IoT cybersecurity law. “As a whole that’s been, and will be, a big driver for people migrating to other camera systems,” Compton predicts.
While Paul Verruto, sales manager at Wayne Alarm, Lynn, Mass., attributes some of the company’s 15 percent revenue increase in 2019 to a few large clients upgrading surveillance systems and building new locations, he predicts continued growth in 2020. “I think surveillance is on a steady growth rate,” he says.
Verruto expects to see clients continue upgrading older systems. The company also is ramping up marketing efforts for 2020 to meet the needs of marijuana dispensaries, along with marketing simple video systems to its residential client base. “I think there is a lot of opportunity there,” he says. Though RMR from video is less than 1 percent of recurring monthly revenue for the company, Verruto sees video system health monitoring, service agreements and video verification as potential areas for growth this year.
Austin, Texas-based Eagle Eye Networks’ global expansion in 2019 led to between 75 and 300 percent growth depending on the region, says Founder and CEO Dean Drako. “The general market continues to grow as people want more safety and security,” he says. Cloud-based solutions are seeing growth with clients upgrading to newer systems and technologies, Drako says. “I also see open platforms and the ability to integrate with a diverse set of systems playing a significant role in growing our industry even more going forward.”
Open Systems
Several industry sources say that open standards and non-proprietary platforms are seeing increased interest and deployment across all verticals. Paul Fisher, vice president, key and national accounts – global at Salient Systems, Austin, Texas, says that last year the company began hiring specific vertical market industry experts to speak the same language of the targeted verticals, such as healthcare, banking, corrections, etc. “These systems are becoming more and more complex and to play in this true IT space, we have to be the experts to our customers and talk intelligently about what it is we do,” he says.
“We have seen a trend of a lot of companies trying to do it all — access control, cameras, and other network devices — but I think the reality is you can’t be the best in everything. And I think we are seeing that it doesn’t make sense to reinvent the wheel in a lot of cases. An open platform allows you to take the best in breed in each device,” Fisher explains.
Adds Daniel Gundlach, general manager and vice president of security at FLIR Systems, Wilsonville, Ore., “I think that integrated solutions and open standards don’t have to be a contradiction. ONVIF has done a lot and continues to do so, and open platforms are very valuable to the industry as a whole. We will see that continue to drive overall growth.”
Is the Video Surveillance Industry Cyber Secure?
Cyber security of video surveillance systems has been an intense topic in recent years — one brought to light, mostly, by media coverage of camera vulnerabilities and breaches. So how do we, as an industry, get ahead of this issue before it spirals out of control? How do we keep the confidence and trust of our customers? How do we promise that their personal data stays secure?
There were multiple attempts at answering these questions at the CES Show held in January. Some cameras, such as the SimCam 1S, process data with artificial intelligence only on the device, protecting user privacy with bank-level encryption. Others, such as the Kangaroo Privacy Camera, use physical elements like a glass privacy shield, which can shut down both the camera and mic at the touch of a button, to solve cyber security issues. Even Ring, whose Video Doorbells have been the subject of several recent hacks, announced that it would be adding a new privacy dashboard to its mobile apps that features, among other things, the ability to set up two-factor authentication.
“More manufacturers have begun to build cyber security measures into their solutions from the design and engineering phase, with a more educated outlook of the different types of network environments in which these devices and systems could reside,” says Per Björkdahl, chair of the ONVIF steering committee. “Most importantly, I think that end user awareness of cyber security fundamentals has increased dramatically over the past year, driven by various legislation in different parts of the world, reaction to ongoing cyber vulnerability discoveries, and increased education on the part of manufacturers, systems integrators and other stakeholders.”
Axis Communications, Chelmsford, Mass., is one manufacturer that is continuing to address the issue. The company rolled out its ARTPEC 7 chipset, which not only checks to ensure that the firmware is signed, but also goes a step further with the addition of a secure boot. The secure boot, after ensuring that the firmware is authenticated, checks for additional security hashes as the firmware is being loaded into the camera’s memory. If it all checks out, the camera will continue to boot; if not, it will not boot at all. This was done to create a more secure supply chain, providing customers the confidence that their firmware or camera remained uncompromised during the logistics journey.
On top of that, some Axis cameras include a Trusted Platform Model (TPM) that supports the previous features, but adds further security measures for storage of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and certificates. Later this year, the manufacturer plans to make improvements in this area to its Axis Device Manager to address the challenge of patching and keeping firmware up to date.
“It’s imperative that companies work to move to a more preventative approach to cyber security rather than a detection-focused approach,” says Wayne Dorris, business development manager, cyber security, Axis Communications. “According to recent reports, the number of connected IoT devices is increasing, which means the likelihood of encountering a cyber-attack is simultaneously increasing as well. The capability to manage and enforce cyber security policies for IoT devices prior to an attack rather than in response to one will help mitigate the impact of a cyber-attack or even stop it all together.”
Systems integrator Ojo Technology, Fremont, Calif., provides cyber security awareness training for both its sales and technical staff, so they can bring more awareness to clients both pre- and post-sale, according to Chris Krajewski, vice president of services, Ojo Technology. The company also uses software to monitor systems for abnormal behavior, and ensure they are keeping both hardware and software updated with the most recent patches and firmware.
“We’re implementing the same cyber security best practices for both data and electronic security networks,” Krajewski says. “There is now a lot more awareness regarding the importance of securing electronic security networks. For many years the data network received the bulk of attention in hardening it against cyber threats, while the video surveillance and access control systems were somewhat left unattended. Now, we see physical security manufacturers publishing information on what they are doing to better secure their products and there is a lot more discussion industrywide about the best practices that should be employed to keep those networks safe.”
And while Krajewski thinks the industry as a whole is moving in the right direction when it comes to cyber security, he worries about integrators being left out of the conversation.
“As a security integrator we often wonder if we are being made aware of all known exploits within the software and hardware we are selling, or only in those that become major news stories,” Krajewski contemplates.
Though cyber security may seem like a chore, or just another demand from the customer, it can also generate additional revenue.
Krajewski points out that managed services offer a potential source of money. Daniel Gundlach, general manager and vice president of security, FLIR Systems, Wilsonville, Ore., says that cyber security concerns have led to both customers and integrators investing in premium-level video products with enhanced data security features. — By Courtney Wolfe, SDM Associate Editor
Editor’s Note: Want to learn more? Listen to SDM’s podcast with ACRE Chief Product Officer Kim Loy, in which she discusses the cyber security initiatives she is working to develop for ACRE’s products, and why it’s taken so long for the industry to protect customers from hackers, at www.sdmmag.com/media/podcasts.
Tim Palmquist, vice president of the Americas at Milestone Systems, Portland, Ore., says that the company experienced a solid revenue increase in 2019 and he is even more optimistic about growth in 2020. “Integrators fueled a lot of growth with client upgrades. We have also found a rich appetite among users for annual software maintenance agreements. The demand to keep up to date with improvements, cyber security and performance has been great,” Palmquist shares. On the other hand, industry consolidation and competitive takeovers have resulted in more aggressive pricing than ever before, says Palmquist, and he predicts that behavior will continue in 2020. “Some integrators and manufacturers will respond with new innovation and others will respond with price, but we will all have to balance these behaviors as the market moves forward,” he cautions.
In terms of growth verticals for 2020, one vertical which Peter Strom, president and CEO of March Networks, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, has seen strong growth from in 2019 is the hospitality market and its adoption of video-as-a-service. In fact, software and managed services are one of the key drivers for the company in this space, according to Strom, and helped lead March Networks to record numbers in 2019. Other verticals that will drive continued demand in this space include retail and commercial/industrial, he predicts.
While Strom says that wide adoption of analytics will take time, he sees the technology as an influencer in the surveillance market. “I still believe we are in the early adoption stages of analytics as folks are trying to wrap their heads around the value of them for a specific application and how they will be managed internally, but I’m very optimistic that it will become a key driver in this industry,” Strom says.
Gundlach of FLIR Systems saw 2019 as a year where AI, video analytics and integrated systems experienced growth in both interest and deployment. “Overall, we definitely saw the market making an effort toward complete and total solutions to really address a variety of threats and incident management. We also saw, from a technical perspective, wider capabilities of AI and that cast demand for deployments in 2019 with those solutions being more robust than ever,” Gundlach says. “Video analytics and AI have been talked about for a long time, but we are at a point where it can really be deployed in an effective way and that has done a lot to drive the market.” He adds that the challenge with such technologies as AI — along with cyber security technologies and issues, and whether they help or hinder growth in the market — largely comes down to the security integrator. “Lack of training or education can erode customer confidence and that’s probably the biggest factor or challenge for advancement,” he emphasizes.
Andrew Elvish, vice president of marketing at Genetec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, says that the company experienced strong growth in its video business in 2019 and he expects that to continue if industry partners stay alert and agile when it comes to meeting end user needs. “There is a huge spotlight on privacy and cyber security right now. I think in general, in the physical security industry, literacy around cyber security remains too low. We as an industry have got to be more proactive and intelligent about the risks of video surveillance on the network as it relates to cyber security,” Elvish says. “We have the ability to protect people’s privacy while performing the core functions of surveillance, and there is a lot of opportunity to help [end users] such as municipalities, implement sophisticated camera systems that still maintain individual privacy. I believe that will drive business for the integrator going forward.”
ONVIF Continues Innovating for the Industry
In the past year, ONVIF developed the ONVIF Export Format, which provides the ability to export recorded video files in a common format and provides a video player with which the clip can be replayed
The past year has been formative for ONVIF, an organization which works to provide and promote standardized interfaces for effective interoperability of IP-based physical security products.
Founded in 2008 by Axis Communications, Bosch Security Systems and Sony, ONVIF has a robust member base on six continents. Today, ONVIF members collectively offer more than 12,000 profile-conformant products. Each conformant product must support at least one of six ONVIF profiles: Profile A for access control configuration; Profile C for door control and event management; Profile G for edge storage and retrieval; Profile Q for quick installation; Profile S for basic streaming video; and Profile T for advanced video streaming.
The release of Profile T in late 2018 added support for H.265, and has proven very popular amongst video manufacturers, making it the most quickly adopted profile yet, according to Per Björkdahl, chair of the ONVIF steering committee since fall of 2012.
“Profile T is meant to be the eventual successor to Profile S, our very first profile released in 2010, which provides support for MPEG and H.264,” Björkdahl says. “Profile T is our clear response to the transition of the market to H.265, and adds H.265 support in addition to ongoing support for H.264, while also leaving the door open to supporting additional video codes as they become available over time. Profile T also offers advanced imaging settings and alarm events such as motion and tampering detection and metadata streaming.”
The organization also has unveiled new functions of the ONVIF core specification in the past year that enable interoperability between two systems using cloud connectivity. In addition, ONVIF is laying the groundwork for two new profiles that will expand capabilities in access control and metadata.
Another significant advancement from ONVIF is the ability to enable two management systems to communicate with one another using the ONVIF interface. This is in addition to the traditional profile concept, which is a grouping of related functions offered by the ONVIF specification.
“While previously our interoperability standards have enabled cameras and access control devices and related clients to work with one another, regardless of manufacturer, this new ability will allow the connection of individual ONVIF-conformant video or access control management systems using the ONVIF interface, without an often costly custom software interface written between the different platforms,” Björkdahl says. “This will particularly benefit organizations such as law enforcement, government or other entities faced with budget constraints who either don’t have the funding for custom software development or who are required by public funding regulations to use multiple vendors.”
The innovations don’t end there — also in the past year, ONVIF developed the ONVIF Export Format, fine-tuned in a partnership with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The Export File Format provides the ability to export recorded video files in a common format, and provides a video player with which the clip can be replayed.
For law enforcement, this can be the difference between the ability to quickly access video footage from multiple sources (public and private) in the event of an incident, or spending valuable hours and days struggling with incompatibility issues in trying to export and view large amounts of video data. — By Courtney Wolfe, SDM Associate Editor
Speco Technologies, Amityville, N.Y., saw revenue increase in 2019, according to Todd Keller, president of the company. “I expect that the market will perform even better in 2020, due to the progression in which the technology is evolving, along with the increasing security needs in both the commercial and residential markets,” he says. Keller points to dropping prices for surveillance systems that will drive additional business to residential and other markets that would not have typically considered video surveillance as a solution before.
Though security integrators may be challenged with retaining qualified, educated employees in this space, sources say many end users are showing a distinct increase in security knowledge and tech savviness, fueling growth. “In this market in general, people are more educated and savvy and that bodes well for us as an industry,” says Ian Siemer, vice president, product and marketing, OpenEye, Liberty Lake, Wash. “For example, for the past three or four years, every time we’ve given a pitch talking about web solutions and cloud-based management, we have had to explain less. In 2019, we didn’t have to explain at all. We have seen people actively researching, understanding and seeking out solutions, informed about what is out there.”
Stuart Rawling, vice president of market strategy at Pelco, Fresno, Calif., agrees. “End users are way more aware of technology today. A lot is going on in this space and end users are in a stronger position to make suggestions and demands of integrators and manufacturers,” he says. That education and user expectation will translate, says Rawling, into making 2020 a year where end users will focus on using the capabilities of their systems and using them in ways that are more efficient. “If all you get after acquiring this new technology is a better alarm, I think the industry will have settled,” Rawling predicts. “Now is an opportunity to change the game and really help with operational and security improvements. That’s going to drive things forward.”
RMR
Recurring revenue with video can be tricky for some industry professionals. Aside from video monitoring, sources are finding success with subscription-based models for system health monitoring, service agreements, cloud management or storage, and leasing equipment. “We saw strong growth in our purely subscription-based version of cloud management,” says Siemer of OpenEye. “We have had several major customers adopt this model, wanting a pay-as-you-go solution that they can keep track of.”
John Nemerofsky, chief operating officer at Sage Integration, Kent, Ohio, credits much of the company’s growth last year to clients upgrading their systems driven by cyber security concerns, as well as more clients signing up for hosted video services. The company found a sweet spot managing client video offsite, as well as embedding technicians at client locations for everyday service and proactive maintenance. Those two services of hosted video and embedded technicians made up about 30 percent of Sage Integration’s overall revenue last year.
“In the senior living space, for example, most places don’t have an IT director onsite to manage their servers so we’ve really seen that segment become a hosted market,” Nemerofsky describes. “It’s a greater level of customer service; we don’t want to wait for the client to call when something happens, so it is better for higher levels of satisfaction. “
Of course, the challenge with providing high levels of customer service and knowledgeable, helpful staff becomes retaining educated employees and maintaining focus.
“When you are in an aggressively growing marketplace like we are experiencing, one opportunity and challenge is to stay focused on our core capabilities” says Bill Fitzhenry, chief sales officer at Bastion Security, Portland, Ore., an integrator that focuses on live video monitoring. “We know what resonates with our customers around success and it’s important not to get distracted with a lot of other things outside of what we provide.” The company saw increased deployment in a number of verticals in 2019, according to Fitzhenry, including commercial real estate, retail, parking management and multi-family. In 2020, with the help of analytics, Fitzhenry expects to see more clients asking for solutions inside their buildings, in addition to outside.
Joe Jordan, chief strategy officer at FE Moran Security Solutions LLC, Champaign, Ill., agrees that the company’s biggest challenge is staying focused as it continues to grow. “When you become a large company, it can cloud your vision. We don’t want to be a jack of all trades, but that can happen, so finding that voice is very important,” Jordan says. “We’ve also got to continue to invest in educating ourselves and educating our clients on products, solutions and best practices.”
Jordan says that the company saw a dramatic increase in sales and recurring monthly revenue in 2019 and he estimates that 40 percent to 50 percent of RMR was from video. The company saw positive response with its in-house leasing program, which offered clients video monitoring, product leasing and service agreements as a bundle or à la carte. “A lot of clients are asking for video and we are seeing a major increase in clients requesting video verification,” he says. He notes that a few of the influencers growing that part of the industry are municipalities requiring video verification and verticals, such as banking and healthcare, turning to video for compliance reasons.
Compliance
Mandates and regulations are influencing the current state of the video market in a broad way, say sources. Numerous and constantly changing mandates at the local, state and federal levels affect many verticals and client segments, including government, pharmaceuticals, cannabis and commercial/industrial clients that deal with shipping items across the border. In some cases, such mandates create a need for surveillance solutions, driving growth in the general marketplace, and in other cases, they stipulate specific systems or services.
“Compliance is the new buzzword and a significant justification for the installation of new and/or upgraded system technologies. ... Whether implemented based on internal policies, government regulations or industry standards, failure to meet compliance can have significant consequences,” says William Brennan, vice president, security division, Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions, Rolling Meadows, Ill. “This has been a catalyst for more accurate and reliable system health monitoring solutions that automatically alert system operators if a networked device or software application [is] not operating properly. In addition to creating a new services category for solution providers, the need for compliance opens new sources of RMR for [security systems integrators] and [managed service providers] who offer system monitoring services.”
How the DIY Craze Is Affecting Integrators
According to a December 2019 report from Parks Associates, 36 percent of Americans intending to purchase a security system prefer self-installed systems. That’s up from 29 percent in 2012, and 18 percent in 2007 — which means you can almost expect the trend to continue growing, and fast.
This begs the question: Is the residential video market still an opportunity for expansion and growth among the professional security integrator channel?
“While the DIY segment has a strong presence in the residential market, it cannot replace what is still considered to be professional-grade solutions,” says Erron Spalsbury, global sales support manager, 3xLOGIC, Fishers, Ind. “A DIY-er may install a doorbell camera or a baby camera or maybe even one looking out onto the yard, but at the integration level it’s still a professional’s market, especially with respect to IP cameras. These systems require extensive knowledge in high-definition cameras and networking to get the overall system working properly.”
Spalsbury says that what has happened in video monitoring can be an example of this. A self-monitored system is typically pushed aside or simply lacks the attention that a true monitoring station can provide, he says, because having a system that is monitored by a central station 24/7 is where a truly professional solution has the advantage.
“The outlook for residential video is very strong as we see more and more products coming online that integrate with existing systems such as lighting or door controllers,” Spalsbury says. “Add in mobility and smart apps, and even automation, and there is a strong market that is still growing. The integration knowledge and how to make all of these components work together ultimately relies on the integrator as a professional service — meaning they will be around for many years to come.”
“We see greater opportunities in the commercial market,” says Paul Garms, director of regional marketing for Bosch Security and Safety Systems, Grasbrunn, Denmark. “There are vertical markets, such as retail, where intelligent video cameras are being used for purposes beyond security, increasing opportunities for sales. In retail, cameras can be used to gather anonymous data on shopper movements in stores to help merchandisers improve store layouts, measure product placements and enhance customer service. Additionally, there continues to be growth for security surveillance systems in verticals such as government, critical infrastructure, data centers and healthcare.”
Wayne Dorris of Axis Communications believes that while high-end residential security is a growth market for integrators, the mid- to low-end favors DIY products.
Don Erickson, CEO of the Security Industry Association (SIA), references SIA’s 2020 Security Megatrends Report for his answer, saying it found that while direct-to-consumer/direct-to-business models and DIY product sales are continuing to proliferate the industry, security integrators are focusing on providing professional, exceptional service. When asked how they are responding to more pervasive, fully featured DIY security offerings, 69 percent of respondents at the 2019 Securing New Ground conference said they ignore them and focus on their core competencies, while 19 percent said they help support customers who have installed DIY systems and only 11 percent said they have added DIY sales, services and support to their business offerings.
“There is more opportunity now than before to go around resellers when it comes to product procurement,” Erickson says. “With the availability of DIY models like Ring, SimpliSafe and Arlo, consumers can command their own purchasing decisions. Additionally, the industry is increasingly feeling that this type of open-market scenario causes resellers to lose ground with end users who may also go direct for the products they install.” — By Courtney Wolfe, SDM Associate Editor
With an ever-changing landscape of compliance, manufacturers say that certifications and government or other approval processes can help drive business. “Some of these standards make [end users] outside the vertical comfortable as well, even when it doesn’t apply to them,” says Tom Cook, senior vice president of sales at Hanwha Techwin America, Teaneck, N.J. For example, Cook says, the company is currently going through the Department of Defense’s Risk Management Framework accreditation process, which goes beyond just a product and looks at a company’s process of disseminating data and information. “It’s expensive and challenging, but something that will bleed over to many verticals eventually,” he explains.
More Opportunities
Opportunities for 2020 in the video market abound as manufacturers and integrators continue to find their footing in this ever-changing environment. Pike Goss, CEO of Pedestal PRO, Lindon, Utah, has seen significant growth in custom camera and video mounting solutions, a nod perhaps to the greater trend that many in the surveillance market are seeing of high levels of integration and customization, particularly for enterprise clients.
“This side of the business is growing pretty fast,” Goss says. “This past year, about 40 percent of our growth overall was in the video category. We expect business as a whole to grow even more significantly in 2020 than in 2019 due to market conditions, the economy, and the popularity of security itself. All these factors have lined up to make 2020 a great year and video will be riding that wave at least for several years to come.”
Bosch Security and Safety Systems, Fairport, N.Y., has seen a lot of growth across a number of verticals driven by upgrades from analog to IP systems, along with adoption of analytics for both security and non-security related applications. “Wrong-way detection on a highway, queues in a grocery store, parking applications and manufacturing situations. ... We are seeing clients use cameras already installed for security to help with business operations. For us, we are seeing a lot of growth there,” says Ed Pedersen, vice president of sales – security integrator and distributor channels.
Keith Drummond, senior director of sales at IDIS America, Coppell, Texas, says that price competition coupled with better technology and services really drove buying for 2019. “Sometimes you see large spikes in the year due to different buying cycles, but in 2019 we saw extremely steady growth and that’s refreshing,” he describes. Drummond says that increasingly large distribution facilities (part of what he calls the “Amazon effect”) are presenting real opportunities for video players as technology has finally caught up with the challenge of improving efficiencies and providing quality video in these historically difficult-to-deploy spaces. “There is real value to the customer here and real opportunities,” Drummond adds.
OSSA: Bringing Harmony Across Security & Safety Devices
When it comes to security, one must be able to see the bigger picture beyond a single lens. Success relies upon many different components working together toward the same goal. This philosophy is what drives the Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA) in bringing together the industry to move forward with one, united global approach when addressing common challenges and moving the market forward within the security and safety space.
In our first full year of existence, we’re truly pleased at the progress achieved by our OSSA member companies working in unison for the betterment of the industry. In 2019, we completed a major undertaking by creating the first common Technology Stack specification. This Technology Stack outlines the philosophy of the Alliance for video security devices on a more specific level. It includes a vendor-agnostic and open source Operating System (OS) hardened for the security and safety market, standardized APIs as well as specifications to guarantee the right levels of performance. Once the Technology Stack specified by OSSA is implemented by a video security device manufacturer, it allows for installation and execution of third-party apps. These devices enable app developers to write a single software application suitable for all cameras, fully leveraging OSSA’s Technology Stack.
Over the next couple of months, the OSSA-driven digital marketplace will go live, and video security device manufacturers will introduce the first commercial versions of products leveraging OSSA’s Technology Stack. This marketplace, developed by OSSA’s member Security and Safety Things GmbH, will give integrators the ability to easily add customized functionality to their security systems by installing apps (the first ones are already developed and available) on video security cameras.
During 2020, we expect:
- more device manufacturers that are OSSA members will launch video security cameras based on the common Technology Stack set forth by the Alliance.
- these cameras will connect to the digital marketplace. Systems integrators can easily download brand-independent available apps onto the various cameras, increasing their functionality to cater to specific customer needs.
- to continue to grow our ecosystem of member companies.
- to produce and drive the adoption of new standards and specifications for products, software and solutions.
- to introduce an OSSA trademark that provides the industry with a quality seal regarding data security, privacy and customization.
This is a group effort that has attracted interest from critical facets within the security and safety space, and beyond. We’re all in this together and encourage businesses that touch on any aspect of this market to take an active role in shaping the future with us. Working cooperatively elevates us all to next-level safety and security possibilities. — Contributed by Pieter van de Looveren, marketing committee chair, OSSA
Predictions
SMG Security Holdings LLC, Elk Grove Village, Ill., sees great potential for 2020 in a few places. The company has inside sales and marketing staff focusing on upgrade opportunities with new video technologies. Brad Tolliver, vice president of sales, explains that the company has added reps to target more industrial, commercial and educational facilities. “I would say we are even more optimistic going into this year than we were last year,” he says. “We already have had a lot of activity to start out this year and we anticipate that to continue. The economy is strong right now; the new construction market has been strong; there’s been a lot of activity in the cannabis world; and technologies have advanced to a point where it has created a lot of opportunity for upgrades. We see all that continuing into 2020.”
Skip Haight, vice president of marketing at Communication Networks (ComNet), Danbury, Conn., says he fully expects the video market to grow 5 percent to 10 percent in 2020. For ComNet, technologies adopting the latest PoE standard IEEE 802.3bt 4PPoE will aid in growth, he says. The September 2018 standard allows integrators to offer higher-powered solutions and more flexibility, according to Haight. “Video has become easier than ever. More power makes it even easier. It took the manufacturers a few years to get up to the standard, but now it’s here,” he says.
As the first quarter of the new year gets underway, most security professionals are looking at 2020 in a positive light, barring unforeseen political or economic factors. For integrator company Marquee Security of Morris Plains, N.J. — in its second year of business — John Yakawiak, director of operations, expects to see continued interest from end users in systems upgrades, applications involving risk mitigation and further deployment of video analytics and remote monitoring. “People are also asking very heavily for systems such as cameras, access control and analytics all under one platform so I believe that that will be very big this year moving forward,” he says. “Overall I see a very strong market and continued strength for 2020.”
Dan Budinoff, president and CEO of Security Specialists, Stamford, Conn., says he is just as optimistic about 2020 as he was about 2019. Budinoff says that much of the company’s video growth in 2019 consisted of upgrades and large building projects. “Last year at this time I knew we had a lot of stuff coming down the [pike], so I had a pretty good window into the future. We have wound down some big projects here, but the phone is still ringing off the wall,” he says. “We will take it.”
