Security Systems in Transition: the Move from CCTV to IP

Experts agree – one of the hottest security debates going on at the moment is over analog CCTV systems vs. digital IP surveillance. Which method is better? Will digital or analog win in the end? Security Sales & Integration, a leading industry publication, argues that networking is the “destiny” of the security industry. It’s been inching towards networking for years – analog cameras now digitize feeds instead of recording them onto cassette tapes for example – but analog cameras still dominate, so much so that they make up 90% of the camera technology today.

So, why switch to IP? The selection certainly isn’t as great as the enormous range of available CCTV cameras, and they only have a small share of the market – 10%. However, like with most promising technologies, the potential with IP video lies in what is to come, not what the technology represents now. While analog and traditional CCTV systems can replicate many of the advances of IP video now, developments like in-camera video analytics, wireless IP networks and the streaming broadcast of footage are impossible for analog cameras at the moment, and will spur the continuing growth of IP video and networking

While both systems have their definite advantages, they also have their disadvantages. Systems, if not set up properly, can take up a lot of network bandwidth and fill up storage disks quickly. Analog cameras, while reliable and functional, are notoriously inflexible and can be difficult to manage. IP cameras and networked systems are also expensive – but price has been falling rapidly as the technology has become easier to use, more available, and more adaptable. Like other developments like digital cameras and computers, the price of IP cameras and security systems is sure to fall as the technology becomes more popular.

In a world where networking is king, the security systems market is ripe for an explosion in IP video security. While the transitions will be slow and a new experience for many security experts, the rewards will be huge. The technological leaps and bounds associated with security systems that use full IP video are huge – from intelligent video to wireless video, the future of video security is IP.