Video surveillance systems are quickly becoming key components of both business and home security strategies — a trend that will expand into 2014.

For business owners, incorporating IP video surveillance into your business security system can play multiple roles when it comes to protecting your company’s assets.

With a high-quality business video surveillance system, you can see what’s happening inside your store at any given time, and trained personnel can keep and eye out for potential shoplifters. If you catch a criminal, your video surveillance system can give you evidence you need to hand over to police.

Similarly, by integrating a video surveillance system into your home security system you can view any area of your property from any television or computer in your home. With remote video monitoring, you can login and see your home from any computer or smartphone in the world with Internet access.

Video surveillance systems are crucial when it comes to protecting your family, your home, and your business. We want to let you know what’s on tap for the industry in 2014, so let’s look into the future and check out some video surveillance trends for 2014 from research firm IHS Inc.

1. Big Data: Crowd Sourcing Video Surveillance
   The first time “crowd sourced” data was used in a police investigation was after the Boston Marathon bombings. IHS predicts that more police departments will request this information when they need help managing video surveillance data from smartphones, cameras, and social media apps – as well as from business and home video surveillance systems. Software vendors and systems integrators will have to create solutions to help law enforcement analyze this crowd sourced data.
2. Panoramic Cameras – Seeing the Whole Picture
   IHS predicts the global shipments of 180/360 degree panoramic network cameras will increase by more than 60 percent from 2013. These cameras will most likely be used in retail establishments, airports and casinos, “where monitoring wide indoor areas is a key requirement of the video surveillance system.”
3. Is a Different View on Live Video and Mobile Access Necessary?
   With costs dropping and a refocus on protecting people and facilities in the post-Sandy Hook elementary school shooting era, 2014 could be the year where live streaming of video surveillance to law enforcement becomes the rule rather than the exception, according to IHS.
4. Security Cameras Will Speak Up
   Although over 70 percent of network cameras shipped globally in 2013 were equipped with either unidirectional or multidirectional audio capability, security systems integrators say that these capabilities are rarely used. As vendors strive to differentiate themselves, IHS predicts there will be much more emphasis on the audio capabilities of video surveillance systems in 2014.
5. Thermal Cameras Go Commercial
   IHS predicts that largest average selling price decline in the video surveillance product market over the next few years will be the un-cooled thermal camera market. More competition, new products, and new end-user markets will mean more un-cooled thermal cameras will be shipped to the commercial security industry, resulting in a breakthrough year for the technology.

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