Video Surveillance Useful For More Than Security, Research Finds

Oct 14, 2008 2:23 PM

Security may be the best-known application of video surveillance, but by no means the only one. Transportation systems and retail are both promising markets for video surveillance, where its uses extend to legal liability prevention, customer behavior analysis and store design.

According to ABI Research’s “Video Surveillance Systems” report, global spending on video surveillance for transportation markets will jump from about $630 million in 2006 to a projected $2 billion in 2013, while retail will account for a spending rise from about $1 billion in 2006 to almost $4 billion in 2013. “Transportation and retail activities are found in every populated region, so video surveillance markets in both segments are poised for terrific growth,” says ABI Research Vice President Stan Schatt.

Security-related video surveillance is expected in airports, but railways, buses and port facilities are equally important, and often overlooked, markets. Buses, for example, may have video surveillance cameras facing both out and in, to provide documentation of any accidents and to disprove any spurious claims for “injuries.”

“Shoplifting prevention came first in the retail environment,” Schatt says, “but new video surveillance technologies enable market research, so funding for such systems will be available from sales and marketing budgets.” Better cameras and new software mean an ability to determine what kinds of retail display are most effective. They track items that are picked up and then put down. They can also analyze traffic patterns within a store, allowing optimal layout.

“I also see a huge potential market down the road for managed video surveillance services,” Schatt says. “Marketing departments aren’t interested in the technology, just the results, and IT departments frequently don’t really want to get involved.”

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