There are several revolutions going on in today’s security industry. Some are big like convergence, distribution, networks and digital systems. Some are a little smaller like the influence of the Internet, alarm vs. video monitoring, and open software.
There are still others that receive little attention but point to major developments in the future — and not that far into the future at that. One of these is the impending revolution in wiring that will affect the way security information is communicated throughout the world.
Market Moves Away From ‘CCTV’
Dealers and integrators have always relied heavily on coax cable to connect video equipment so that images could be transported from point A to points B, C and beyond. Since these coax circuits were closed to all but those charged with monitoring a prescribed inside or outside location, video security became known as closed-circuit TV.
Even now, there is a heavy reliance on coax cable as seen in the chart below. As time passes, however, these systems are changing. The change has even prompted an industry shift in terminology from “the CCTV market” to “the video surveillance market.”
Technically speaking, all communications are closed circuits unless they’re available to the public. But with the advent of IP communications, transmission loops are now so far-flung that “closed circuit” hardly seems to do justice to the way in which video can be transported.
Fiber, Wireless Bring New Options
Adding to the impact of the Internet is the increasing influence of fiber and wireless. Executives in any aspect of the communications industry know bandwidth is a door to future success in services delivered to commerce, the home and government.
Local phone companies are in trouble, while cable companies and Internet start-ups are offering voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service at seductive prices. On top of that, some people now use only their cell phones to communicate.
SBC, the big phone company, recently acquired AT&T Wireless Services to become the largest wireless company in the U.S. Moving further into the wire(less) revolution, SBC is now spending billions on a fiber-optic network to 18 million homes.
According to SBC CEO Ed Whitacre, you will watch TV on your plasma screen, see the number and identity of a phone caller and take the call by pushing a button on your remote. You’ll also receive E-mails or family photos on the screen.
All of this is designed to deliver TV over fiber from a phone company that is in a battle with cable TV companies, which are in a battle with satellite TV companies. No pun intended, but this is quite a picture of the future of video surveillance — and no one has even mentioned it yet.
