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Security Magazine recently interviewed Steve Walin, who is chief executive officer at SAMSUNG | GVI Security in Carrollton, Texas.
Security Magazine: What's happening with IP cameras as compared to analog?
Walin: Several studies have shown that IP cameras sales will eclipse that of analog, but nobody can say for sure when this will happen. While it is true that analog camera sales will decrease over time, analog will never completely disappear. In fact, the trend may actually be slowing down somewhat as previously forecasted. Less than fifteen percent of video surveillance applications in the Americas are buying or using IP/digital video.
Security Magazine: Why?
Walin: There are several reasons.
* Many analog video systems are installed running on coax and users are simply upgrading components. In other instances, security managers are leery of moving beyond what they already understand and works for them.
* Many end-users and resellers, including dealers and integrators, are also uncomfortable with IP/digital surveillance. "What I don't know, I'm not going to propose."
* One key advantage of IP-based video is also its Achilles' heel, the ability to use present network infrastructure rather than coaxial cabling. Running bandwidth- intensive surveillance video over corporate data networks is a point of organizational contention, with its potential impact on network performance. Too often, it is easier to go the security department's traditional way than to fight.
Therefore, support programs via manufacturers and their integrators become especially important for end-users in IP video solutions and sales. The key to helping integrators and end-users deploy IP video solutions is to take a combination of premium quality hardware and in-depth servicing, on both the front and back ends of the sale. This is especially imperative on big orders, such as the 14,000 cameras we now have working at Latin America's largest bank or the immense system now going in at one of the world's largest retailers, covering both Mexico and the United States.