The security industry was strong and healthy in 2017. High-end security markets, such as the power distribution and critical infrastructure sectors, saw continued growth and opportunity for perimeter security technologies like thermal imaging, video analytics and radar.
For the low-end security markets, there was significant competition from Chinese manufacturers. Despite this challenge, we saw continued growth from premium Western security manufacturers in 2017 in which many introduced cost-effective security solutions for the small to medium enterprise markets.
Increased adoption of AI
In 2018, the increased adoption of artificial intelligence in the video surveillance sector will play an important role. As the demand for an ROI beyond the traditional security system increases, developing camera hardware that can support edge analytics will be essential. The brands that will succeed will be the ones that can provide end users with video solutions that not only provide intrusion detection with low false alarm rates, but also offer features such as equipment condition monitoring. As the demand for an ROI beyond the traditional security system increases, developing camera hardware that can support edge analytics will be essential
Other technologies that will see continued performance enhancements and greater adoption in 2018 are cloud storage, advanced video management systems and physical security information management (PSIM) solutions.
Demand for thermal imaging
In 2017, we continued to see strong interest and demand for thermal as it remains the industry standard for 24/7 perimeter monitoring and protection. As the leader in thermal imaging, FLIR introduced several noteworthy solutions this year such as the FB-Series line of premier thermal security cameras for any size perimeter.
The FB-Series brings state-of-the-art thermal imaging technology to small to medium enterprises where perimeter size is no longer a barrier for adoption.
FLIR United VMS
For our enterprise business, there was great success with new FLIR United VMS platform, which received praise and recognition across the marketplace. FLIR United VMS is an enterprise level video management solution scalable for any size deployment.
At ISC West, it received the Security Industry Association New Product Showcase 2017 Award in the VMS category, which is one of the highest accolades in the industry. Receiving the award was a significant milestone for our enterprise business, validating the hard work the FLIR team has put into delivering exceptional solutions for video operations management.