2015 has been a mixed year. There’s been aggressive competition in the security industry and difficult market conditions in some parts of Europe. The market has slowed down, but at the same time there is still a huge demand for new solutions coming into the market. As a manufacturer, we continue to see strong demand for innovative products.
Overall, the industry has matured this year. The full HD market is established now, and more security professionals are now looking beyond that. 4K and high resolution technology is developing, and those in the industry are starting to imagine and to realise what they can do with these solutions.
4K growth in security marketplace
Analogue is still dominant in parts of the market with certain parts still reluctant to make the move to HD and IP. However, 2016 will see a new generation of high performance IP camera (4K) become established in the market, which will encourage security buyers thinking about transitioning, with reduced camera count and better workflow offering savings on installation and running costs, as well as offering new solutions to the high-end market. 4K will grow significantly in the marketplace, with more users recognising that they can achieve the same sensitivity with full HD solutions.
We’ve been surprised by enthusiasm for 4K this year. We’ve seen huge demand for the SNC-VM772R, our first 4K camera, and we can now start talking about the next generation of 4K in 2016. Users have often thought that high resolution means low sensitivity, but we’ve shown how that’s not the case. In fact, analogue cameras from around five years ago used more bandwidth than 4K cameras do today. Surveillance technology has matured in such a way that there is great value for money in today’s market.
It’s a tough time to be in the security market because of the economic conditions and stiff competition. However, here at Sony, we’ve focused on developing unique products to ensure we retain a strong position in the market.
See the full coverage of 2015/2016 Review and Forecast articles here
