IP Video Surveillance Set to Explode in China

Although analog surveillance equipment is still king in China, a new study conducted by market research firm IMS Research confirms an accelerating trend toward IP surveillance equipment. The researchers interviewed Chinese systems integrators and installers and concluded that a vast uptake in the use of network cameras will hit in the next few years.

Over half of the respondents indicated that less than 5 percent of the cameras that they installed over the last 12 months were network cameras. ...Over 50 percent of the survey respondents indicated that in three years time, more than 25 percent of cameras installed will be network cameras (half of this number indicated it will be over 50 percent).

“However, there are still some key factors limiting the use of IP-based security products in China," said market analyst, Bo Zhang. “Over 50 percent of survey respondents stated that the reliability of IP-based security products had a high-impact in limiting their use of IP-based products. Clearly, if respondents cannot source reliable IP-based security products, then it significantly impacts their decision to use them. Making products that are reliable and give a sense of reliability to the customer is a critical task for IP product manufacturers."

Clearly, securing a nation with 1.3 billion residents is an enormous task. But the potential is unprecedented—as long as manufacturers can keep up.