The global video surveillance market has reached US$13.5 billion in 2014, and is expected to expand to US$15 billion in 2015, according to research firm IHS. Overall, the decline in the cost of semiconductor components has not only pushed down the cost to manufacturers but also spurred price cuts that made associated products more palatable to buyers.

One of the biggest trends in 2014 that is expected to help drive sales in 2015 has been the emergence of high-definition CCTV cameras. This market alone grew by 300 percent in 2014 to 4 million units shipped. While digital cameras are expected to grow in sales, IHS predicts that analog high-definition cameras will significantly outsell their digital counterparts, perhaps because of the existing large install base of analog systems.

In addition, China is expected to take a bigger lead in the industry as well. As IHS noted, “In 2015 China will emerge as a leading region in product development, instead of the market being driven primarily from European and North American research and development (R&D) centers.” Many of the leading Chinese manufacturers have become the de-facto global leaders in video surveillance technology and product development.