The video surveillance industry is, as always, in a state of transition from the installed base of analog systems to more modern systems based on digital and IP cameras, Network DVRs, and higher-resolution cameras. Even moreso, integrated solutions are becoming more and more the norm in a variety of applications, merging access control, surveillance, and intrusion sensors together. This means, in turn, that many customers of video surveillance systems are typically looking for an all-in-one system that works together and can be managed centrally.

According to Fredrik Nilsson of Axis Communications, this means that appliance-based solutions are becoming less popular in the commercial space. Buyers of security systems (systems integrators) are increasingly going to look for seamless interoperability between the cameras, DVR, and other security systems when they are looking for components. Overall, while this does not mean that manufacturers of individual components will be left out in the cold, it does mean that offering interoperable components will be essential in 2015.

To that end as well, one of the newer use cases for video surveillance cameras this year may be alarm verification. False alarms are very common in most security systems, and the ability to have a way to trigger a camera on the location of the alarm in commercial and residential locations may increasingly become the standard. Many municipalities and governments, tired of sending police to false alarms, are charging site owners for their extra effort. The ability to simply and quickly verify that an alarm is indeed false could help to drive the industry.

Finally, camera specifications will also increase significantly in 2015, with 4K security cameras growing in popularity in the same way that 4K TVs is the television industry’s latest buzzword. The need for ever higher resolution and the decreasing cost of storage hardware means that 4K video surveillance could be on the way even as HD digital cameras become the industry norm.