Sites that wouldn’t have considered a standalone analogue CCTV solution in the past are now introducing IP devices by utilising existing data infrastructures, according to distributor Nimans.
The company supplies Panasonic and Samsung equipment and sees IP CCTV as a significant reseller growth area; insisting “it’s technology every IP savvy dealer should be embracing.”
Cost and convenience are crucial factors in clinching sales and IP CCTV scores highly in both areas, says Paul Burn, Head of System Sales. He points out how high image quality is another trump card.
“I’d say that analogue is still holding the upper hand in the general market but IP CCTV is catching up fast. Certainly one of the manufacturers we work with is indicating the two formats are now virtually neck and neck. In the future we expect IP to become the dominant player, a bit like when CD’s replaced old vinyl music albums.”
Burn says IP CCTV is a perfect fit for all data centric resellers, as it is essentially a network-based end point that is easy to install and maintain. “Quality of image is generally superior thanks to high bandwidth capacity,” he observed. “You can now achieve near HD quality footage which easily surpasses older analogue devices.”
Burn says car parks are some of the most common locations; more outside environments, such as petrol stations, rather than interior buildings.
“So long as you understand IP networks, which more and more resellers are mastering, it just becomes another end point to add on. Demand is growing all the time, on a much faster basis than analogue. IP is seen as the future. It’s more flexible, cost effective and involves less cabling. Generally you’ve just got cameras and a hard drive recorder to source. There’s far less hardware compared to an analogue system. Plug and play is very much the mantra.”