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The key future trends in CCTV

The technology developments around digital recording systems, networks and cameras tend to drive our views on CCTV. However, there are a number of fundamental trends that I view as shaping CCTV in the next five years, some of which are associated with these technology developments, but others not. Some of these are already emerging, others are still partly in conception or research.

Large displays

Large displays will influence the way we configure our control rooms, how we view, what we are capable of detecting, and our ability to respond. Early adoption of flat screens has merely seen the replacement of traditional CRT monitors with LCD monitors, although even the smaller flat screens offer more potential for innovative design options. The growing availability of large screens, however, significantly raises the opportunities for greatly enhanced viewing methods. A move to BARCO type screens is likely to be more common as these systems become more affordable in future. The trend to large traditional monitor walls has passed its peak and will gradually be replaced over the next five years as large flat screen technology becomes more affordable.

Intelligent analysis

Computers are increasingly going to look at analysing video both off picture and on the display for operators over the next few years. The scale of computing power required for these activities has held back the process somewhat, but the next few years will see greatly enhanced processing along with significant steps in ways of recognising actions or situations on screen. Already companies are advertising the capacity to recognise 'left packages' or excessive queuing of people. Future features will extend intelligent analysis much further to posture, behaviour, pattern and movement recognition.

Software interfaces

In the rush to gain the best new technology developments, people have forgotten that the capabilities are only as good as the ability to access them. With hundreds of different makes of DVR systems on the market and increasing facilities for processing and storage, users will realise that the key value of these hardware systems is in the software that accompanies them. The accessibility of features, ease of use, the way that the software can address unique problems of the client, and well designed and ergonomic features will create the technology market leaders in the next few years. Technology companies would do well to study Apple, who have used their software as their key competitive edge.

Integration of systems

There has been talk about integration of different security systems for years. While systems can communicate and exchange information with each other, there is seldom a true level of system integration with a single common interface and built in ability to leverage the potential that different systems can contribute to each other. The chance of a single provider providing a full solution seems relatively slim, but people are increasingly looking at facilitating integration. True integration of security and business systems will liberate many functions and enable security people to leverage a much better capacity from their systems.

Remote monitoring

The ability to conduct remote CCTV monitoring is continually increasing and during the last 12 months I have noticed a significant introduction of large-scale remote CCTV monitoring operations starting up. Often combined with traditional call centre or reaction facilities, CCTV is becoming a core focus of these operations. This appears to offer opportunities for CCTV to become far more widespread, and as importantly, for the increase of live guarding and protection facilities manned by professional people. This trend can only increase and as it does so, it is going to lead to the creation of expectations of effective delivery by more and more clients of CCTV. How this process is managed and how well services are delivered could make or break the image of CCTV as a security solution.

These developments will all influence:

1. The way we perform surveillance and the methods we use.

2. How control rooms are designed and look.

3. How systems are operated.

4. What kind of people we need.

5. The extent and what kind of surveillance is done.

There will always be a role for small and relatively limited CCTV operations. However, all of the above trends are also taking place in the context of an ever-increasing number of surveillance technologies and calls for more security and protection facilities. Security itself may change significantly over the next five years and surprise us even more than the tools we use.

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