Modern IP security cameras are getting rid of the false beliefs that have long argued against using network video systems - and are shaking things up at the same time.

What do computers, mobile phones and broadband internet have in common? The answer is simple: all these developments were initially considered too expensive and technically too complicated to sustain themselves on the market. The situation is very much the same for IP security cameras. Modern IP cameras seemed unprofitable simply because of their price. However, the technology continues to develop. What has already been proven false for mobile phones, computers, etc. can now also be forgotten for IP security cameras. The latest developments demonstrate that prejudices are unjustified. IP security cameras can actually save money in many different ways in comparison to analog systems.

The way things were
Purely analog CCTV systems use an analog camera with a maximum resolution of 0.4 megapixels and image transfer via a coaxial cable. Even at first glance, it becomes obvious that in the area of video surveillance, a development has become necessary in many areas. It has been a long while since analog systems conformed technically to the standards that apply in the consumer sector today. Because of its high resolution of several megapixels, one single modern IP camera would, for example, be enough to simultaneously record in a surveillance video all rows of gas pumps at a medium-sized gas station. The usable high resolution provides the key to completely new product features. The image recorded is of such high quality that digital pan, tilt and zoom can be used to recognize and evaluate all relevant details in the events saved. With SD (Secure Digital Memory Card) recording inside the camera, a gas station, for example, can record images for several days without any network load, without any mechanical moving parts and without a PC. The PC now serves purely for viewing, not for analysis and recording. No mechanical parts operating inside the camera means no parts have to be maintained or heated in winter. This reduces the maintenance costs and keeps energy consumption to a minimum.

Internal processor opens up unimaginable possibilities
Another secret to a modern camera system lies in its decentralized data processing. Most of the data processing and video storage now takes place directly in the camera. Network traffic will only be created if the user communicates with his camera via computer, or if the recorded events are sent from the camera to be stored in an external archive. If the network that operates the camera is connected to the Worldwide Web, the device can post the collected images online as an Internet page. Considering the current broadband standards, the required network transfer rates no longer pose a problem. And there are no limits to other application possibilities for camera intelligence. Thanks to their excellent product features, modern IP video cameras are incurring less and less time, money, and effort for installation, saving money in many different ways. The market for IP security technology will continue to grow at a very fast rate. In the upcoming years, this trend away from the old analog systems towards high-performance, digital IP network cameras will continue unimpaired.

Dr. Ralf Hinkel, CEO and founder of MOBOTIX Security-Vision-Systems, Germany. For more information please contact our U.S. office: Martina Prior, Office Manager, 212-385-6126, email: martina.prior@mobotix.com, web: www.mobotix.com.