The study looking at the world market for cabling, Ethernet switches and infrastructure used in video surveillance, forecasts that market growth will exceed the rate for the wider market for video surveillance equipment, as surrounding infrastructure becomes more important.

When specifying systems, cabling and infrastructure has historically been seen as a low priority when compared to cameras and recorders in the video surveillance industry - despite causing the majority of problems. However, this balance is beginning to change. Aaron Dale, market analyst in the security group at IHS comments, “In response to the growing scale and complexity of video surveillance networks, end-users are increasingly looking to future proof their cabling and infrastructure."

Dale continues, “Longevity of the system even beyond the camera’s lifetime is increasingly featuring in end-users cost-benefit analysis; this has the effect of increasing demand in the high end market.’ Indeed by 2018, Category 6a (or higher) Ethernet cable is expected to equal revenues for Category 6 (or lower) cable".

Some vendors have been quick to capitalise on growth in this market. For example, a number of leading Ethernet switch manufacturers have started producing a line of products tailored for use in video surveillance applications. Furthermore, there has been a host of new partnerships between video surveillance equipment manufacturers and networking equipment manufacturers. Such partnerships are likely to lead to video surveillance being increasingly incorporated on wider networks with more than one purpose.

“As video surveillance end-users demand evermore functionality and reliability from their solution, performance of supporting cabling and infrastructure will undoubtedly be more crucial than ever", concludes Dale.