Security is the best-known application of video surveillance, but by no means the only one. Transportation systems and retail are both promising markets for video surveillance, where its uses extend to legal liability prevention, customer behavior analysis, and store design.

Global spending on video surveillance for transportation markets will jump from about $630 million in 2006 to a projected $2 billion in 2013, while retail will account for a spending rise from about $1 billion in 2006 to almost $4 billion in 2013. According to ABI Research vice president Stan Schatt, “Transportation and retail activities are found in every populated region, so video surveillance markets in both segments are poised for terrific growth.”

We have come to expect security-related video surveillance in airports, but railways, buses, and port facilities are equally important, and often overlooked, markets. Buses, for example, may have video surveillance cameras facing both out and in, to provide documentation of any accidents and to disprove any spurious claims for “injuries.” Firetide, Strix Systems, and Tropos Networks are just a few of the leading transportation surveillance vendors.

“Shoplifting prevention came first in the retail environment,” Schatt notes, “but new video surveillance technologies enable market research, so funding for such systems will be available from sales and marketing budgets.” Better cameras and new software mean an ability to determine what kinds of retail display are most effective. They track items that are picked up and then put down. They can also analyze traffic patterns within a store, allowing optimal layout. It is not surprising that IBM, with its many large retail customers, is one of the leading vendors in this space, while Object Video leads the field in analytic software.

“I also see a huge potential market down the road for managed video surveillance services,” says Schatt. “Marketing departments aren’t interested in the technology, just the results, and IT departments frequently don’t really want to get involved.”

ABI Research’s “Video Surveillance Systems” report provides global sizing and forecasting for the key components of this market. It also sizes and forecasts the key vertical markets spurring growth. It forms part of the firm’s Wi-Fi Research Service.

ABI Research is a leading market research firm focused on the impact of emerging technologies on global consumer and business markets. Utilizing a unique blend of market intelligence, primary research, and expert assessment from its worldwide team of industry analysts, ABI Research assists hundreds of clients each year with their strategic growth initiatives. For information, visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.