Cube cameras are becoming all the rage due to the heightened attention on smart homes over the past year. A common misconception that arose from this emerging wave of cube cameras is that they are suitable only for the home environment. However, these tiny cube cameras are in fact packed with features so rich, they can cover much more than just a regular home.
Cube cameras are becoming all the rage due to the heightened attention on smart homes over the past year. A common misconception that arose from this emerging wave of cube cameras is that they are suitable only for the home environment. However, these tiny cube cameras are in fact packed with features so rich, they can cover much more than just a regular home. This feature aims to address the differences and performances between cube cameras and their DIY counterparts seen on the market.
The residential and small-and-medium business (SMB) sectors are now much more conscious about the importance and benefits of installing security devices and equipment in their surroundings than just a few years before. Not to mention, the increasing popularity of home automation and home monitoring is increasing the demand for cube cameras. IMS Research (IHS), also indicated that the consumer and DIY network camera market unit shipment will grow from 846,200 in 2014 to approximately 1.3 million in 2016. Based on another report from IMS, approximately 20 % of American households already have professionally monitored services. This number is sure to grow as technology advances and becomes more affordable and accessible for the users. Currently, North America is leading the market in terms of home security, followed by Europe due to its growing interest in smart homes and energy conservation. Meanwhile, Asia is catching up as demands rise throughout the region.
“It is worthy to mention that in Asian countries, the surveillance service provided by private schools, such as kindergartens and infant daycare centers, or the elderly care centers are becoming the trend. The parents are able to watch from online their children's activities and interaction with teachers and peers in class anytime, anywhere, via the surveillance application, while other people are able to deliver care to the old parents at home or care centers, ensuring their safety,” stated Steve Ma, Executive VP at VIVOTEK.
Cube cameras establish market presence
With the amount of SMBs around the world, it is easy to see why manufacturers believe cube cameras have tremendous market potential, which can be attributed to its ease-of-use, real-time, remote monitoring, and decreasing price. “Different resources indicate that more than 95 % of business units are small and medium sized. Secondly, there is an increasing security consciousness in the residential sector. Video surveillance equipment and services are no more a business-involved area, more and more home users tend to adopt video surveillance devices for safeguarding their home, premises, or their family members. Once this kind of requirement becomes main stream, it will push the video surveillance market to another sales peak,” said Adler Wu, IPC Product Manager at Hikvision Digital Technology.
Though cube cameras have yet to reach its peak, manufacturers are certainly holding high hopes for these compact wonder cubes. “In my opinion, the trend to IP is very clear in 2013, with its advantages in mobile connectivity and multiple functions, this trend can certainly push the cube/DIY cameras to mass public. In the startup stage, double or triple growth than traditional CCTV equipment sales is a very comprehensible result,” Wu from Hikvision continued.
Also, cube cameras are easy to install and affordable. “This lowers the hurdle for many small businesses to invest in video surveillance solutions. As they see the value cube cameras can provide to their business, small business owners are likely to continue to invest in video surveillance solutions. Cube cameras are therefore a great door opener for the security industry,” added Andres Vigren, Product Manager at Axis Communications.
Furthermore, there are several factors that will help cube cameras reach its peak: the maturity of the network infrastructure, the end users' increasing demands for home security or small-scale security system, and the prevalence of 4G LTE. “4G LTE is equipped with several traits such as providing faster transmission speed, supporting for interoperation and coexistence with legacy standards, low data transfer latencies, and supporting better mobility. With 4G LTE, the transmission speed for home users will be able to reach 100Mbit/s,” said Ma.