A statement by Frost & Sullivan said: “In 2008 and 2009, the recession forced end users to defer investments into this emerging technology.
“However, the rebound in the adoption of internet protocol (IP) and the surging demand for high-resolution cameras, within the security arena, are expected to translate into increased video recording for security and business intelligence purposes.
“This, in turn, is expected to spur the growth of physical security IT storage solutions.”
The report, ‘European Physical Security IT Storage Market’, estimates that the market will expand from $123.1 million in 2010 to $181.1 million by 2016.
The research covers the direct access storage (DAS), network access storage (NAS) and storage area networks (SAN) segments.
Rapid momentum
According to Frost & Sullivan, “IT storage for the physical security industry is still emerging and dominant IT-based suppliers are modifying their existing enterprise IT storage offerings to suit physical security needs.
“As end users become more aware of these IT storage solutions and vendors gain greater expertise in serving the specific needs of the security industry, these solutions are poised to gain rapid momentum towards the end of the forecast period.
“The burgeoning growth in the adoption of high-resolution video surveillance systems and the integration of numerous security sub-systems have resulted in huge amounts of video being generated. This, in turn, has underlined the need for sizeable storage spaces.
“The demand for physical security IT storage solutions will increase with the requirement to store more digital images.
“DAS systems recorded a moderate revenue share growth in 2010.This is expected to decline due to the high demand for better-performing and affordable NAS systems, throughout the forecast period. The demand for SAN is set to remain stable over the same period.”
System failures
“At present, high prices and low awareness about benefits are limiting the widespread adoption of physical security IT storage solutions.
“In addition, IT storage systems useable within the video surveillance industry are not designed for continuous recording of video and are more prone to system failures.
“The high degree of complexity involved in deploying and maintaining advanced IT storage systems is another challenge.
“Effective management of storage, through advanced redundant array of independent disks (RAID) and automated backups to prevent accidental loss of data and constant upgrades, requires a high level of expertise.
“With an increase in end users’ storage requirements, which is evident from the enhanced performance and declining prices of hard disks, there will be intense competition to provide the technical solution that most effectively serves market demands.”
I’m really not too surprised about this “reveleation” about storage security. Who know what kind of data and information need to be protected and with technology, there are even newer methods for unsavoury types to try and access the storage systems. It’s important to make sure the encryption and protection of storage solutions are stepped up!