Object Video Stumbling And Other Predictions for 2007

Here are some of my favorite security technology companies and the successes or challenges I expect them to face in 2007.  I've been an advisor or consultant to many of these companies in one way or another, giving me an intimate view of the potential of each.  Feel free to comment...

Camero’s Xaver™ thru-wall viewer will save hundreds of lives of police officers, fire fighters, military personnel and civilians and will further establish itself as a homeland security innovator.

While somewhat bulky and hard to deploy, Cernium will find its niche and shine in deployments needing extensive customization.

Cisco has the money and the will to make a place for itself in physical security. In 2007 Cisco will make announcements related to IP cameras, video analytics, and access control.

CoreStreet’s new management and sharpened focus will push the company to solid revenue growth with first responder solutions and the coolest access control solution on the market.

GE Security will break apart this year, leaving a few core competencies in place and jettisoning others. By third quarter expect to see a leaner, more organized security offering.

Imprivata will continue to post impressive revenues and will land some huge accounts as end users and security integrators are attracted to the company's converged security appliance.

Interfuse Technology is poised to take off. After spending several million on research and development, and testing its core product at key customer sites, the makers of OfficeLock™ are ready to tackle the market for secure collaboration in a big way.

ioimage continues to set the bar higher and higher with reliable, easy-to-deploy video analytics. Expect further announcements that keep it at the forefront of intelligent video innovation.

With Mate's growing pains behind it and under new management, the company is spending its money wisely and will become a significant player in video analytics this year.

Object Video will stumble in 2007 as it struggles to respond to customer complaints and strengthening competition.

Orsus will capture business from the most demanding command and control centers in 2007 establishing its place in the emerging physical security information management (PSIM) market.

Promisec has the potential to reinvent the endpoint security market with its platform for coordinating and managing all endpoint security measures, such as device protection (e.g.,USB memory stick security), PDAs, personal firewalls, antivirus, vulnerability scans, etc.

Proximex will build a stronger sales team and win many command center deployments this year leveraging its rich capabilities in PSIM technology development.

Quantum Secure is already turning into the most noticed, talked about, and market-changing software to affect the physical security industry in decades. Watch for plenty of new customer announcements.

UTC Lenel is a facing a make or break year. If it can avoid the temptation of getting the quick sale and focus on selling higher in the organization with a coherent converged security or physical security information management (PSIM) message, the company will find the growth it needs. If not, watch for UTC to make a dramatic change in strategy by Q4.

VidSys will break onto the scene with a new PSIM solution built around its extensive video management expertise. Watch for the Boston-based company to form some high profile partnerships this year.

Vigilon will become a cult favorite with its Chicago-based project to craft the worlds finest open-system vulnerability scanner.

Don't see your favorite?  Leave a comment.

Comments

[CPK]

Considering that the number of channels that ObjectVideo has sold and is monitoring is at least a few orders of magnitude greater than the next closest company, this stumbling statement seems to be more wishful thinking than anything else.

It's good to be the king.

[Steve Hunt]

Great comment!!

[Josh]

I understand many of the sold channels are switching to competitors.

Object Video is starting to chase the appliance based solution but lets face it once you design heavy agorithms for a PC you cant just make them fit on an appliance - theyre too heavy. Doubt OV will re-adjust without loosing functionality. Too late to start over.

[Ross Burrows]

Very intresting. The market is changing very fast.

http://www.videoanalytics.org

[Wes]

I actually fooled around with a company called Aimetis which was pretty interesting software.

I actually ended up starting a website about the subject of video analytics. The url is http://www.videoanalytics.net

What software do you find to be the best?

[Steve Hunt]

Thanks for the comments so far, everyone. You know, I get asked all the time which product is best, which software is best, which integrator, etc. The truth is every proidct has strengths and weaknesses relative to the needs at hand. I don't need a ferrari to drive to the corner market (though it might be fun!).

Buyers and sellers should focus on identifying the criteria that meets their speicifc needs. For one project that may be ease of use. For another deploymnet multiple complementary algorithms. etc.

I'll keep these postings coming and perhaps we can all see some useful criteria emerge.

[cpk]

Josh,

While I am sure ObjectVideo has lost some customers to competition (a natural progression and pretty healthy, truth be told...competition is good!), it is probably in error to say that they are "chasing" an appliance market. The natural progression of development (at least from what I can see) is PC/Server solutions - DSP appliance solutions - OEM Embedded solutions (i.e. OnBoard).

Doesn't it make sense to build and optimize a solution in that way (which is exactly what ObjectVideo is doing). A slow steady progression using known approaches learned from the server world and then applying them to the DSP environment.

It's easy to say that the apps (originally designed for server/pc) are too heavy to run in a DSP environment, but dozens of locations and hundreds of licenses DEPLOYED NOW on those appliances speak to ObjectVideo's ability to produce and deliver these types of solutions.

[Steve Hunt]

That's right. We all have remember what I learned when I was just a wee lad carrying a toolbox to job sites: "Good enough is always good enough."

[Interesting how what I said about Lenel and GE hasn't generated much comment...]

sh

[Nick Hewitson]

My view is based around the UK market rather than the US one. Here the number of Video analytics deployed systems is less than the US but we have as large a number of preexisting "dumb" CCTV installations. I see the market at the moment dividing into PC based systems for adding "Smart" to existing CCTV infrastructures to improve operator efficiency and embedded systems / smart cameras being the preferred solutions for applications which were never sensible with analogue cameras

[CPK]

Steve,

GE isn't a big shock. They just can't seem to get their act together in this market. I'd watch for them when they purchase another company in a couple years and then make a play for the "easy" (or at least easier) money.

Lenel...meh...I don't have enough insight to figure out what their plan is.

[Steve Hunt]

THanks for all the comments. Keep 'em coming.

[Lance]

What Video Analytic soultions are training and using outside integrators vs using in house installers. I ahve been trying to identify the next system(s) to learn now that I have Verint/OV completed. any suggestions?
Thanks

[Boris Bachman]

I'm curious what will happen to the ioimage if Axis for example will decide to enter VCA market with a new VA product line (in addition to existing video server).

ObjectVideo is a market leader so far, as well as ioimage is a market leader for the edge devices but no one of them sells in number greater then 6 zeros. Anyway two things are still correct the first one is that ObjectVideo along with it's leadership has a long tail of problems and ioimage can loose it's market to better solution and the second is that both companies bleed a huge amount of money on marketing and positioning.

[LV]

Thank you all for your insight. Yes I do...to the question about a company who is looking to embrace leading integrators for their deployments. Vidient has taken this step forward. In my research, which relies significantly on input from financial giants, I was lead to Vidient. I would be interested to see what you think of their technology offering.