Norwalk, CT, May 29, 2002 -- Electronic, optical, and acoustic security, detection, monitoring, and surveillance systems connote and encapsulate the whole gamut of equipment, systems, and devices used for the protection of persons, organizations and companies, commercial and social operations, and civil/military installations both at national and international levels.
The systems range from the personalized security systems of a home to large-scale systems for the protection of crucial national installations. Criminals have become very sophisticated; crimes still get committed against installations even when they are continuously manned by security personnel. The reality is that traditional security systems are inadequate and ineffective when it comes to protection against the designs and devices of the present-day criminal and/or terrorist.
According to a soon-to-be-released study from Business Communications Company, Inc., RG-266 Electronic, Acoustic and Optical Surveillance and Monitoring Systems, the market for electronic, optical, acoustic, security, detection, monitoring, and surveillance security systems for 2001 is estimated at about $11 billion. Growing at an AAGR of 11.1%, this market will reach $18.8 billion in 2006. The market is divided up into seven segments, namely; Access Control (ACS), Acoustic Monitoring (ACSM), Biometrics (BIO), Detection Systems (DS), Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS), Law Enforcement (LAW), Video (Optical) Monitoring and Security Alarm Systems (VIDEO).
The segment for video (optical) monitoring and security alarms has the largest market share at under $5.0 billion, followed by the access control segment with a share of about $2.2 billion. These results are hardly surprising, because these two segments are easily the most visible, public representations of electronic security systems.
They are ubiquitous. In installations at the city center or downtown, at the entrance of banks and important public/private installations, the closed-circuit television cameras and their systems are the 'silent observers.' They provide continuous surveillance and monitoring functions for law-enforcement officers located in remote offices, and are completely unseen at the different points being monitored. The systems have become more efficient and cost effective, and have remained in step with advancements in the electronics, computing, and telecommunications technologies.
While still valid, these applications are fast being served by other sorts of systems, such as face recognition, eye or iris recognition, and voice recognition. These are examples of biometric systems, high-technology systems which find wide and diverse applications in both industry and the military. The applications considered include personal identification documentation (such as driver licensing) and identification systems (ID).
Biometrics has potential for large growth, because it provides the technologies and serves the applications used for developing, installing, and operating effective counter-terrorism systems. For example, face-, iris-, voice-, and fingerprint-recognition systems are considered effective means for uniquely identifying individuals, irrespective of any external disguises.
Another area that has developed considerable potential for growth in the last few months is detection systems. Explosive- and drug-detection systems that are more effective than the use of sniffer dogs are covered in this report. Companies in this segment have experienced large increases in their order books since the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on September 11, 2001. Detection is also an area in which much use is made of advanced technologies.
Electronic article surveillance (EAS) is typified by, for example, the tag that triggers an alarm when a shoplifter attempts to take a stolen article from a retail store. EAS is of great interest to commercial security engineers and managers of retail outlets.
The tags are being made to become more efficient with advanced technologies. The vogue now is for source tagging, a method which incorporates the tags during the production of the goods, so that when they are delivered to the store, they already carry their tags and will set off alarms if removed inappropriately from the store, either by internal staff or by external fraudsters.
Acoustic monitoring is an important security area, especially in the elimination of fraud in telecommunications and other voice-operated systems. It is a relatively new area that experienced much growth during the boom years of the Internet and telecommunications systems. Acoustic monitoring covers such applications as voice recognition and speaker identification. It is a product segment that still has potential for growth in areas such as banking and other financial operations.
This solid growth forecast through 2006 is indicative of the current importance attached to electronic security, which provides the systems and tools for combating commercial fraud. In a normal commercial environment, fraud accounts for the loss of multibillions of dollars.
Electronic security also provides systems for combating crimes in telecommunication- and voice-operated systems. The cellular market, for example, presents a billion-dollar business opportunity for voice-operated security systems. Finally, these electronic security systems provide probably the most reliable devices and tools for combating terrorism, which is fast becoming the covert and unpredictable scourge of current and foreseeable future generations.
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