As technology evolves, electronic devices are becoming smaller and smaller. From computers to cars, and everything in between, smaller form factors rule the day, and certainly, are paving the way of the future. We can see that mainframe computers have now been replaced by laptops, tablets, PDAs and smart phones.

As a result of advanced technology, data storage has also gotten smaller. This holds true for video surveillance applications as well. As chipsets and circuit boards have shrunk in size and grown in processing power, so too have video surveillance products. Where video cassettes were once used, now small storage disks hold terabytes of video data that reside in video recorders and cameras. In some instances, the video is simply stored in the cloud.

This trend does not stop at the camera level. How users manage video is also changing, thanks to the shrinking size of the technological components. Desktop computers that are used for viewing live and recorded video can be the size of a box of cereal, or a tablet computer can be used to monitor video on the go.

Over the last decade, the video surveillance market has grown by as much as 45% according to some reports. The increasing number of cameras worldwide is due, in part, to the demand for more and better security and, as a result, people have become more accustomed to seeing video cameras all around them.

Now that video cameras are so prevalent in our lives, aesthetics is playing a more important role. Businesses and organizations want to have small, discreet cameras that feature the same power and functionality as larger mini-dome, box and bullet cameras. Today, customers needing a camera that will blend in with the existing environment can choose from a variety of compact form factors, such as bullet cameras that are as small as a tube of lipstick. Now that is discreet! Even more sophisticated PTZ cameras are no longer the size of basketballs, but more the size of a half-gallon of milk, with some as tiny as a fast food restaurant hamburger.

While the concept of 24-hour monitoring is far more accepted in today’s society, people don’t necessarily want to be blatantly reminded that they are being captured on camera while waiting on the street corner, the ATM, the grocery store or relaxing in the park. Likewise, retail and banking businesses must have surveillance installed but want to minimize the feeling of “being watched” for their customers. When it comes to video surveillance cameras, smaller really is the bigger trend!

For more information, contact MCC’s Security Solutions Division today for a consult and demonstration to help determine which surveillance option is best for your organization.