I promise to beat the drum, albeit more slowly. I’m talking about my harping about moving to the IP world and side of the business. Yes, I still think it’s more important than ever, but let’s just say I’m going to bridle my enthusiasm a little. The reason is that I’m working on a story for our November issue of SD&I magazine called Hybrid Video Systems: The Best of Both Worlds, and I’ve been exploring the world of analog and IP; encoders; decoders; DVRs; NVRs; and software—and I’m finding that because of the large installed base of analog (some sources say more than 90 percent) that hybrid is the most logical way for the systems integrator and end user to go—for now. Quite frankly, many are intimidated with having to install and manage an IP camera and infrastructure--so that's causing them in many instances to continue to spec analog.
Hybrid systems are also a perfect way for them to learn what they will have to do to ultimately make the jump to IP (and eventually, they will, because the installed base of IP will some day outnumber analog.) Want to know more? I’ll give you the info on what the systems integrator is doing out in the field to create or engineer hybrid systems; and how manufacturers are helping too with bridge products. Read about it in the November issue of SD&I magazine. – Deborah O’Mara, editor, SD&I magazine
