Feature article - Expanding into the non-CCTV market

30 May 2017

Hikvision’s position in the surveillance industry market is clear - it is the world’s leading supplier of video surveillance solutions. Up until last year, the company’s presence in Europe has been mainly using traditional distributor channels. This is now changing, with the company’s non-CCTV portfolio growing to include products to enhance security in other ways – from access control to intrusion detection.

With the industry’s strongest R&D workforce, Hikvision uses its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities to design and develop innovative CCTV and video surveillance products. More and more customers are asking for complete security solutions, and as a result the company started to explore other areas to apply this powerhouse of innovation and expertise. The company’s presence in its native Asia included non-CCTV products, so it was a logical step to enter the market in Europe too.

In May 2016, Hikvision acquired Pyronix, a UK-based intrusion alarm security company and a leading player in the intruder alarm market both in the UK and worldwide. This added a whole new set of products ranging from PIR’s, security control panels, and smartphone applications to the Non-CCTV portfolio. It also brought a wealth of experience in the non-CCTV market.

As Hikvision started to offer the new and growing product portfolio, it became clear that one of the strength was its ability to seamlessly integrate products, which came from its established expertise in video surveillance. This flexibility was enhanced with the introduction of the Hik-Connect mobile application which really allowed users to have full control of their solution from anywhere. Customers can now enjoy the benefits of integration of different platforms – CCTV, Access Control, Intercoms and Intrusion in one software, whether they are using Hikvision or Pyronix products.

The portfolio is going down very well with existing video surveillance customers, but interest is increasingly coming from other areas, such as vendors in the electrical market, and those in telecommunications and IT. 

Customers are using Hikvision non-CCTV products in a wide variety of applications – from individual houses and residential complexes to commercial buildings and public buildings, like schools and government offices.

This is just the beginning. As the market expands and more companies merge, we will see more solution-oriented products emerging, including a maximization of the use of smart phone apps benefitting from cloud architectures”, says Cenek Maly, Hikvision’s Channel Product Manager Non Video Products Europe. “Hikvision’s expansion into the Access Control, Intercom, Intrusion product lines is bringing us to the next level, beside blue-chip companies like Honeywell. This also allows us to be more focused on services and revert to our traditional approach being considered as a hardware manufacturer.”

It’s early days in this market for Hikvision in Europe, but, by using the company’s impressive innovation drive and its experience in the surveillance arena, it’s set to enjoy healthy growth in the future.