The quickest –at a compound annual growth rate of 44.3 percent. Of course, much of this growth is likely to be centred around China and other fast-developing nations but it means there are opportunities for enterprising firms brave enough to expand into Asia.

Important, too, it’s not just video surveillance that looks set for growth. An RnR Market Research report recently projected the global building automation and controls specifically lighting, security & access, HVAC, entertainment, outdoor controls, elevator controls and BMS market is expected to reach $US49.5 billion by 2018 growing at a double digit CAGR from 2013 till 2018. Whether that rate was 11 percent or 99 percent, the report did not say. Home Automation will grow, too. The global market was valued at $US3.6 billion in 2012 and it’s expected to reach $US16.4 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 24.6 percent from 2013 to 2019.

Something else that was interesting recently was a study that suggested the value of security for global energy supplies would reach $US67 billion in 2018, growing at close to 7 percent. This is an enormous figure, given it covers just one area of global utility.

Fuelling growth in energy provision and generation are terror threats, political pressure and stringent government regulation that cover power generators and fuel suppliers. According to analysts, such organisations have been broadly classified as primary targets for physical and cyber security attacks and increasing thought is being put into ensuring they are secured properly. And shaping growth will be the 6 billion internet connected devices set to be manufactured and sold in 2014.

But how real these numbers are and how likely they to solidify into concrete business opportunities is more difficult to say. So many reports cross my desktop, with so many different market values, so many different contributors. At times the figures vary enormously. But there’s one thing that does not vary. That is the expectation of strong global growth in security electronics and networks ranging from 7-12 percent and compounding between 2013 and 2020.

Sourced from Security Electronics & Networks Magazine