Video analytics is the automated analysis of video content for user-defined events of interest. The technology is primarily used for physical security and business intelligence applications. Capabilities range from simple motion detection to sophisticated algorithms for detection of people, vehicles, objects and their behaviors or interactions. The best techniques ignore normal scene changes in a camera view as well as motion due to snow, rain and tree foliage.

Examples of physical security applications include perimeter breach, loitering or removal of an object, while business intelligence applications include measurement of customer traffic and analysis of customer behavior. However, video analytics does much more than optimize safety and security and enable better business decisions — it also reduces the total cost of IP video surveillance system ownership.

The major elements of an IP video surveillance system are cameras, recorders, servers and software. Cameras are distributed across monitored locations, while recorders and servers are typically centralized for ease of management. A video management system (VMS) provides unified access to live and recorded video and aggregates hardware from multiple vendors.

New cameras employ MPEG-4 and H.264 compression to provide DVD or HD-resolution video at bit rates between 1M and 12Mbps. It is desirable to consolidate recorders and servers centrally for ease of configuration and maintenance. This video can then be distributed to one or more security/network operations centers and streamed on demand to responders and emergency personnel in the field.