The global market for electronic security equipment aimed at city surveillance applications will more than double in size from 2012 to 2017 as metropolitan areas adopt mobile technology to deal with threats more efficiently, according to a new report from IMS Research, now part of IHS Inc.

Worldwide, revenue for electronic security equipment in city security will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 17.8 percent from 2012 to 2017. By 2017, wireless infrastructure and CCTV and video surveillance equipment will amount to just over $3.2 billion, up from $1.4 billion in 2012.

City surveillance is a key tool for police departments to manage metropolitan center locations, with crime reduction typically being the main goal. Using this technology, police can access video surveillance feeds from mobile command centers when responding to an incident. This allows the police to coordinate efficient, quick responses to any event.

Cities face a number of threats, ranging from the kind of widespread civil unrest that recently affected Istanbul to lone-wolf and terrorist attacks, like the recent Boston marathon bombings. These threats underscore the need to provide fast access for video surveillance systems.

“City video surveillance systems have a key requirement to provide clear, useable images so that police departments can conduct effective investigations when needed,” said Paul Bremner, market analyst for Safe Cities and Security Services at IHS. “If the video surveillance system can’t do that, then it is failing in its primary purpose.”

Along with fast access for video surveillance systems, the requirement to push video streams out to various individuals and organizations across the city has increased. The mobility offered by these video systems is a key tool for police departments when managing city-center locations.

“For cities the focus has shifted from basic surveillance needs toward mobile surveillance,” Bremner continued.  “Emerging technology can send the video to police officers on the street, streaming that video directly to the smartphones or laptops in their patrol cars. Such mobile surveillance technology will act as a force multiplier for the officers on the ground.”

The IHS report entitled “Vertical Insights – Video Surveillance and Security in City Surveillance – World – 2013 Edition” combines feedback from end users, integrators and consultants working within the city surveillance market. The report explores the threats faced by cities, critical success factors for security systems and the decision processes behind city surveillance projects. The report presents market sizes and forecasts to 2017 for EMEA, Asia and the Americas. It is part of a series of reports focused on six different end-user industries including  banking and finance, city surveillance, critical infrastructure, education, retail and transportation.