Video is Key but is Video Surveillance?

Cisco executives continue to advocate the core role of video in driving the networking business and the growth of their company. However, much of that video growth is from video surveillance? It appears that video surveillance is of only minor importance to Cisco as a whole.

In Cisco's public explanations as well as their F1Q10 analyst call, the focus is clearly on videoconferencing, collaboration and consumer video use. While the word 'video' is mentioned 25 times in the analyst call, no mention is made of video surveillance. The focus is clearly on the growth in tele-presence adoption and revenues.

In relation to video surveillance, during the Q&A, Cisco mentions growth in the overall public safety market and the growth of wireless and digital security projects.

All in all, though, as many defenders of Cisco's strategy for video surveillance argue, physical security may just be too small to really demand the full attention of Cisco's corporate.

The Flip consumer video recorder does seem to have Cisco's executive attentions (acquired in May 2009 for $590 Million [link no longer available]). Below is Cisco's CEO demonstrating the use of the Flip: