If you’ve ever stopped to chat with Robert Messer (News - Alert), President and CEO of ABP Technology, you’ve likely heard him talk up the world of SIP-based IP Communications products — that’s what ABP (News - Alert) Tech specializes in. If you’ve given him then chance, you’ve also heard him tout the wonders of today’s IP-based video surveillance products, something he is particularly keen on promoting, saying that video has become a key part of IP-based business solutions.

 

It’s also a market that, despite the economic downturn, experienced a healthy 10 percent growth rate over the past year, according to ABI Research (News - Alert), which also says that growth rate will only climb, as the economy starts its recovery by then end of this year or early in 2010. In fact, ABI predicts the total video surveillance market will top $41 billion by 2014.

 

That’s a pitch that Grandstream Networks’ senior director of business development Khris Kendrick will gladly listen to. In fact, in a recent interview, Kendrick noted that Grandstream’s video phones are among its fastest growing product lines.

 

“As you will see, demand for media phones will only increase as we deliver even more fresh real-time media and content to the device,” he said. “We will continue to build products for this segment in 2009 and beyond.”

 

Indeed, the video communications space is one on which Kendrick and Grandstream have been very high on for some time, refusing to succumb to the market challenges that have plagued many other vendors looking to break into the space over the years. Its persistence is underscored by Kendrick’s belief that, “By far, the video market has the strongest growth and pace” in the communications space.

 

ABI Research vice president and practice director Stan Schatt confirms the video market momentum, saying that, “People and organizations are still buying video security systems, despite the recession. In fact, some large retailers have increased their deployments.”

 

Given this growth, combined with Grandstream’s own forecast and ongoing innovation in video products, which has, until now, been limited to it’s IP video phones, it’s hardly surprising to learn that it has now launched a new product line to leverage the growing interest in SIP-based IP video solutions.

 

The first products in the new line include one- and four-port video servers/encoders — its GXV3501 and GXV3504 — and an IP video camera — the GXV3601.

 

All three products leverage Grandstream’s experience with H.264 real-time video compression, providing clear video while optimizing bandwidth usage, and SIP-based VoIP technology for providing two-way audio and video streaming to mobile phones and desktop video phones, like Grandstream’s new GXV3140, as well as a wide variety of other SIP-based endpoints on the market today. They also offer deployment flexibility, offering both POE and 802.11b/g support. The video encoders can also be used to IP enable existing analog cameras, offering investment protection, while leveraging today’s IP Communications technology.

 

Naturally, they are also interoperable with Grandstream’s existing video and VoIP products, including its GXE502x all-in-one-IP PBX.

 

Using GSurf, Grandstream’s video management software, customers can install and simultaneously control up to 36 cameras, providing the scalability businesses need as they grow.

 

Because that growth is just what Kendrick and Messer both predict for the IP video market, it’s not surprising that ABP already distributes Grandstream’s video phones — it’s a safe bet it will also pick up the new surveillance products to further promote the SIP and IP video solutions it is constantly expanding. The new line is expected to be generally available by the end of April, at more than reasonable list prices: $249 for the GXV3501, $499 for the GXV3504, and $449 for the GXV3601 is $449.

 

To provide complete details and show you their products first hand, both Grandstream and ABP will be exhibiting at ITEXPO West, September 1-3, 2009, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.