Across cloud, AI, integration, and regulation, the industry’s leading figures shared a consistent message: video technology is maturing rapidly, and expectations are rising just as fast. By speaking directly with the teams behind today’s most widely deployed platforms, Benchmark has gathered a clear snapshot of where the market is right now and where it’s likely to head next.
2025 has been a year of clear change across the security industry. The companies we spoke with – including Eagle Eye Networks, Milestone, Hanwha Vision, i-PRO, Cathexis, OpenEye, Verkada, Hikvision and IDIS – highlighted meaningful shifts in how organisations deploy their systems, what they expect from AI, and how they evaluate long-term trust in their technology partners. By gathering these perspectives directly from the teams shaping today’s platforms, Benchmark has built a detailed picture of where the market stands today and where it is heading as we move into 2026.
To give you a coherent overview, this end-of-year review is divided into three parts. Each focuses on a major theme that came through repeatedly in our conversations with manufacturers, developers, and product leaders.
Infrastructure in Transition: Building the Next Generation of Video Systems
Our first article looks at the continued momentum behind cloud adoption and the consolidation of hybrid models as the default deployment strategy. Companies describe how customers are balancing bandwidth, compliance, and resilience while demanding tighter integrations and more flexible workflows. We also explore the growing role of edge intelligence and the ways vendors are refining infrastructure to match real operational needs.
AI in Practice: What the Industry’s Front Runners Are Prioritising for 2026
The second article focuses on the practical application of AI. Rather than speculative potential, the emphasis in 2025 has been on measurable impact: improved imaging, faster investigations, richer operational insight, and the early stages of predictive intelligence. From unified AI timelines to enhanced edge analytics, we examine how AI is changing day-to-day work and reshaping how organisations understand and use their video systems.
Trust and Responsibility: The Values Reshaping Security Technology
The final article turns to the principles underpinning modern product development. Cybersecurity, responsible AI, evidential integrity, and sustainability have moved from optional considerations to central requirements. Industry leaders outline the frameworks they follow, the expectations they encounter from customers, and the steps they are taking to build long-term trust in increasingly intelligent systems.
Taken together, these three themes show a sector that is becoming more integrated, more intelligent, and more accountable. The insights shared by the companies in this feature highlight the priorities driving development today – and the areas where the most meaningful progress is likely to continue into 2026.
Keep an eye out for these articles coming up before the Christmas break.