An IP camera, short for internet protocol camera, is a digital camera that transmits video as data over a network connection rather than as an analog signal over coaxial cable. This is the foundational hardware shift that made cloud storage, remote viewing, and AI analytics practical at scale.
Because an IP camera outputs digital video directly, footage can be encrypted in transit and at rest, accessed remotely from any authorized, internet-connected device, and processed by AI analytics software without an intermediate conversion step. IP cameras also share a standard network switch alongside other IP devices, often using Power over Ethernet, which simplifies installation considerably compared to analog wiring.
IP cameras are the standard for new commercial installations. Properties with legacy analog systems can often retain existing cabling while upgrading to IP-capable hardware, though the specific migration path depends on the existing infrastructure.
