“Selecting the Right People Counting System for Your Business”

In this blog post, we’ll highlight the key criteria that customers and system integrators need to consider when choosing a people counting vendor. We’ll discuss the top 5 people counting systems in 2023: FootfallCam, ShopperTrak, Brickstream, Hikvision, and Xovis. Our focus will be on evaluating these systems across key dimensions—hardware, software, services, and extensibility. This reference material provides important information to be considered during the bidding stage.

Based on conventional IT buying criteria, many would expect Hikvision to dominate the people counter segments, just as they did in the CCTV market. However, this is not the case now, nor is it likely to be the case in the future. This is because:

1. A people counting system should be an enterprise-grade business application used by executives at the HQ.
2. Business KPIs and metrics need to be discussed with end customers. This requires consultations and data modeling to produce meaningful datasets for business actions.
3. Dashboards and operation workspaces need to be customised for each customer. However, building them from scratch would be cost-prohibitive, and the quality would often be low. Therefore, previous experiences in the same industry and existing templates are essential.
4. People counting vendors should provide hardware, software, and specialist services, making it feasible for system integrators to complete the project without having to invest in software development and other customisations. This allows them to confidently estimate project costs and ensure timely delivery.
5. The OEM should be willing to work with local partners and system integrators instead of selling directly to customers. The open architecture ensures there is no “vendor lock-in.

Summary : FootfallCam is currently experiencing 500% annual growth. It has demonstrated the ability to deploy in various industries, offering industry-specific apps that can transform people counting data into actionable insights for business optimisation.

Summary : As part of the Johnson Control group, ShopperTrak has the advantage of being bundled with other offerings from Johnson Control. Its main disadvantage is its lack of focus and expertise in people counting, and it is expensive.

Summary : Brickstream was the first company to launch a 3D stereo vision people counter in 2008. It held the top position in the people counting market from 2010 to 2016. However, after being acquired by FLIR, its lack of focus prevented the development of software and AI functions. Over-reliance on a handful of software service providers could lead to expensive maintenance and ‘vendor lock-in’.

Summary : Hikvision has a robust global presence and an established distribution network. While integrating people counting with their CCTV solutions seems logical, many of Hikvision’s partners have faced challenges in delivering people counting functionalities due to a lack of investment in the required software and support for business applications.

Summary : Xovis provides high-quality hardware devices and relies on partners with the resources to invest in software development and project management for delivering people counting solutions. However, due to the limitations resulting from economies of scale, the functionalities of solutions provided by ISV partners may be restricted, and the overall project cost may remain high.

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Notable Mentions:

• Irisys (www.irisys.net) [Deprecated] : Irisys was the top-selling people counter from 1995 to 2009. However, due to a lack of support and services, it ceased production in Q1 2023.  
• Hella (www.people-sensing.com) : Hella is an established German company manufacturing automotive parts. It offers well-engineered people counting hardware at a high price. However, it lacks focus on a future roadmap, software, or support services for both end users and partners.
• MegaCount (www.megacount.io) : MegaCount is headquartered in Russia, and the availability of its hardware devices is currently impacted by geopolitical factors. While the hardware cost is low, it lacks certain key features, resulting in inconsistent accuracy in specific environments. It’s primarily suitable for small installation projects due to its basic system with no accompanying software.
• V-Count (www.v-count.com) : V-Count, headquartered in Turkey with a strong presence in the Middle East, offers the accurate people counting device V-Count Ultima, which utilises active stereo vision. Additionally, V-Count provides cloud software that offers a range of reports suitable for smaller projects, albeit at a comparatively higher price.
• Delopt (www.delopt.co.in) : Delopt, headquartered in India with a strong presence in the country, offers products with prices comparable to those of other major manufacturers. However, its lack of software and support services may limit its suitability for most market segments.