Avaak is among the 40 companies hoping to make a splash at DEMO this week. The company today launches its Vue Personal Video Network, a network of small, battery-powered wireless cameras that stream videos directly to the Internet.
The $299 package includes two of its tiny “peel and stick” cameras and a network hub designed for easy installation and set up.
“What we solved is that people want video, but it’s hard to get the cameras where you want them without extension cords. And then there’s all the network configuration hassle that we do automatically,” said Dan Gilbert, vice president of marketing for Avaak.
The biggest application is video surveillance, which is a niche in the overall video market but a very fast growing one. The do-it-yourself home video surveillance market alone is expected to grow from just under $300 million in 2008 to nearly $1 billion by 2012, according to the research firm MultiMedia Intelligence.
“I think we’ll have some businesses that get this to keep track of facilities and things like that, but we are targeting consumers because this is such an easy set up and we know there’s interest,” Gilbert told InternetNews.com.
The camera and network are Avaak’s design, including the 2.4 GHz wireless network that Gilbert claims uses one-hundredth of the power of Wi-Fi. He said the cameras each run on a single, standard, CR123 photo battery that can last as long as a year, depending on use. The cameras are off by default and can be turned on or off via the Internet.
Avaak is targeting busy families who want to keep tabs on their home while away. Vue users get a private Internet account where they can access live video. You can also record video, store it locally or share it on social networks like Facebook or YouTube. The service also comes with up to 2GB of free storage.
Vue is slated to be available direct from the company and from Amazon this June. The Internet account is free for the first year of use and then $19.95 annually. A local broadband Ethernet service connection is required.
The company is working on new features it plans to add after the initial product release, including the ability to embed live video streams in a Web page. “We’ll also have an iPhone application that will let you check in from the iPhone,” said Gilbert.
