Business Communications Co. Inc. of Norwalk, Conn., predicts that the visual surveillance market in the US will display an annual growth rate of 10.7 percent and reach $4.3 billion in 2004. The increased application of CCTV systems in homes and schools will power overall growth.

Nearly a third of US businesses currently employ CCTV systems for security and surveillance. The sector, which posted sales of more than $2 billion in 1999, is expected to grow annually by 11.8 percent and to reach nearly $3.6 billion in 2004.

The company estimates that sales of night-vision devices totaled $560 million in 1999. Annual growth of 6 percent is expected to push that number to $750 million in 2004.