Abstract First network camera, called IP Camera, appeared in 1996. Because of many manufacturers investing in R&D and manufacturing, IP Camera’s function becomes increasingly complete. But after years of effort, IP Camera survives in niche markets, and still is hard to surpass its’ competitor -digital video recorder (DVR). This article attempts to review the reasons from the industries’ viewpoint. Reposition itself as a key component in the video surveillance service industry to break the overall environmental constraints and to create new opportunities for development with broader though. Keyword: IP Camera , Digital Video Recorder , Digital Video Surveillance Service