Axis Communications, the company that invented the IP surveillance camera, has been increasingly diversifying its portfolio in recent years. In 2016, for example, the company launched its own line of network speakers, which was followed up a year later with the debut of a new network radar detector. Both products are designed to help integrators and end-users capitalize on the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT) market and enable them to take advantage of security and safety technologies that can be leveraged alongside existing video surveillance networks.
The company has now returned to its video roots as it officially rolled out a new body-worn surveillance solution during an online event with members of the media. According to Fredrik Andersson, Global Product Manager for Axis, the company feels these cameras will not only will be popular with their existing government and law enforcement customers, but also with an ever growing number of private businesses, such as retailers, healthcare providers and public venues that are outfitting security and other employees with body cams.
“We have a broad focus for this product. Law enforcement, absolutely, that’s pretty much where body-worn comes from,” he said. “The solution that we have designed is very well fitted for other target groups as well – private security is one of those… and we will investigate use cases, of course, over time.”
With regards to the expansion of their portfolio beyond traditional network cameras, Gren said that the body-worn cameras, along with the other IoT products they’ve launched in recent years, are a “very natural extension” for Axis. “In the same way we did thermal network cameras, horn speakers and network video door stations, all of these are non-core products, so to speak, but given the way we are setup and how our ecosystem works, I think this is just a natural extension to it and I think it will fit very well as our other initiatives have done,” he explained.
