Year: 2024

Following on from the news of the acquisition process in May earlier this year, Dedrone, the global leader in airspace awareness and security, is now officially part of Axon. The acquisition unites two companies with a shared mission to improve public safety and national security by staying ahead of persistent and escalating threats, enabling faster, more effective responses and ultimately protecting more lives in more places.

Dedrone’s smart airspace security technology integrates with Axon’s public safety platform to enable true drone as first responder (DFR) programmes and protect against unauthorised drone threats. With Dedrone’s technology now part of the Axon ecosystem, this joint knowhow is advancing how we leverage and protect against drones to keep everyone safe with a greater ability to prevent incidents before they escalate.

Enhancing Axon’s drone as first responder (DFR) offering

DFR is transforming how public safety agencies respond to emergencies. Drones are dispatched immediately after an emergency call, providing real-time intelligence to help officers assess the scene before arriving. With Axon DFR, Dedrone’s airspace awareness technology, Dedronebeyond, extends this capability, enabling drones to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) without the need for human visual observers. This innovation allows drones to fly farther, faster and operate in more challenging conditions and areas previously difficult to access, reducing response times and improving situational awareness.

Protecting public spaces and national security

Dedrone’s AI-powered airspace security systems are essential for safeguarding large-scale events, airports, critical infrastructure and even military bases and defense operations from unauthorised drone activity. As drone usage rises, so does the risk of airspace incursions that could disrupt operations or pose serious safety risks. With Dedrone, public safety and defense teams can detect, track, and, when necessary, neutralise rogue drones in real time, ensuring both public spaces and sensitive areas remain secure. Additionally, Dedrone’s battle-tested technology is actively serving governments and defence agencies worldwide, offering critical protection against evolving threats.

Securitas and IBM have entered into, what is thought to be the first global Vested security agreement, shifting from a transactional contract to a collaborative, win-win partnership.

Together with IBM, Securitas has established the world’s first global Vested security agreement, a strategic partnership that could have a significant impact on the industry.

The Vested business model – developed by a team led by Kate Vitasek at the University of Tennessee – is an innovative approach that turns the conventional buy-sell relationship into a partnership focused on shared success, transparency, and common goals.

As Kate puts it, this approach aims to turn value exchange into value creation, reimagining contracts as frameworks for collaboration. Importantly, it also builds into the contract flexibility and opportunity for innovation.

“Moving away from transactional relationships into this Vested methodology gives us bi-lateral flexibility,” says IBM Chief Security Officer and VP of Corporate Security Royce Curtin. “It allows us to specify requirements to secure the enterprise and our people, and it gives Securitas flexibility to deliver those requirements using a combination of assets – including physical guarding, security technology, or various other incident response tactics.”

This type of partnership presents tremendous potential in the security industry, in particular, where traditional contracts can inadvertently prioritise price-per-guard metrics over holistic safety and security. In a Vested business model, key performance indicators (KPIs) developed by both companies primarily focus on the health of the relationship, and a governance team representing both sides track progress against these shared goals.

“This partnership is built on a foundation of mutual trust, innovation, and a shared commitment to excellence,” says Paul McClintock, senior vice president of Global Clients at Securitas. “Through the Vested approach, our goal is to showcase the power of partnership in creating not just a safer, more secure environment, but a more resilient and intelligent enterprise.”

The global passwordless authentication market size is expected to reach USD 55.70 billion by 2030, growing at promising 17.1% CAGR, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Passwordless authentication is a security procedure that uses unique biological traits of a person to validate their authenticity. The findings show that the increasing adoption of smartphones and other electronic gadgets is a crucial element driving the biometric authentication market forward.

According to a July 2022 Oxford Economics and Samsung study, up to 85% of small and midsize enterprises allow all or most of their staff to use mobile devices for work. Personal laptops and smartphones used by employees might expose a small firm to the dangers of unauthorised access to proprietary data, files, and systems. Such solutions remain the need of the hour and growing focus of many companies around the world.

For instance, in September 2022, Aadya Security, a cyber security firm, announced the availability of passwordless authentication for Judy, the first all-in-one cyber security solution for SMEs. The new security feature protects how small business employees access company resources, mainly when they operate remotely and on mobile phones and personal laptops.

 An additional layer of security

The growing requirement for an additional layer of protection beyond passwords fuels the growth of the passwordless authentication industry. To authenticate identities, fingerprint sensors and smartcards are utilised, and these security points allow for a seamless experience and data flow across locations. Researchers found that many businesses are using voice biometric authentication in their workplaces for their personnel.

Reduced fraud exposure and lower authentication costs often drive organisations to implement voice biometric technology in their facilities. For instance, in July 2022, Turant Inc., a voice biometric AI firm, launched its cutting-edge AI solution in India. The company seeks to eliminate OTP-related fraud in transactions across use cases across business/industry domains, including e-commerce deliveries, by making it available in all Indian languages and roughly 20,000 dialects.

 Increasing risk of data theft

 Furthermore, due to the increasing number of incidences of data theft around the world, passwordless authentication has gained popularity. Data theft issues in devices such as computers, cellphones, and tablets have increased the requirement for protection beyond passwords. fingerprint sensors and facial recognition are ways modern gadgets can be secured to prevent data theft.

For instance, by way of an example the analysts cite that in August 2022, Forgerock, an international identity and access management software business, established strategic cooperation with Israeli software company Secret Double Octopus. Forgerock will use SDO technology to provide employees, contractors, and vendors with a unified multi-factor secure experience. Forgerock Enterprise Connect, the new solution, connects effortlessly with any Forgerock deployment option, allowing organisations to gain increased security for databases, workstations, VPNs, and servers.

 Key players

Some of the main players that are active in this market and mentioned in the report include companies such as, Assa Abloy, Dermalog Identification Systems, East Shore Technology, Fujitsu, HID Global, M2sys Technology, Microsoft, NEC Corporation, Safran, and Thales.

The global smoke detector market size is expected to reach USD 3.25 billion in 2030 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.5% from 2025 to 2030. Increasing sustainable development in the infrastructure sector coupled with stringent government policies and regulations are projected to surge the application smoke and fire detection devices.

Favourable initiatives and policies framed by government bodies are anticipated to drive the market growth. Governments from some developed countries offer monetary support for the installation of smoke detectors in residences. These initiatives help increase awareness among customers regarding the importance of smoke and fire detection devices, which in turn, according to the analysts, is expected to surge the market growth. For instance, the U.S. government has extended support by granting USD 110,000 to the Fire Department of Berrien Springs – Oronoko Township – to increase awareness regarding smoke detectors. This initiative also promotes benefits associated with the product. These measures will boost the scope of application and market growth over the forecast period.

 North America accounts for around 30% of market share

 North America dominated the global smoke detector market, with a revenue share of 30.8% in 2024. Major manufacturers are adopting strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, new product launches, and awareness campaigns. For instance, in June 2018, Kidde launched an awareness creating campaign ‘Beat the Beep’. This campaign is important to educate the residents of California regarding the importance of smoke detectors and identifying the situation when a Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm or smoke alarm needs to be replaced.

Major manufacturers in this sector and mentioned within the research are companies such as, Kidde; Honeywell International Inc.; Johnson Controls; BRK Brands, Inc.; Siemens AG; Birdi; Hochiki Corporation; Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.; Xtralis Pty Ltd.; and Robert Bosch LLC.

Increasing awareness regarding fire safety in commercial as well as residential buildings is fueling the product demand for this sector over the forecast period. The market is competitive in nature owing to the increasing product innovation and R&D activities by the market leaders.

The Security Industry Association (SIA) has appointed eight industry leaders and veterans, led by Jeff Huggins, Chair of Assa Abloy Door Security Solutions, to serve as Advisory Board members for SIA Veterans in Security, a new community focused on the issues and concerns of veterans and active military members who are in, or are interested in joining, the security industry.

The SIA Veterans in Security community focuses on providing resources, programs and events for both veterans – as well as Guard and Reserve members – who work in the sector and actively serving military members who are planning their transition to the civilian world. Membership in the community is open to veterans, members of the Armed Forces and supporters both with and without direct military affiliations.

The first members of the SIA Veterans in Security Advisory Board are:

• Chair: Jeff Huggins, vice president, government programs and national accounts, Assa Abloy Door Security Solutions (U.S. Marine Corps)
• Katie Bourbeau, executive director, federal business development, Convergint (U.S. Marine Corps)
• Darren Crawford, vice president, channel partnerships, Zeroeyes (U.S. Air Force)
• James Marcella, director, industry associations, Axis Communications (U.S. Navy)
• Steven McCory, sales director, Virtual Guarding (U.S. Army)
• Cesar Montalvo, end user consultant, Allegion (U.S. Air Force)
• Cyrus Nelson, field sales engineer, federal government solutions, LenelS2 (U.S. Coast Guard)
• Jeff Slotnick, president, Setracon (U.S. Army)

“SIA thanks Jeff Huggins, Katie Bourbeau, Darren Crawford, James Marcella, Steven McCory, Cesar Montalvo, Cyrus Nelson and Jeff Slotnick for their military service and for lending their expertise as the founding members of the SIA Veterans in Security community,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “These inspiring leaders will bring immense value to the community’s efforts to support veterans and active military as they join and work in our vital industry.”

The SIA Veterans in Security community will hold a reception in honor of Veterans Day on Thursday, Nov. 14, at President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington, D.C. – the site of the drafting of the Emancipation Proclamation.