Assa Abloy has signed an agreement to acquire Lux-Ident, a leading provider of radio frequency identification (RFID) components based in the Czech Republic.

“Lux-Ident is a strategic technological addition to the Assa Abloy Group. The company reinforces our current offering within RFID components. The acquisition of Lux-Ident considerably enhances the Group´s position within smart components and will provide complementary growth opportunities,” says Nico Delvaux, President and CEO of Assa Abloy.

“Our proven leadership in RFID technology positions HID as a premier source of components for a wide variety of RFID use cases and IoT applications. The acquisition of Lux-Ident further optimises our portfolio with more ways to offer customisation in both large and small volume projects,” says Stefan Widing, Executive Vice President and Head of HID Global. “Expanding our presence in Central and Eastern Europe with Lux-Ident will further enhance HID’s ability to serve customers locally while extending our RFID technology into emerging markets.”

Lux-Ident was founded in 2002 and has some 145 employees. The main office is located in Lanškroun, Czech Republic. Sales for 2019 are expected to reach about EUR 17 million and the acquisition will be neutral to EPS from start.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions and is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2019.

According to a new market report published by Marketsandarkets, the smart building market size is expected to grow from USD 60.7 billion in 2019 to USD 105.8 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 11.7% during the forecast period. The major drivers for the smart buildings market include the rising adoption of IoT-enabled building management systems, raising awareness of space utilisation and increased industry standards and regulations.

The Security and Emergency Management solution in the solution type segment is expected to lead the smart buildings market in 2019.

IoT consulting services help in refining the business processes of organisations and are used for formulating different strategies, developing use cases, planning roadmaps, assessing technologies, and framing IoT architectures. The providers of IoT consulting services ensure development and implementation of the appropriate IoT applications and architecture in organisations. They guide companies to create new IoT infrastructures to enhance their existing systems. The providers of IoT consulting services also help non-IT companies with minimal expertise to understand IoT technology. IoT consulting services can be classified into technology consulting services, business consulting services, and operational consulting services.

The industrial building segment is expected to grow at the fastest growth rate during the forecast period. Industrial buildings are often large and have many moving parts. Smart industrial building solutions automate building temperature control, security, and maintenance for more efficient property management through various mobile computing devices, such as mobile devices and computers.

The analysts predict that it will be the North American market that will lead the smart buildings market during the forecast period. The North American market has witnessed the emergence of latest smart building solutions that leverage new technologies, such as IoT, big data, cloud computing, data analytics, deep learning, and artificial intelligence, for saving energy, reducing operational expenditures, increasing occupancy comfort, and meeting increasingly stringent global regulations and sustainability standards. Moreover, North America is a technologically advanced region in the world due to the rapid adoption of emerging technologies by the organisations based there. Furthermore, the US and Canada are prominent countries contributing to technological development in this region; for instance, US organisations are heavily investing into smart building measures, such as building controls and building systems integration, to leverage energy efficiency and energy storage and deliver smarter, safer, and more sustainable buildings while the Canadian government is taking initiatives to support Canada’s commitment to protecting the environment and its resources by making federal buildings more energy-efficient and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, driving the growth of smart buildings.

The major vendors amongst those named by Marketsandmarkets and covered in the smart building market report include Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Cisco, Hitachi, Siemens, IBM, Schneider Electric, Intel, Huawei, and ABB.

IFSEC is the world’s leading portfolio of security content and events, hosting shows in the United Kingdom, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and the Philippines. Soon, the IFSEC brand will extend into mainland Europe with the launch of IFSEC Europe, a brand-new biennial security event providing a new gateway to the European integrated security market.

Taking place for the first time on 20-22 September 2021 at RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, IFSEC Europe will create a pan-European home for integrated security, fire safety and intelligent buildings professionals in one of Europe’s most dynamic and accessible capitals.

Co-located alongside Intelligent Buildings Europe, the new event will complement IFSEC’s flagship show IFSEC International, which will continue to take place annually at ExCeL London. This expansion is the result of a three-year research project to find the next hub for IFSEC’s global security community, designed to bring the expertise, prestige and comprehensiveness of the UK show to continental Europe.

IFSEC has established itself as a widely-respected hub for launching products and solutions, as well as showpiece events such as 2019’s National Surveillance Camera Day. In 2019 it welcomed over 80,000 visitors across all of its events from over 120 countries. IFSEC Europe will better connect the major players in security manufacturing and distribution with key end-users, installers, integrators and consultants across mainland Europe.

Responding to shifts in the European and global economy, IFSEC Europe offers the UK, continental and international security professionals a platform from which to penetrate the European market. It’s a unique opportunity for firms to source products, discover insights and generate new business connections in one of Europe’s largest conference venues.

VCA Technology, a UK video analytics provider, announced its global strategic partnership with camera manufacturer CPRO to integrate its AI-driven security surveillance and analytics solutions. This collaboration brings to market the widest range of analytics cameras currently available from one manufacturer, as well as providing customers with complementary servers, appliances and cloud-based analytics software.

The agreement enables both organisations to offer pioneering solutions to facilitate state-of-the-art video monitoring and threat detection for businesses across a diverse range of industry sectors. The new cameras will enable greater efficiency by reducing set up time thanks to simplified configuration, which will be applicable across the entire range. They will also leverage AI-powered deep learning in order to increase quality of image analysis, drive precision in detection and minimise false alarms.

“This partnership signals our ambition – not only to provide our customers with the premier security infrastructure available, but to significantly grow our business in a fiercely competitive market through our new Secubest VCA brand of products. With a growing demand and need for intelligent analytics which drive value across all areas of the business, this agreement gives our customers that extra edge in terms of security provision” said YS Lee, CEO of CPRO.

Equally, CPRO will benefit from VCA’s expertise in video analytics and market-leading solutions, with over 450,000 active channels globally. It will leverage VCA’s innovative edge video technology and cloud-based AI detection capabilities to launch the Secubest product line in Europe for the first time.

Kevin Waterhouse, Managing Director of VCA said: “Partnering with CPRO not only means working with a another major player in the CCTV industry but also strengthens our position as a leading provider of analytics at the edge.. Their wide range of cameras complements the range and flexibility of our analytics and their plans to launch in Europe are very exciting. In addition, our Server, Appliance and Cloud based products means that our mutual customers have the widest range of analytics and AI options.

The extensive choice of encoders, sensors, cameras and other CCTV tools will empower customers to select the most appropriate solution, depending on their specific business needs. From a security standpoint, customers will be able to effectively protect external boundaries from potential threats and use calibration to avoid false alarms – typically triggered by wildlife in rural areas, and by high footfall in urban locations. Businesses in the retail sector will be able to track conversion, analyse store traffic by area to improve product displays, and monitor till queues to optimise staff. Finally, in the field of transport, the new solutions can help manage traffic flow and ensure real time alerts for accidents, detect illegal activity, and count vehicles transiting to maximise car park capacity.

The global door phone market size is expected to reach USD 5.1 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 5.7% over the forecast period. The market is driven by consumer spending on security and safety products for home, along with rise in demand from the multi storey residential buildings. Moreover, cost of keeping manual security at every place in a premise is much costlier when compared to automated security devices, thereby resulting in increased sale of door phones in the market.

The researchers found that the market is driven by an increasing number of smart and automated homes in Asia Pacific, along with availability of cost effective products from various regional manufacturers. It can also be integrated with the central security system of the building, thereby making home monitoring easier and safer. These products are in high demand for physically handicapped and older people at home when physically attending the door can be difficult. The invention of high-end video door phones is becoming substantially more popular and it can also provide live conversation with the person without even opening the main door.

The adoption of smart technology and smart control of devices with the help of smart phones is also one of the major reasons behind the growing need for automated home security systems. Door phones connected with smart phones have special features, which allow users to control visitor access even when they are not at home. Additionally, the advancements in door phones including the addition of security alarms, quick access through biometric sensors, and smart control all provide growth opportunities for the market.

Geographically, the Asia Pacific region is expected to expand at the highest CAGR of 7.6% over the forecast period. The market is driven by an increasing number of construction activities in the residential sector. Moreover, growing concerns over safety and security of people living alone in their houses are driving this market. Commercial spaces are also installing these devices at various locations to provide an advanced level of safety and security to employees. Audio door phones accounted for the largest market share in 2018 owing to their increased usage in commercial spaces.

Various strategic initiatives such as new product launches, expansion, and mergers and acquisitions are taken by the key players in order to increase the brand presence in the market. Some of the key players in the business are Aiphone, Panasonic, Fermax, 1byone, Honeywell, ABB, and Legrand.

The anti-drone market is expected to grow from USD 499 million in 2018 to USD 2,276 million by 2024, at a CAGR of 28.8%. Researchers, Marketsandmarkets, publishers of this latest report say that the major factors driving the growth of the market are rising incidences of security breaches by unidentified drones and increasing terrorism and illicit activities across the world.

The detection and disruption application is likely to continue to account for a larger share of the anti-drone market during the forecast period. Analysts suggest that the growth is attributed to the increased number of terrorist groups, which are demonstrating the ability to operate a wide range of drones, including armed systems. Furthermore, detection and disruption systems have major applications in the military & defence and homeland security verticals wherein the entry of any unauthorised drone in the prohibited area of a country is detected, and then, the drone is disrupted on the spot.

The anti-drone market for the commercial vertical is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Key factors responsible for this growth include increased awareness and rapid development of inexpensive drones in the market. Drones are evolving beyond their military origin to become powerful business tools. They have already made the leap to the consumer market, and now they are being put to work in commercial applications such as firefighting, mining, surveying, and farming, among others.

The Americas is likely to account for a major share of the global anti-drone market during the forecast period. Factors contributing to the growth of this market include increasing incidences of security breaches by unidentified drones and a rising number of terrorist attacks in American countries, especially in the US. The dramatic growth in drone accidents and incidences has raised fundamental questions about national security, public safety, privacy regulations. This compelled the government to deploy anti-drone systems to ensure safety and security from illicit drones. The growth can also be attributed to the presence of several key players in this region, such as Airbus Defence and Space (US), Battelle Memorial Institute (US), Department 13 International Ltd. (US), Detect, Inc. (US), and Lockheed Martin Corp. (US).

Thales Group (US), Blighter Surveillance Systems Ltd. (UK), Lockheed Martin Corp. (US), Saab AB (Sweden), Raytheon Co. (US), Dedrone (US), Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (Israel), Security and Counterintelligence Group (SCG) LCC (Switzerland), Droneshield Ltd. (Australia), Liteye Systems, Inc. (US), Theiss UAV Solutions, LLC (US), BSS Holland BV (Netherlands), and Prime Consulting & Technologies (Denmark) are a few of the major players cited by the researchers as being active in the anti-drone market.

Hochiki Europe, the leading manufacturer of life safety systems, will be exhibiting at the Adria Security Summit in Macedonia on the 18-19th September.
Visit stand 58 for the latest in life safety, some of Hochiki’s products include;

LEAKalarm, the company’s recently released moisture detection system is one solution making waves in the market. The product helps reduce the risk of costly downtime in organisations which rely heavily on electrical equipment using its extensive network of water detection probes and cables.

FIREscape+, a combined fire detection and emergency lighting system, which offers revolutionary ‘wayfinding technology’ to ensure the safety of building occupants. At the same time, the technology is designed to be cost effective and suitable for a range of large environments, such as hospitals, schools and retail spaces.

L@titude, an analogue addressable life safety platform which is both easy to operate and install will be demonstrated at the event. Its modular system makes allocating, examining and solving any incidents easy with a combination of graphical images and intelligent system controls.

ACD, the company’s new addressable multi-sensor with CO detection, is the solution to this and sets the benchmark for appropriate certification. With 24 EN approved modes of operation, it’s the most advanced and accredited triple-criteria multi-sensor available to date.

For more information about Hochiki Europe visit: http://www.hochikieurope.com

Motorola Solutions has acquired Watchguard, a U.S. leader in mobile video solutions. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Watchguard designs and manufactures in-car video systems, body-worn cameras, evidence management systems and software. Its solutions enable law enforcement users to capture, manage, store and share high-quality video evidence. The company manufactures its products at its Texas headquarters.

“An integrated, secure mobile video solution can enhance safety and efficiency for public safety users,” said John Kedzierski, senior vice president, Video Security Solutions, Motorola Solutions. “Watchguard provides industry-leading capabilities, from capturing an incident from more than a dozen vantage points to technology that enables users to recover and upload video from events hours or days after they happened.”

The acquisition expands Motorola Solutions’ mission-critical ecosystem, adding to its video security solutions platform that includes fixed cameras and advanced analytics from Avigilon and license plate recognition (LPR) cameras and software from Vigilant Solutions.

“We are excited to join the Motorola Solutions team,” said Robert Vanman, founder, chief executive officer and chairman, Watchguard. “This acquisition enables us to continue providing market-leading mobile video solutions to existing customers while also leveraging Motorola Solutions’ global footprint and growing video security solutions portfolio.”

According to Milestone Systems, Xprotect Corporate 2019 R2 is the first major video management software product to obtain the highly sought-after Europrise (European Privacy Seal) GDPR-ready certification. With the GDPR-ready certification from the independent and recognised institute Europrise, end-users can be confident that they have the right foundation to build a GDPR compliant video surveillance installation.

The certification covers all core capabilities of Milestone Xprotect Corporate, building on the native Xprotect cyber security features. To help system integrators and end-users design, implement, and operate GDPR-compliant video management installations, Milestone Systems provides a holistic set of tools, including an extensive GDPR Privacy Guide with ready-to-use templates, as well as privacy awareness training for end-users.

“While GDPR is an EU-centric regulation, data privacy is a concern in many parts of the world, where we see similar regulations coming into force. GDPR is on par with, or in many cases tougher than these domestic regulations, so the Europrise GDPR-ready certification is of great importance to us. System integrators and end-users can rest assured that they have the right foundation on which to build GDPR-compliant solutions,” says Chief Technology Officer Bjørn Skou Eilertsen, Milestone Systems, and continues:

“With the continuous technology evolution, video management products have become very powerful, which calls for a responsible use by end-customers. In 2017, Milestone Systems leaders joined more than 150 representatives from tech companies around the world in signing the Copenhagen Letter, a declaration that calls on tech companies to use technology in a responsible, human-centred way. Enabling our customers to protect personal data captured and processed by Xprotect VMS systems is a natural extension of this commitment.”

The GDPR-ready certification covers Milestone Systems’ top range product Xprotect Corporate. The ambition is to certify the entire Xprotect VMS product range, to allow all sizes of installations to build their video management installations on a proven GDPR-ready base.