ASSA ABLOY has acquired Level Lock, a technology solutions business based in Redwood City, California. “This acquisition is an exciting technological addition to the ASSA ABLOY Group and will provide complementary growth opportunities,” says Nico Delvaux, President and CEO of ASSA ABLOY.

“The acquisition of Level Lock complements ASSA ABLOY’s technology portfolio and strengthens our digital offering across multiple businesses in the Americas division,” says Lucas Boselli, Executive Vice President of ASSA ABLOY and Head of the Americas Division. “Their innovative platform provides an easy transition from mechanical locking to digital access solutions with minimal effort.”

Level Lock was founded in 2016 and has some 70 employees. The main office is located in Redwood City, California, USA. Sales for 2023 amounted to about MUSD 16.

After a 14-year legal process, the EU Court has upheld a fine of 2.4 billion euros against Google, which is accused of abusing its position in internet search.

According to the ruling, the company directed visitors exclusively to its own Google Shopping service through search results in 13 European countries, causing significant harm to competitors.

This decision confirms the EU Commission’s previous ruling from 2017, which imposed the same fine on Google. Google had appealed this decision, which has now been officially rejected.

Apple also received a hefty fine and will have to return 13 billion euros to the Irish government due to illegal state aid.

The EU Court also upheld the European Commission’s 2016 decision that Ireland had granted illegal state aid of 13 billion euros to Apple, which the company now has to repay. This aid concerned the tax treatment of profits from Apple’s activities outside the US.

With the introduction of the Axis Q1809-LE bullet camera, Axis is starting to deliver on its promise to provide FIPS 140-3 Level 3-compliant products under the Federal Information Processing Standards.

The FIPS 140-3 standard specifies security requirements for cryptographic modules that process and ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data. The move improves the cyber security posture of customers in US and Canadian federal agencies and critical infrastructure who must meet FIPS 140-3-compliancy requirements.

Axis stakes its claim to be the first to launch a network security device with an embedded discrete secure element validated to the state-of-the-art FIPS 140-3 Standard Level 3. Thus, Axis customers in government and critical infrastructure can be assured that their devices live up to the security levels defined by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and required by law. FIPS 140-3 certification assesses four levels of security. At Level 3, hardware is expected to prevent tampering, and access must be identity based. The embedded discrete secure element, Edgelock SE052F, is from NXP Semiconductors, a world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications and known for its trusted security solutions, including securing today’s smartphones, bank cards and passports.

More devices with FIPS 140-3-validated secure elements on the way

Going forward, Axis will continue to expand its range of FIPS 140-3 certified devices by embedding the new secure element in all its upcoming network products. FIPS 140-3-compliance will be available for use cases ranging from surveillance to business optimization (through analytics), to access control, and audio. Even organisations that are not required to comply with the high FIPS standards will benefit as they can also be confident that their systems are interoperable and will meet long-term security requirements.

Protection from the inside out

Ongoing investment in a portfolio equipped with industry-standard cryptographic computing modules is part of a multi-layer Axis strategy. Secure storage and computing of cryptographic keys is just one component of the hardware-based cyber security platform Axis Edge Vault. Axis Edge Vault also includes features like secure boot, and the IEEE 802.1AR-compliant Axis device ID that verifies the identity and authenticity of Axis devices.

Honeywell has entered into a collaboration with Cisco on an AI-powered solution that automatically adapts building systems based on fluctuating usage levels, reducing energy consumption and optimising the environment for worker productivity and comfort.

By combining Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings and Cisco Spaces, the joint effort uses AI and machine learning to help monitor assets to adjust heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems based on real-time occupancy for a single building or an entire campus.

Cisco Spaces collects occupancy and environmental data from Cisco network infrastructure, environmental sensors, collaboration devices and third-party IoT devices without the need to add additional hardware. Honeywell Forge Sustainability+ for Buildings then uses this information to help improve energy efficiency and provide insights on building utilisation. Together with Honeywell’s latest Optimizer Advanced Controller for Buildings, this real-time occupancy data can help further improve energy efficiency for greater resiliency.

Room temperatures, lighting and ventilation are autonomously adjusted based on where people are in the building and customer selected controls. This ultimately helps automate daily building operations, optimise energy use and drive employee comfort while monitoring GHG emissions.

Fine-tuning by harnessing the power of AI

“Buildings have historically been a substantial contributor to overall carbon emissions, but with the rise of hybrid work, operators now have the opportunity to take a fresh look at addressing their environmental impact by moving their HVAC systems away from consistent 9-to-5 schedules,” said Greg Turner, Chief Technology Officer of Honeywell’s Building Automation segment. “By tapping into a building’s existing technology infrastructure and harnessing the power of AI to fine-tune heating and cooling according to zone occupancy levels, our collaboration with Cisco empowers building owners to gain control of their environment and significantly curb emissions.”

The collaboration is part of Honeywell’s broader effort to help companies reduce their buildings’ environmental footprint and supports Honeywell’s alignment of its portfolio to three compelling megatrends, including automation and energy transition. It is also enabled by Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration programme, a global initiative that collaborates with government and private sector leaders to build sustainable, secure and inclusive communities powered by ethical and innovative technology solutions.

An era of real-time data insights

“The convergence of IT and OT infrastructures, seamlessly interoperable with leading building management system (BMS) platforms, ushers in an era of real-time data insights that can optimise energy usage, regardless of building age or retrofit status,” said Wes Sylvester, Vice President of Cisco’s Industry Solutions Group. “By working closely with Honeywell, we’re enabling building operators with enhanced visibility and control over operational data, setting a new standard for energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact.”

With more than 30 years of experience working across business development, sales, product and marketing for leading distribution and manufacturing companies, John Lutz Boorman, the recently appointed Head of Product and Marketing at Hanwha Vision Europe, has vast knowledge and expertise in the security industry. Here he talks about his view on innovations in video surveillance over the next few years.

The video surveillance market has rapidly evolved over the past few decades. Video cameras are no longer deployed solely to record images for security, but have become essential tools for organisations to refine operations, increase productivity, provide business intelligence and enhance safety. AI offers accurate detection of faces, people and vehicles (as well as their attributes) to reduce false alarms and deliver deeper operational insights.

In the opinion of John Lutz Boorman, over the next five years, AI will be increasingly deployed not only for “after the event” – but also to allow forensic search and analysis of hours of video in mere seconds. “Using AI, video systems trained on real-world scenarios defined by users will be able to predict behaviour and alert operators to the potential for incidents even before they happen. Predictive AI-enabled video technology will, therefore, be called on to support business forecasting efforts, deploy corporate resources more effectively, and help users make better-informed decisions.”

Compelling argument for AI at the edge

When asked about why the industry is so interested in AI ‘at the edge’, Lutz Boorman puts forward a compelling argument. “Putting AI to work used to involve vast amounts of computing power and infrastructure, which required a significant investment in energy and IT resources. By including AI in the camera itself – or “at the edge” – significant efficiencies are now possible. Analysis of images using AI at the edge removes the need to stream raw data back to a server for analysis, freeing up bandwidth and reducing processing demands on centralised systems, as well as lowering data costs.”

He continues, “Cameras using AI at the edge can make a video installation more flexible and easy to scale. This is particularly helpful for organisations that wish to scale a project in phases, as cameras can be added as and when required without the need to invest in additional server capacity. Furthermore, edge devices can be utilised for more bespoke end-user applications to meet the needs of varying customer requirements.”

Cyber security benefits

Lutz Boorman further adds, “There are cyber security benefits, too, with AI at the edge. As video analytics occurs on the device, only metadata is sent across the network – no sensitive data is transmitted for hackers to intercept. Additionally, running AI on a device can vastly improve the accuracy of event triggers and reduce false alarms. People counting, occupancy monitoring, queue management, and more can all be carried out with a high degree of accuracy thanks to edge AI utilising deep-learning technology.”

“Because AI offers such significant benefits, Hanwha Vision has led the adoption of AI at the edge for a number of years, having developed chipsets with improved processing power to allow data to be recorded and stored via SD card slots on its cameras. Edge-based AI also helps to ensure the widest possible adoption of this transformative technology, and for that reason, it should also be welcomed,” he concludes.

With the common goal of improving security and emergency response in the event of a critical incident, community members in Livingston County have deployed technology that turns their standard security cameras into a powerful resource for 911 Emergency Communications Center telecommunicators (911 professionals).

“It’s all about response time: The key to saving lives, curtailing damage and rapidly resolving an emergency of any kind–whether it’s a natural disaster, fire, mass shooting or other criminal activity–is getting accurate information to first responders so they can take quick, decisive action,” said Mike Murphy, Livingston County Sheriff.

While security cameras are ubiquitous at schools and businesses, 911 telecommunicators typically cannot access them in an emergency. Eagle Eye 911 Camera Sharing changes that by giving telecommunicators instant access to live video from one or multiple security cameras when a 911-triggered emergency occurs, empowering them to quickly deliver critical incident information to first responders through a partnership with Rapid SOS.

Telecommunicators generally rely on verbal information from 911 callers. Now, with Camera Sharing, the telecommunicator can also have “eyes on the scene” and, within seconds, gather an immense amount of information.

“Camera Sharing gives us a real-time view of the situation at hand as it’s unfolding,” said Kecia Williams, 911 Director, Livingston County 911 Central Dispatch. “Lots of times it takes a while to attain pertinent information from a 911 caller because they’re distraught or not clear. With Camera Sharing, we can instantly see for ourselves what’s going on, and we can get this information to the fire department, EMS or law enforcement much quicker.”

Livingston County is the first county in Michigan to demo the new technology at the Livingston Educational Service Agency in Howell, an organisation that works with local school districts to provide educational services and support to 26,000 students throughout the county.

“I am impressed with the Camera Sharing technology and can see the potential for improving response times by first responders to critical events in our community,” said Michael Hubert, Superintendent of Livingston Educational Service Agency.

Dean Drako, CEO of Eagle Eye Networks said, “Livingston County is a prime example of a growing trend we’re seeing in the U.S. where entire communities — schools, businesses, public safety officials and community leaders — are working together to ensure they are prepared as possible for emergency situations.”

Motorola has signed a framework agreement with the Thuringian Ministry of the Interior to supply more than 1,200 VB400 body cameras to the police forces in Thuringia. The new devices will be used by police forces across the state to help front-line teams de-escalate potentially dangerous situations, support accountability and increase officer and public safety.

Thuringia’s Minister of the Interior, Georg Maier, handed over the first cameras to police officers from the Erfurt State Police Inspectorate at the start of the formal roll out this week.

“These body cameras won’t make the work of our police force any easier, but they will make it safer,” said Maier. “Not only do body cameras deter dangerous behavior, but video evidence helps to provide officials and communities with a more complete understanding of events.”

The cameras will be rolled out alongside Videomanager evidence management software, enabling officers to easily upload and securely store and manage video footage, organised by time, date and location as part of the force’s existing daily workflows.

The ministry of Thuringia awarded the contract to Motorola Solutions following a rigorous testing and competitive process to comply with high quality and regulatory requirements. The decision for the VB400 was based on performance, voice quality and the ability to customise pre- and post-recording functionality to help ensure incidents are captured from the start.