Canon USA, Inc. - Experts & Thought Leaders

Milestone Systems’ CEO Thomas Jensen is stepping down from his position with immediate effect, and the company is now searching for a new pioneer. ”To further strengthen cohesion and collaboration across the organisation, the board of directors has agreed to initiate a search for a successor for the position of Chief Executive Officer. As a result, Thom-as Jensen has stepped down from his role as CEO. The Vice-Chairman of the board since 2015, Jeppe Frandsen will be acting CEO effective today and consequently no longer be part of the board,” writes Milestone’s chairman Lau Normann Jørgensen in a press release, which also states that Seymour Liebman, Executive Vice President at Canon, has joined the board as vice chairman. Recruitment of a new CEO underway Jeppe Frandsen, who has served on Milestone’s board for over ten years as vice chairman, will not be considered for the permanent CEO position, but he will work closely with the board to recruit a new CEO. ”Jeppe Frandsen will during his tenure as interim CEO work closely with the leadership team to ensure continuity and accelerate momentum. Milestone is a world leader in our industry and has a solid foun-dation in our strategy, offerings and product roadmap,” states Lau Normann Jørgensen. Lau Normann Jørgensen does not comment further on the circumstances surrounding Thomas Jensen’s departure, but writes that during his five years as the leader of Milestone, he successfully positioned the company as a frontrunner in “responsible technology, AI, and the EU’s data sovereignty agenda.” “We thank Thomas for his contributions and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.” Canon strengthens its grip on the board At the same time, Lau Normann Jørgensen welcomes Seymour Liebman, Executive Vice President at Canon, to the board. “Seymour’s appointment, together with Minoru Asada, Group Executive F&A, underscores Canon’s strong commitment to Milestone,” he emphasises.

The PSA Network (PSA), the consortium of professional systems integrators announced the lineup of sponsors for PSA TEC 2023 (TEC), which is taking place in Dallas, Texas, USA, from May 1-4, 2023. “This year’s PSA TEC has a remarkable lineup of sponsors that enable us to exceed our members' expectations,” said Matt Barnette, President and CEO of the PSA Network, adding “TEC has established a reputation for high-quality educational offerings, networking, and exclusive engagement with prominent industry leaders. We look forward to integrators and technology partners establishing enduring connections.”  TEC 2023 TEC 2023 is exclusive to PSA owners, members, and sponsors providing premier educational content and networking opportunities between integrators and technology partners.  Over the four days, integrators will meet one-on-one with technology partners during TECTalks and visit Signature, Title, and Premier sponsor rooms reserved for product showcases, demonstrations, and meetings.   Sponsors  The sponsors are industry-leading manufacturers and solutions providers including:  Signature  Intel  Title   Acre  Premier  Altronix Corporation  AMAG Technology Bosch Security and Safety Systems Eagle Eye Networks  HID  Johnson Controls  LenelS2  Gold  Aiphone  ASSA ABLOY  Hanwha Vision  March Networks  Milestone Systems  Qumulex Windy City Wire   Silver  3millID Alarm.com  Allegion  Alvarado  BCD  Controlled Products Systems Group Digital Watchdog  Eyeforce   Farpointe Data  Genea  Identiv  Intelligent Security Systems  Keri Systems  LandSkyAI LifeSafety Power  Louroe Electronics  Magos America  OpenEye  SECLOCK Seneca  Vivotek  Winland Electronics, Inc.   Zenitel  Tabletop  Canon Financial Services D-Tools  Navigate Management Consulting NSCA Snellings Walters Insurance Agency   Solutions360  System Surveyor  WeSuite  Registration and conference details  “We are truly grateful to our PSA TEC 2023 sponsors for their incredible support and engagement with our members,” said Brittany Board, Director of Technology Partners at PSA, adding “Their contributions are invaluable, and PSA TEC wouldn’t be the same without them.”  Registration for TEC is open and provides access to all networking events, meals, and conference courses. Attendees are encouraged to book hotel rooms at the conference hotel, Hyatt Regency Dallas, before April 14 to receive the group rate of $229/night (plus tax and fees, rooms are subject to availability). 

BriefCam, the industry’s renowned provider of Video Content Analytics and Video Synopsis solutions, has announced the appointment of Gil Briman as its Chief Executive Officer. Briman joins the organisation to build upon BriefCam’s momentum delivering the best-in-class video analytics platform. Business innovator “Gil is a stand-out international technology executive with an impressive track record of market-renowned business growth, operational excellence and innovation,” said Seymour Liebman, Executive Vice President, CEO and General Counsel of Canon USA, Inc. and Chairman of BriefCam. He adds, “His strategic vision, inspiring leadership and ability to execute are exactly what BriefCam needs as it enters its next chapter. We are thrilled to welcome him aboard and look forward to an exciting future as the company continues to be at the forefront of the video analytics market.” Helping enterprises transform video into actionable intelligence Briman will focus on driving the company strategy to help organisations transform video into actionable intelligence As the Chief Executive Officer at Briefcam, Briman will focus on driving the company strategy to help organisations transform video into actionable intelligence through BriefCam’s innovative and comprehensive video content analytics platform. “This is an exciting time for intelligent video surveillance, and I am thrilled to lead the BriefCam team towards further growth and innovation,” said Briman, adding “The company’s long-standing and successful track record in the video analytics space, coupled with a winning strategy, has enabled it to grow continuously.” He further said, “Building further on this success is a challenge I accept with enthusiasm, confidence, and fierce determination. The company’s innovation and differentiation resonates strongly across verticals and industries, and I look forward to this next chapter for the company.” Vast technology industry experience Briman has 27 years of experience leading global technology companies. Prior to joining BriefCam, he held the position of CEO at Solcon Group, a dynamic power electronics company that has been at the forefront of design, development and manufacturing of industrial electronic systems. During his tenure at Solcon, Briman established a strong track record in initiating and leading change, obtaining strong results and strengthening innovation amid a rapidly market landscape. Before joining Solcon, Briman served as Vice President for APAC region at Mellanox, a computer network products company (recently acquired by NVIDIA), where he led a complex business to drive substantial growth and instantiated significant strategic alliances with leading OEM partners. Previous to Mellanox, Briman was Vice President and General Manager at Amdocs, a company specialising in software and services for communications, media and financial services providers and digital enterprises.

Consolidation persisted in the physical security industry in 2018, and big companies such as Motorola, Canon and UTC continued to make moves. Also among the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) news in 2018 was a high-profile bankruptcy (that ended well), continuing consolidation in the integrator market, and the creation of a new entity called “LenelS2.” Here’s a look at the Top 10 M&A stories in 2018: 1. Motorola acquires Avigilon Motorola Solutions announced in February that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire video surveillance provider Avigilon in an all-cash transaction that enhances Motorola Solutions’ portfolio of mission-critical communications technologies. Avigilon products are used by a range of commercial and government customers including critical infrastructure, airports, government facilities, public venues, healthcare centers and retail. The company holds more than 750 U.S. and international patents. 2. UTC Climate, Control & Security buys S2 Security UTC Climate, Controls & Security agreed in September to acquire S2 Security, a developer of unified security and video management solutions. UTC subsequently combined S2 with its Lenel brand to create LenelS2, “a global leader in advanced access control systems and services” with “complementary strengths.” 3. Costar Technologies acquires Arecont Vision after bankruptcy Arecont Vision, the provider of IP-based megapixel camera and video surveillance solutions, announced in July that the acquisition by Costar Technologies, Inc. of its assets had been approved by the bankruptcy court. After the closing of the sale, the company began operating as Arecont Vision Costar, LLC and is part of Costar, a U.S. corporation that designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes a range of products for the video surveillance and machine vision markets. 4. Allegion acquires access control company ISONAS Allegion plc, a security products and solutions provider, agreed in June to acquire ISONAS through one of its subsidiaries. ISONAS’ edge-computing technology provides access control solutions for non-residential markets. ISONAS' devices – like its integrated reader-controllers – utilise power over ethernet, making them easy to install and cost effective as they utilise existing customer infrastructures. The company is based in Boulder, Colo. 5. HID buys Crossmatch for Biometrics HID Global announced that it had acquired Crossmatch, a provider of biometric identity management and secure authentication solutions, from Francisco Partners. Crossmatch’s portfolio of products includes biometric identity management hardware and software that complement HID’s broad portfolio of trusted identity products and services. 6. BriefCam announces acquisition by Canon BriefCam, a global provider of video synopsis and deep learning solutions, announced its acquisition in May by Canon Inc., a global digital imaging solutions company. The addition of BriefCam to Canon’s network video solutions products portfolio complements the Canon Group’s previous acquisitions of Axis Communications and Milestone Systems. 7. Allied Universal acquires U.S. Security Associates Allied Universal, a security and facility services company, finalised its acquisition of U.S. Security Associates (USSA) in October, further building on its position in the security services industry. This acquisition includes Andrews International (including its Government Services Division and Consulting and Investigations and International Division) and Staff Pro. 8. Johnson Controls acquires Smartvue Corp. Johnson Controls announced in April that it had acquired Smartvue, a global IoT and video provider that empowers cloud video surveillance and IoT video services. The addition of the Smartvue cloud-based video platform will enhance Johnson Controls’ offering of an end-to-end, smart cloud-based solution that can provide superior business data and intelligence to customers and added value to partners. 9. ADT acquires Red Hawk Fire & Security (and others) ADT Inc.’s acquisition of Red Hawk Fire & Security, Boca Raton, Fla., was the latest move in ADT Commercial’s strategy to buy up security integrator firms around the country and grow their footprint. In addition to the Red Hawk acquisition, announced in mid-October, ADT has acquired more than a half-dozen security system integration firms in the last year or so. 10. Convergint Technologies continues to acquire Convergint Technologies announced in August the acquisition of New Jersey-based Access Control Technologies (ACT), bringing further electronic security systems experience to Convergint's service capabilities. Convergint has strategically grown its service footprint across the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia Pacific through strong organic growth and the completion of 18 acquisitions since early 2016. And it continues: Convergint announced acquisition of SI Technologies, Albany, N.Y., in November and Firstline Security Integration (FSI), Anaheim, Calif., in December. (And Convergint itself was acquired in February by private equity group Ares Management.)

Leadership roles are changing inside enterprise companies, where higher profiles of roles like CIO and CISO are blurring the lines separating legacy security departments from the larger enterprise. The role of security – protecting the company – now overlaps with broader concerns such as business optimisation. The changes are impacting how technology is used; what was once considered a “security system” can now impact the company in larger ways. It’s not just protecting the business but making it better. Expanding the role of security systems also makes it easier to justify their costs. Leveraging technology changes Arcules is a new company looking to capitalise on changing business trends by leveraging technology changes to increase the value of a customer’s data. Arcules aggregates video and Internet of Things (IoT) data in the cloud and uses artificial intelligence to identify business insights within a rich – and previously untapped – data archive. Arcules aggregates video and Internet of Things (IoT) data in the cloud A Canon Group company, Arcules is in the process of launching its headquarters in Irvine, California, hiring needed cloud talent and relocating some of the incubation team. Arcules is an outgrowth of Canon-subsidiary Milestone Systems and its Arcus cloud video initiative, a product of the Danish company’s Incubation and Ventures department. An earlier success story from Incubation and Ventures is Milestone’s popular Husky line of network video recorders. Combining cloud video and IoT data “There is a convergence of enterprise IT, analytics and security functions,” says Andreas Pettersson, CTO of Arcules. “Customers have a more opportunistic mindset and realise that everything is connected. They can marry data from traditional security systems, including video, with other data within the company.” The other data comes from IoT devices and is integrated with video data in the cloud; Arcules can combine cloud video and IoT data to yield new information and insights to drive revenue, reduce costs and improve customer experience. Cloud systems can solve more problems than ever using artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the capabilities expand way beyond video analytics to include analytics in general, crunching a variety of data provided by IoT sensors. “Marrying together video and IoT data provides more actionable information,” says Pettersson. “Devices have to be Internet-connected to enable data to be analysed and visualised on a broader basis.” The approach is valuable in a range of vertical markets. The cloud approach aggregates data from cameras and other IoT sensors and applies the latest artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning tools that are more easily (and cost-effectively) available in the cloud. Cloud systems can solve more problems than ever using artificial intelligence and machine learning End-to-end solutions Arcules provides an end-to-end solution for video and IoT data, and is focused on cybersecurity, compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and other privacy concerns. “In the CIO’s office, security is everything,” says Pettersson. Arcus (meaning “a low-horizontal cloud formation”) was the name Milestone gave to its video-as-a-service (i.e., cloud) system. However, “the business problem we wish to solve and the technology we are building have evolved beyond what the Arcus name originally represented,” explains Kelly Kucera, Arcules Global Marketing and Commercial Strategy Director. “When we take video and IoT and machine learning and analytics, the system goes beyond video surveillance and provides data for business optimisation – hence, the new name Arcules, denoting strength and action. We have to do more and make it actionable. Not just safer, but smarter.”

I have been unpacking from last week’s ASIS show in Orlando. It was a good show, except if you compare it to last spring’s ISC West in Las Vegas, which was especially well attended and generated a lot of excitement in the market. ASIS was definitely smaller, lower key and less crowded. And there were no big product announcements. But there was still plenty of technology on display. In particular, I saw the show reflecting several ongoing trends in the market. Impact of M&As Mergers and acquisitions have been big news in the security market for the last year or two, and there was evidence at ASIS of how M&As are changing the market. For example, Axis Communications, now owned by Japanese giant Canon, is taking over the marketing of Canon’s small (by comparison) selection of video surveillance equipment. Thus ends (quietly) one of the big questions in the market: Why would a company like Canon want to compete against itself? Even more reflective of the changing Canon/Axis world is a new 20-megapixel camera highlighted at ASIS. It was developed through cooperation by the two companies, with Canon providing the lenses and Axis providing the rest of the camera, including image processing. It’s being positioned as an opportunity to combine the best capabilities of both companies. Mergers and acquisitions have been big news in the security market for the last year or two, and there was evidence at ASIS M&As changing the market Vanderbilt is expanding its cloud and video management offerings – in addition to access control – with acquisition of Access Control Technology (ACT) in Dublin. A company built on acquisitions, Vanderbilt will be looking to unify their product offerings in coming months – combining technologies from various acquisitions into a unified whole. It’s been a big year for FLIR, which has swallowed up DVTEL and now offers a complete range of video surveillance products. Reaching way beyond FLIR’s historic presence as a thermal imaging company, the new FLIR is looking to educate the market about its versatility. Meeting end user demands End users demand more integrated systems, and you heard it repeatedly at ASIS. For example, Tyco Security Products says their products are now more connected, reflecting further deterioration of the silos that used to exist. More effective user interfaces are getting attention. One I saw at ASIS was by Honeywell’s Connected Buildings business. A big screen at their booth showed a map with multiple locations in an enterprise; clicking on a location brings up a schematic showing where cameras are located. If you click on a camera icon, you see video from that camera. They also previewed a smart phone app that runs off the same database, which can be used by guards working in the field. Bosch also has a neat integration of their access control, intrusion and video systems, all tied together using their intrusion system to provide intuitive controls. Ameristar, an ASSA ABLOY subsidiary, offers Perimeter InSite software, providing a virtual view of any perimeter security construction project as it is planned and built – stage by stage – with no surprises. Mobile credentialing, wireless locks A leader in mobile credentialing, HID Global is emphasising how the technologies are being implemented in the market – more customer references and case studies are paving the way for broader adoption. Other companies are also onboard with mobile credentialing, including Brivo and Lenel. A leader in mobile credentialing, HID Global is emphasising how the technologies are being implemented in the market Wireless is continuing to evolve. Stanley Security offers the WiQ wireless product line, emphasising that installation of wireless locks is half the cost of wired, but there are downsides (such as slight access delays) compared to wired. Allegion continues to expand its Engage wireless portfolio, too. Paxton Access, a British company, has restructured and is investing in the U.S. market. Their Paxton BLU cloud-based access control system uses Amazon web services and is an opportunity for dealer/integrators to earn more recurring monthly revenue (RMR) Security in the headlines Violence in the headlines often screams out for security solutions, and there were some at ASIS. Stanley highlighted its Shelter product that enables a wireless lockdown in an active shooter situation in the education environment. It solves a high-profile challenge, but Stanley emphasises that it’s just part of a broader school security programme – that’s what’s really needed. A different approach on the active shooter scenario is offered by risk assessment and consultancy company Control Risks, which offers active shooter education programmes for enterprises, including an e-learning module to teach employees how to react in an active shooter situation. New video capabilities Video grabbed attention at ASIS. As Hikvision and Dahua continue their energetic push into the U.S. markets, they were among the largest (and most crowded) booths. Several companies – including Bosch and Tyco -- are adding video analytics to their cameras at the factory. Vicon previewed its new Valerus VMS system, based on ONVIF protocols and totally compatible with their legacy ViconNet VMS. They see open systems as a strong selling point, but they will also continue selling hardware and “total systems". "Suspect search" can search video to deliver additional examples of video involving a subject that has been identified by a single frame “Suspect search” is a new feature showing up on video surveillance systems. The feature can search captured video from throughout a system to deliver additional examples of video involving a subject that has been identified by a single frame of video – find the girl in the blue dress, or the man wearing a red shirt. Searching a whole system, rather than a single camera feed, expands an operator’s ability to investigate an incident. Avigilon introduced its version, called “Appearance Search” at ASIS, and Qognify also highlighted its version, called “Suspect Search,” which I first saw at IFSEC. I notice Exacq also has a flavour of this, and I am sure there are others. Perimeter security evolving Perimeter security is changing. Long considered a “low-tech” wing of the security market, there is a lot going on in the area of perimeter security. Visiting a couple of booths at ASIS opened my eyes. For example, Senstar has every kind of sensor, and their Tungsten product is a security appliance that offers cyber-security at the edge of the network, tying together the sensors and other devices. Protech offers solar-powered wireless sensors that don’t require trenching, another money-saver (more to come about them).