i-PRO EMEA celebrates 1st anniversary. Focus on future growth
i-PRO, a global leader in professional security solutions for surveillance systems specializing in edge-AI powered cameras, public safety and medical devices, celebrates key milestones and achievements that will shape the future of the security industry.
Established in October 2019, as a spin-off from Panasonic’s Security Systems Business Division, today, i-PRO is in a unique position in the security market, combining the drive and innovative spirit of a start-up company together with the rich heritage and skillset acquired through over 60 years of innovation with Panasonic. Focused on growing the business with new technologies, supported by a new vision and a new strategy, i-PRO EMEA offices celebrate their 1st anniversary as an independent company.
i-PRO: democratization of AI
i-PRO’s mission is to make AI capabilities universally available across the surveillance market.
Over the last year, the company has introduced over 100 new cameras equipped with AI, (including an award-winning multi-sensor camera) making i-PRO one of the most innovative companies in the security market.
AI cameras are not all created equal: i-PRO’s AI implementation is different from other products on the market. Using powerful Ambarella chips, i-PRO cameras have incredible AI-power at their disposal which enables them to run multiple analytics simultaneously. Edge processing, especially with AI-based object detection and attribute data, unburdens backend servers, whether they are local or in the cloud, and enables a system to scale without significant additional costs.
“According to Novaira Insights – they say from i-PRO EMEA during the celebrations for the 1st anniversary – AI deep learning will represent 58% of the worldwide surveillance camera market by 2026. We believe that the ability to analyze data, count people, recognize license plates, identify vehicles, colors, etc. should be a standard offering on cameras”.
“With AI-enabled cameras – Norio Hitsuishi, Global Head of Product Management at i-PRO, specifies – customers can meet today’s needs while future-proofing their installations, without incurring significant costs. But more importantly, AI enhances real-time situational awareness and enables security to become proactive rather than reactive.”
i-PRO and the highest level of cybersecurity
IoT and smart devices, including AI-based cameras with power on the edge, can be vulnerable to cyberattacks that could put an entire organization’s network at risk. Having achieved the highest level of cybersecurity certification with up to FIPS 140-2 level 3 compliance, i-PRO’s solutions are NDAA compliant, trustworthy and cybersecure.
“As cyber threats continue to evolve and become more sophisticated – Gerard Figols, President i-PRO EMEA B.V., says – it’s imperative to educate ourselves, systems integrators, and end users on best practices and what to look for when specifying a resilient system. Cybersecurity is a global matter and i-PRO aims to be the leader in open AI-edge computing through powerful NDAA compliant and cyber secure hardware, to provide metadata integrity”.
Supply chain strategy
Despite rapid inflation and industry component shortages, i-PRO has also been committed to maintaining competitive prices. The company also introduced a Quick Delivery Service with a two-to-three-day delivery timeframe for key models to ensure that its partners can realize their project requirements in a timely manner. Lead times for i-PRO orders have been far less than other manufacturers thanks to the company having its own factory and managing component stock efficiently.
“Thanks to our own manufacturing facilities – Figols adds – and our close partnership with key suppliers, we have been able to manufacture and deliver products reliably and in a timely fashion. This underlines i-PRO’s commitment to be a flexible and agile manufacturer for our customers, and positions us as the trusted next generation partner for the security industry”.
i-PRO: mutual knowledge and growth
The AI segment of the surveillance camera market is growing fast and so is i-PRO’s camera lineup. To provide its stakeholders with trusted and dynamic ways to access information and resources, i-PRO is putting in place a number of tools and initiatives to ensure a seamless experience for its partners and clients. This includes the launch of the new i-PRO Active Learning platform to get access to on-demand courses on i-PRO’s latest products and technologies, as well as documentation and technical support.
“In this fast-moving market our prime objective is to help partners grow and stay on top of their game to ensure mutual knowledge and growth” Figols ends.
In the picture: Gerard Figols.
