Azena heralds advances in smart camera platform development

With a growing list of global customer and partner collaborations and an ever-expanding geographic coverage, one of Azena’s key goals is to continue to increase the value of its platform for systems integrators and end user customers alike.

Following on from its market introduction back in 2018, Azena has grown to employ upwards of 120 colleagues spread across the business’ headquarters in Munich, its technology-focused ‘Innovation Accelerator’ facility located in Pittsburgh and another development hub based in Eindhoven, all of which actively support the Azena open platform for smart cameras.

The Azena platform itself is comprised of an open operating system for cameras and an Application Store boasting somewhere in the region of 100 Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled video analytics apps. In essence, the platform enables smart cameras to simultaneously run multiple apps directly on a given device.

For their part, integrators can flexibly add or change apps on one or multiple cameras as needed for their end customers and use any of the 15 cameras from six different manufacturer partners – Bosch and Hanwha Techwin among them – in a variety of form factors.

Crucial role

“Systems integrators play a crucial role in connecting the video analytic edge devices on our platform into the larger system landscape for a truly data-driven approach towards security, operational intelligence and automation,” explained Hartmut Schaper. “Our new identity positions us for improved name recognition and market presence as we continue to add functionality and the potential for expansion into new markets for our systems integrator partners.”

The Azena Application Store features apps that address more than 40 different use cases in at least 25 different vertical markets, ranging from traditional perimeter security, retail loss prevention and occupancy management through to stadium security and even the unique needs of aquaculture.

Some examples of use cases include the following:

*one US professional hockey team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, is using the Azena platform to monitor crowding at its stadium entrances, adopting licence plate recognition for more efficient stadium parking and focusing on heat mapping for improved layouts of fan merchandise retail outlets

*an oil drilling company is deploying smart cameras running the Azena OS such that operations staff can remotely monitor any pumping disruptions in the oil fields

*a chemical plant is monitoring its locations for the presence of smoke in a bid to enhance workplace safety measures

Prosegur collaboration

Systems integrator Prosegur, itself one of the world’s largest security companies, is collaborating with Azena to use analytics on the edge as part of its Security Operations Centre (SOC) as a service offer.

By deploying more sophisticated analytics to measure activity or automatically verify alarms, incoming alarm traffic from customer sites can be prefiltered, thereby reducing the number of alarms needing to be handled by human operators in the SOC and enabling a more appropriate response.

Integrators will find a host of other new features in the Azena platform designed to leverage device management capabilities and enable remote access for diagnosis and maintenance when it comes to cameras on a customer site. All of this is achieved by using Azena’s digital twin architecture.

Other benefits of the Azena platform include:  

*an ability to run all of the analytics apps from the Azena Application Store on the video stream of existing IP cameras by means of a small appliance from one of the camera manufacturer partners, subsequently bringing AI to already installed video systems

*a wide range of integration options to connect VMS systems, dashboard software, access systems, other apps or other cameras to support the creation of sophisticated end-to-end solutions

*the option for integrators to build and deploy custom solutions with apps available only to them and their customers via the Azena Application Store

*the ability to securely and remotely connect to a customer camera without a VPN

*a new integration assistant that quickly builds middleware for custom integrations between Azena components and third party software and hardware

*an opportunity to negotiate directly with app developers on bulk pricing

*the introduction of standardised terms of use that can be adopted by all applications in the Application Store

Application Store

Learn more about Azena, its Application Store (“the world’s largest open platform for security cameras”) and the benefits of its platform online at https://www.azena.com. Free demos can be requested or a 30-day trial

*The Azena ‘Partner Network’ also includes Ability, BST Security, the Open Security and Safety Alliance, Qualcomm, Stanley Security and Topview

**The company notes that its legal entity has not changed. On that basis, existing contracts and other legally binding agreements are not affected by the name/brand change