i-PRO marks seven years of “innovation and transformation”

Since separating from Panasonic, i-PRO has steadily built the technology strategy, operations, partnerships and culture necessary to support that vision.

This year has witnessed another important step in the journey. In March, i-PRO completed the transition of wholesale and marketing functions for its products in Japan from Panasonic Connect, bringing these activities directly under the i-PRO organisation.

With development, manufacturing, sales and marketing now more fully connected under the i-PRO name in its home market, the company has brought more of its core business functions together to support the strategic direction and future growth.

That evolution reflects a broader transformation that has taken place over the past seven years. Investments in manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cyber security, open technology, education and staff are helping i-PRO to operate with greater agility and bring innovation to customers on a faster basis.

As the company enters its eighth year, that foundation is positioning i-PRO for its next stage of growth and continued progress.

Building the organisation

In October last year, i-PRO began operations at its Saga Factory in Japan (pictured), which now serves as a core i-PRO manufacturing facility and supplies ‘Made in Japan’ products globally.

As i-PRO transitions towards an integrated production system spanning component manufacturing, assembly and inspection, the factory is advancing digitalisation and automation. This investment further strengthens i-PRO’s manufacturing capabilities alongside those of its Suzhou plant, while enhancing flexibility and resilience across the global supply chain.

Combined with the relocation of sales and marketing functions in Japan, these investments are helping to create a more integrated organisational structure by strengthening collaboration across the development, manufacturing and sales teams. In turn, this enables i-PRO to respond more effectively to continuously changing market needs through faster decision-making, closer collaboration and greater agility.

Turning agility into innovation

The progress i-PRO has made across its operations is also reflected in the pace of its technology development. Advances in AI are a case in point, duly reflecting the technology’s central role in i-PRO’s business strategy.

After introducing generative AI for forensic video analysis in 2025, i-PRO expanded the technology into real-time video operations this year with its X-Series Fisheye Cameras featuring generative AI running fully at the edge. Capabilities such as AI On-Site Learning are also making it possible to adapt analytics to individual environments, affording customers greater flexibility to address specific operational requirements.

Rather than treating AI as a standalone feature, i-PRO has focused on making advanced capabilities practical for customers to deploy within the infrastructure they already use. Its open platform strategy and growing technology ecosystem give organisations greater choice in how they build and evolve their security systems. This approach has been reinforced through closer collaboration with technology partners such as Milestone Systems, which named i-PRO its Innovation and AI Solution Partner of the Year for the US region.

That recognition reflects i-PRO’s continued investment in edge AI and open technology, in addition to its focus on making these innovations accessible across the wider security ecosystem. One example is the company’s growing range of camera models compatible with leading cloud providers, realising greater flexibility for current customers to choose the infrastructure that best meets their needs.

Evolving security requirements

Innovation also means anticipating how customer needs and requirements will evolve. Cyber security has therefore become an increasingly important part of i-PRO's product strategy. Through its Security Update Initiative, for example, the company is strengthening hardware, firmware and product architecture to address emerging cyber security standards and regulations across major global markets and help customers to prepare for changing security requirements.

As i-PRO has transformed its technology and operations, the company has also invested in building the knowledge needed to support what is now a rapidly changing security industry.

i-PRO University plays an important role in that effort. For the broader industry, technical and sales learning tracks provide education in areas including AI-enabled edge systems, cyber security, network configuration and consultative selling. Internally, the same emphasis on continued learning helps i-PRO’s employees to develop the skills needed to keep pace with new technologies and changing customer requirements.

Investment in its people is also reflected in i-PRO’s workplace culture. The company achieved Great Place to Work certification for the second consecutive year across every region where it operates, including Japan, the Americas, the EMEA, Asia Pacific and China. The global recognition reflects the culture i-PRO has continued to build alongside its business since becoming independent.

Sustainability and long-term growth

As i-PRO grows, sustainability is also becoming more deeply integrated into how the company plans for the future. The appointment of Shohei Ozaki as chief sustainability officer made sustainability a C-Level responsibility, helping to integrate the subject more closely into company decision-making and long-term business strategy.

i-PRO has also strengthened its commitment through membership of the United Nations Global Compact, thereby aligning the company with a global framework for responsible business practices. Together, these steps strengthen the role of sustainability as the company continues to grow and develop.

Investments realised since becoming independent are helping to position i-PRO for its next stage of growth. With greater agility to respond to changing customer needs and advance new ideas, i-PRO will continue strengthening its position in the global security market.

Masato Nakao, president and CEO of i-PRO, commented: “As i-PRO marks its seventh anniversary, I would like to thank our customers, partners and employees for their continued trust and support. This milestone represents not only how far we have come, but also the beginning of our next stage of growth.”

Nakao continued: “Over the past seven years, we’ve strengthened our manufacturing, sales and global business foundations, while also investing in a culture whereby people can thrive. Growth requires us not only to build on our strengths, but also to rethink conventional assumptions, embrace new perspectives and drive meaningful transformation. We will continue creating value for our customers and advancing our global growth with confidence.”

*Further information is available online at www.i-pro.com