Axis unveils access control solution, outlines 2021 goals during press breakfast

YARMOUTH, Maine—Axis Communications, a manufacturer of network cameras for the physical security and video surveillance industries, announced the release of two new camera products, while also remaining optimistic about 2021 goals during its 14th Annual Axis Press Breakfast on April 14.

Dr. Martin Gren, Axis Communications Co-Founder, and Fredrik Nilsson, Vice President of the Americas for Axis, hosted the breakfast, held virtually for the second straight year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Camera Station Secure Entry

The company announced the release of Axis Camera Station Secure Entry, which is designed to provide “all-in-one access control and video management.” This new capability is included at no additional cost within the latest release of AXIS Camera Station video management software.

Axis Camera Station Secure Entry ensures trouble-free management of a site by providing video-verified access control. In addition to access control management and live video monitoring, the newly enhanced software offers secure access to door control logs and links them to video recordings for easier and more effective incident investigation.

“Network video and access control are powerful security tools in and of themselves,” said Mitch Mershon, Business Development Manager, End-to-End Solutions, Axis Communications, Inc. “When integrated, they can deliver a solution that’s significantly more effective. Furthermore, seamless integration through the same VMS [video management system] lets integrators and users benefit from easy installation, deployment and use. That’s the idea behind Axis Camera Station Secure Entry - it’s a simple and fully integrated end-to-end solution that unifies physical access control and video surveillance in one powerful platform.”

Mershon added, “AXIS Camera Station is an ideal, easy-to-use solution for education, retail, healthcare and many commercial settings, offering operational efficiencies and an added layer of security. Now, with Axis Camera Station Secure Entry, users can seamlessly pair video with access control data to easily verify who is entering and exiting their building.”

Kelly DeLeo, Senior Manager, End-to-End Solutions for Axis, added, “This is enabling customers who have requested for us to integrate video with access control so they could more readily validate access, more readily manage visitors who are coming in, as well as investigate any incidents that arise.

“Plus, since it comes from the same vendor, we guarantee that when you update one system, it doesn’t break the connection to the other, so it’s all in the same network interface, and it just works!”

ACAP Version 4 

Axis also announced the introduction of the latest version of its Axis Camera Application Platform (ACAP) - version 4, which will be released later this year.

ACAP version 4 leverages known software development tools and components as well as industry-standard application programming interfaces (APIs) and efficiently reuses components from Axis and other sources. It brings further support for high-level programing languages that will significantly reduce both proof-of-concept builds and time needed to reach production-ready code.

Key features include:

• Support for running container-based applications on the device
• Adoption of known open, de-facto software frameworks and industry-standard APIs
• Support for high-level programming languages
• Deep learning toolchain and API

“We needed to update our Axis Camera Application Platform to a new version that leverages the tools that developers are using to get those deep learning analytics on to the edge and into the marketplace,” said Steve Burdet, Manager of Solutions Management for Axis. “With the ACAP platform, we needed to listen to the developer community and those out there who are doing this every day so that we make sure we are putting the right tool sets and the right features into that platform so that they can leverage it to develop on to the edge and into the market. This is really a collaborative effort between us and some of our closest partners.”

The introduction of ACAP version 4 will specifically bring new opportunities for developers who are looking to build solutions for Axis devices, while leveraging open industry-standard APIs they are familiar with. In addition, ACAP version 4 will strengthen Axis’ engagement in computer-vision-based solutions and open a broader offering of applications.

Supporting most Axis products and hardware, ACAP version 4 bridges the gap between edge and server or cloud. It also allows developers to use the edge for building faster, more scalable and more efficient solutions that fully utilize Axis devices.

Trade Shows

With COVID-19 disrupting the ability to travel to industry trade shows over the past year, such as ISC West and GSX, Nilsson stressed the importance of in-person meetings to conduct business.

“In general, we believe that the live meeting between people brings a totally different level of collaboration, understanding and trust,” Nilsson explained. “What we’ve done throughout the pandemic is maintain that trust and maintain those relationships.

“But if we want to grow, and we are a company that has growth ambitions, we have to be out there. We have to be live with existing customers and partners, and also meeting new customers and partners. I believe that many of the events will come back because people crave that interaction.”

Optimism for Growth

Gren explained how Axis overcame the challenges presented by the pandemic in 2020, and also offered an optimistic forecast for company growth in 2021.

“The last year was a very challenging year, as you all know,” he said. “In dollar terms, we actually had a few percent growth, and I think that’s quite impressive, given that there were lockdowns for most of our markets. We are actually doing quite well.

“For the coming year, I think so far we’ve had a pretty good start, and I hope that continues throughout the year.”