Canon UK - Experts & Thought Leaders

At AxxonSoft, they are deeply committed to forging strong partnerships and driving innovation within the global community. Recently, the company hosted a series of Partner Day events across Europe, APAC, and Southern Africa. These gatherings brought together the valued partners for a series of informative and engaging sessions. Hosting the Europe Partner Day thought leadership event for the first time in the beautiful city of Krakow, Poland, was a considerable achievement. Approximately 100 delegates from numerous European countries participated in the Partner Day. AxxonSoft’s advances in AI Held from May 29 to 31 at the prestigious Parkroyal Collection Hotel in Kuala Lumpur Throughout the event, they explored pivotal topics such as the Axxon One 2.0 release, AxxonSoft’s advancements in artificial intelligence, innovations in video analytics, and the transformative impact of cloud solutions. These discussions are crucial in shaping the future of video technologies and reaffirming the commitment to industry leadership. Held from May 29 to 31 at the prestigious Parkroyal Collection hotel in Kuala Lumpur, the AxxonSoft Asia Partner Day was a resounding success, attracting over 100 participants and technological partners from most countries in the Asia region. Integrated with AxxonSoft solutions The event featured booths from pioneering technology partners such as Seagate Technology, EverFocus, Milesight, Canon Marketing Taiwan, Green IT, Unioncommunity, Xion1, and ZYCOO Communications. These partners showcased their cutting-edge products integrated with AxxonSoft solutions, sparking lively interactions and deepening collaborative efforts. The event culminated in a spectacular gala dinner, highlighted by an elegant opera performance and live band entertainment. The celebration continued with a sightseeing tour, allowing the guests to explore iconic Malaysian sites, including the Kuala Lumpur City Center and Batu Caves. This combination of business and leisure provided a well-rounded experience that left everyone inspired and energized. Formation of new partnerships The enthusiasm and collaborative spirit were palpable, setting the stage for a fruitful future Inaugural Partner Day in Southern Africa marked a significant milestone with the opening of the new office in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This event was a fantastic opportunity to engage with the partners and discuss promising projects that are set to drive growth in the region. With 40 partners in attendance, the day was filled with productive discussions and the formation of new partnerships. The enthusiasm and collaborative spirit were palpable, setting the stage for a fruitful future. A special thank you to everyone who contributed to making these events a success. Dedication and expertise highlight the strength and unity of the AxxonSoft community. They celebrate the valuable insights shared, the new connections made, and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. Era of growth and cooperation All three events yielded significant outcomes that will shape future endeavors. In Southern Africa, the discussions led to the initiation of several promising projects and the establishment of multiple new partnerships. The excitement surrounding the opening of the Eastern Cape office signals a new era of growth and cooperation in the region. Award recipients were Vital Resources Taiwan, Green IT Korea, and Shanghai Qixi Engineering China In Asia, the event saw the presentation of the AxxonSoft Asia 2023 Partner Excellence Achievement Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions from the partners. Award recipients included Vital Resources Taiwan, Green IT Korea, and Shanghai Qixi Engineering China. These awards celebrate the remarkable achievements of the partners and underscore the commitment to recognizing and supporting excellence within the network. In Krakow, the exploration of pivotal topics such as AI advancements, video analytics innovations, and cloud solutions highlighted the resolve to lead the industry in technological development. Insights and networking opportunities Recent events have reinforced the strength of the partnerships and the dedication to innovation. These gatherings not only provided valuable insights and networking opportunities but also laid the groundwork for future collaborations. They are excited about the journey ahead and look forward to more successful events that continue to strengthen the partnership network. Stay tuned for upcoming events and follow-up activities as they continue to foster cooperation and drive innovation in the industry. Together, they can achieve remarkable success and create a brighter future for all.

A rapid string of merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions as 2018 passed into 2019 suggests the physical security industry may be on the verge of a busy year of companies buying other companies. Observers have noted a large amount of investment capital currently available to be invested in security M&A, and plenty of entrepreneurial companies are looking to be acquired. Joe Grillo, CEO of ACRE, previously hinted at upcoming M&A activity for his company by the end of 2018, foreshadowing ACRE’s late-year announcement to acquire access control company Open Options, Addison, Texas.The VaaS cloud-based image capture platform includes fixed and mobile license plate reader cameras driven by machine learning Just days later, in the midst of the holiday season, Qognify announced its plan to acquire On-Net Surveillance Systems Inc. (OnSSI) and sister company SeeTec GmbH. Then came an even larger announcement: Motorola has acquired VaaS International Holdings Inc., a data and image analytics company for $445 million. The VaaS cloud-based image capture and analysis platform includes fixed and mobile license plate reader cameras driven by machine learning and artificial intelligence. Most recently, ADT announced yet another acquisition, Advanced Cabling Systems, a technology integration company in the South, thus continuing consolidation on the integration side of the business. There are likely to be further mergers and acquisitions in the video surveillance supply base in 2019 Continuation Of The Trend In the case of the Qognify and Motorola deals, Jon Cropley, Principal Analyst, Video Surveillance & Security Services, IHS Global Limited, sees them as the next chapter in an M&A trend going back several years. “I think this is a continuation of what we have been seeing in recent years of video surveillance software vendors being acquired,” he says.In the face of intense price competition, vendors have found it increasingly difficult to compete based on hardware features" “In the face of intense price competition, vendors have found it increasingly difficult to compete based on hardware features and are looking at software to offer unique competitive advantages.” In short, he sees it as a continuation of a trend that previously saw Canon acquiring Milestone Systems and Briefcam, Panasonic acquiring Video Insight and Tyco acquiring Exacq. “There are likely to be further mergers and acquisitions in the video surveillance supply base in 2019,” adds Cropley. “However, a spree of large-scale mergers and acquisitions is not expected.” Memoori, another market research firm, forecasts that the value of acquisitions could actually decline marginally in 2019 in value terms but increase in number. This observation is based on Memoori’s charting of physical security deals over the last 18 years. Jim McHale, Managing Director of Memoori, says there have been four cycles of increase and decline in activity, often exaggerated by billion dollar deals in one year such as the merger of Johnson Controls and Tyco of $165Bn in 2016. Access control when combined with identity management is punching well above its weight, and this trend has continued Access Control To Open Systems Only time will tell whether the new year pattern of M&A activity is a coincidence or a harbinger of a busy M&A year ahead“It may be too early to make judgements on the future based on the last four weeks, but there are some interesting points that can be made when compared with our 2018 analysis,” says McHale. “Access control when combined with identity management is punching well above its weight, and this trend has continued. "Acre has been a major contributor and has completed some 10 acquisitions. In general, the access control business has been slow to move to open systems, and hopefully we can expect this trend toward openness to continue as it will give additional growth to the business.” For more commentary from Memoori, see their report “Major Trends in the Global Access Control Market 2018”. Only time will tell whether the new year pattern of M&A activity is a coincidence or a harbinger of a busy M&A year ahead. While past trends may provide a glimpse of what’s coming, there are always new variables. It’s a sure bet the overall trend toward consolidation will continue but predicting the pace and timing of individual transactions is almost impossible. In any case, it will be interesting to watch how 2019 unfolds on the M&A front, among other factors in a changing industry.