Linn Storäng, Regional Director Northern Europe, Axis Communications, looks back at 40 years of Axis and the importance of staying true to one’s vision and core set of values.
The Axis Communications of 1984 was very different to the Axis we know today, and yet in many ways it is still the same. The product was different, of course - in 1984 Axis was finding its feet as a manufacturer of print servers for IBM mainframes – and it would take until the launch of the world’s first network camera, the AXIS Neteye 200, in 1996 for the company’s new direction to take hold. The size was different, too. Axis small beginnings in Lund, Sweden, are a far cry from the 5,000 worldwide employees that drive the company forward today.
The Axis vision, though - the tiller that guides the ship - has remained the same. Axis has, from its inception, strived to create groundbreaking products, to get the most from network technology, and to build upon a foundation of strong core values which put its customers first. We may only have coined the term ‘Innovating for a smarter, safer world’ in 2013, but it almost speaks retroactively. It has defined the company’s vision from the outset: Axis has spent the past 40 years learning, discovering new innovations to make its products, technology, and relationships stronger.
The importance of trusted partnerships
Of course, change is inevitable and constant. Markets move, needs alter, core technologies arrive that completely overhaul the way we do things as a company and the way society functions as a whole. Axis has proudly acted as a catalyst for many of these: the first network camera; the first volume product running embedded Linux in the AXIS 2100; even custom CPU architectures, from 1993’s ETRAX to today’s ARTPEC system-on-chip.
Axis has changed - but we know that none of these changes would have been possible, and likely less successful, without the support of our partners. They are the reason we can do what we do. Axis continues to work today, as we always have done, with a respect for our partners which puts transparency at the forefront, whether that be in terms of the makeup of our hardware, firmware and supply chain, or in terms of communications. Even when times are difficult, we have learned that it is important to be clear and honest to engender trust.
Trust and an open approach
Brands in any vertical must foster trust, doubly so in the security space. Channel partners need to trust that we can deliver our products, and end users need to know that our products can deliver results. Axis open approach to technology complements this. Open platforms promote transparency, collaboration, and trust. The philosophy of being open about one’s technology and giving others the freedom to access and build upon it leads to tailored solutions that precisely meet our partners’ needs. We have learned that it is important not only to innovate, but to enable innovation.
Axis customers have created incredible things with our hardware. As the power of network cameras has increased over the company’s lifetime, so has the power of its platform and the smart applications which have been developed for it. Network cameras have become far more than simple security devices; they are system monitors, quality control vectors, logistics enablers and even sports analysts. They are a core component of digital transformation efforts the world over. And as the strength of on-board processing, machine learning, and analytics increases over the coming decades, there will be countless new innovations which take network cameras to the next level.
The cyber security of security devices
Of course, open platforms must also be secure platforms. While we continue to work to make physical security the best it can possibly be – including in hazardous areas, on moving vehicles, and even in body-worn cameras – Axis has grown alongside the internet, meaning we have been forced to contend with the rise of cybercrime in all its forms. Axis has always recognised the importance of making its platforms secure, but the changes in the cybercrime landscape have made one thing crystal clear: security is an end-to-end problem to solve.
Software and firmware must be secure for any device that forms part of the Internet of Things. The hardware itself must also be secure; Axis devices now employ the Edge Vault hardware security platform which safeguards device integrity by ensuring keys are protected, signed firmware is used, and any device output is not tampered with. This goes a long way to protecting against interference in the supply chain, but Axis also places extra scrutiny on all of its suppliers and processes to ensure that everything our partners receive is clean and secure.
Security also demands the ability to respond fast. When researchers have discovered tiny, niche vulnerabilities in Axis products, our agility and flexible architecture allowed us to patch them immediately.
Striving for a smarter, safer – and greener - future
No company should ever be content to rest on its laurels. Axis is, of course, developing new products and expanding in new directions, but over 40 years we have also learned the importance of changing before the whole world does. Our newest products are ready for the future, where sustainability will hold even greater weight than it does today. We are cutting out materials known to be harmful before regulations demand it, and working to ensure that decommissioning our products does not cause our customers difficulties down the line.
We cannot be certain what the next 40 years will hold for Axis, but everything we have learned over the past 40 years has laid a foundation which leaves Axis well placed to continue supporting its partners going forward. Those core values, that commitment to the environment and our customers’ security, and that drive to innovate will still be with us.
We look forward to creating new products, and seeing what an open approach can do for the entire security industry. We look forward to new discoveries, new partnerships, and new ways to make the world a better place for everyone. And we will continue innovating for a smarter, safer world.
