Major Moves - Security Manufacturers 2014 / 2015
This guide summarizes the biggest moves of security manufacturers in 2014 and 2015, concentrating on acquisitions, fund raising, significant stock price shifts and major new product lines introduced.
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ACRE
Perhaps the least known but biggest emerging force in access control is ACRE, who has been quietly spending tens of millions, buying Mercury, Vanderbilt, and, now this year, Siemens Security products business.
Anixter
Anixter security business struggled this year and, in one of the biggest deals of the year, they decided to go way down market, buying Tri-Ed for $420 million.
Arecont
Arecont raised $80 million to cash out their executives and shareholders, good for them, bad for Arecont's future.
Avigilon
Avigilon raised $100 million at $29 per share, peaked at $34 and now has seen their stock price plummet by 50%, following their CFO debacle and decelerating growth.
In December 2014, Avigilon paid $80 million cash for all Object Video analytic patents.
In January 2015, Avigilon Acquires 96 MORE Patents for $13.4 million.
Axis
Axis financial results continue to trend downward and now Axis is going to be bought by Canon for $2.8 billion.
Bosch
Bosch bought a US integrator doing ~$190 million revenue, assuring the community that they would not compete with their dealers, a claim many met with skepticism.
Dahua
Dahua is turning up the heat on everyone with their super low cost Analog HD offering, CVI. See IPVM test results on HDCVI and HDCVI 2.0. On the other hand, they still lack the channel, marketing and sales organization to maximize their growth.
Dropcam
Google got into surveillance by acquiring Dropcam for $555 million, an eye popping sum, for surveillance industry standards. Now, the key question is what Google / Nest will do with it. Best case scenario for them is home expansion but we believe this neutralizes Dropcam as a force in the SMB / commercial space.
Eagle Eye
Michael Dell invested in surveillance, contributing to fundraising of surveillance startup Eagle Eye. Eagle Eye has taken a much more conventional approach to VSaaS, with managed recorders on site (see: Eagle Eye Cloud VMS - $5 Per Camera Per Month)
Exacq
A year after being acquired by Tyco for $150 million, Exacq had a relatively quiet year all around. Now, Exacq has fired many traditional rep firms and is increasing cross selling with Tyco products.
Firetide
The sad finale for Firetide happened this year, bought out by a distressed company specialist. Their products should live on but their force or hope to be a major player is gone.
IPVM
In 2014, IPVM expanded to deliver online software services, specifically the Camera Calculator and Camera Finder. The Calculator is changing how professionals design systems and the Finder is empowering them to discover cameras that meet their specific needs and price points across 2,000+ cameras industry wide. Try the Camera Calculator and Camera Finder.
IQinVision
2014 was not good to early megapixel camera leaders. After years of challenges, IQinVision sold out to Vicon.
Genetec
No major moves for Genetec.
Hikvision
Hikvision has been the biggest aggressor of the year, combining super low cost IP cameras with Western style sales and marketing (see Top Manufacturers Gaining and Losing Ground). Now, they are launching their own analog HD offering, which offers even lower costs for HD (see Hikvision HDTVI Cameras Tested).
Milestone
The 'open platform' VMS company was acquired by Canon, in the deal that generated the most industry interest of the year. So far, not that many major changes, though their long term CSMO left to become CEO of Vicon and Milestone terminated all US manufacturer reps. The bigger question is how will Canon's ownership change Milestone in the next few years.
Mobotix
Mobotix stock price plunged and they admitted channel stuffing. A rough year culminating too many years of refusing to adapt to an evolving market.
Panasonic
Panasonic acquired VMS manufacturer VideoInsight, with an intention to focus on the education market in the Americas first.
Pelco
Pelco's big move was admitting past mistakes and pledging to refocus themselves to their legacy as a customer support leader. Time will tell if they can deliver here.
Samsung
Sasmung sold off its stake in its surveillance business as part of a major transaction with another Korean conglomerate. Techwin surveillance says the brand and the commitment will remain, but most industry people, as our poll shows, are skeptical of that.
Sony
Sony surveillance had a quiet, but down year, losing ground and losing their US GM, all the while hyping products they do not sell.
Swann
A DIY / consumer specialists, Swann generated a significant $125 million annual revenue before being bought out by Infinova, the same company who bought March Networks a few years ago.
Vicon
Vicon's been heading south for years. Now, in a bold gambit, they nabbed a Milestone exec to be their CEO. Unfortunately, the new CEO's strategy looks like a bad fit.
Test Yourself
In surveillance, not particularly.
I am not counting regular releases one way or the other, just major company wide shifts or financial events.
Btw, there was a question raised offline about whether this was for 'major manufacturers' only and that 'minor' manufacturers were excluded.
No. It was more about the level of movement. We did include companies like Axis and Genetec to simply state that there was no major movements. That was done because it would be inevitable that people ask about them.
If anyone has questions about other companies, feel free to ask.
Btw, this is not meant to be a new products review, we have covered that elsewhere, e.g., Winners Losers Fall 2014
I have been getting feedback from manufacturers complaining that we are overlooking their new camera releases or new VMS versions.
We are not counting incremental improvements as the goal here is to look at structural changes - companies sold, bought, entered into new markets, exited from them, etc.
If you are looking for our product coverage of individual manufacturers and cannot find that, just ask in the comments.
Also as a point of reference, we are not including events from 2013. The only exception referenced was the VideoIQ deal which was announced on Dec 31, 2013.
How to FLIR play into the mix any news on that front? I see they have added new cameras.
FLIR is an interesting case, just there are 2 shifts underway.
One is the expansion into smb / commercial surveillance which kicked off with their Lorex acquisition a few years ago and now is expanding with their Dahua partnership / ODM / OEM.
The other is their super low cost thermal cameras, which were announced this year but are not yet shipping.
despite the criticism, fair review John.