Openpath - Experts & Thought Leaders

Mayflex, the distributor of Converged IP Solutions, proudly announces that it has received two prestigious distributor awards at the Motorola Executive Partner Forum 2025, held in Madrid on Thursday, 10th April.  The awards were presented to Mayflex representatives Matt Brayshaw, Converged Technology Account Manager and Hani Roumieh, MEA Regional Director. Avigilon Alta range Mayflex was honoured with the Top Avigilon Unity Distributor EMEA award, recognising its outstanding performance in 2024.  Additionally, Sonepar, Mayflex’s parent company, received the Top Avigilon Alta Distributor EMEA award for their overall performance in 2024 for the combined efforts of Mayflex and CCF in France, for the promotion and sales of the Avigilon Alta range. Avigilon Unity and Alta product sets Mayflex kept the Top Avigilon Unity Distributor EMEA award, recognising its ideal version in 2024 Ross McLetchie, Mayflex Sales Director, expressed his delight, stating, “We are thrilled to win awards for the second consecutive year, this time for our overall performance for selling and supporting the Avigilon Unity and Alta product sets."   "Since 2010, we have been distributing Avigilon, and our teams of external and internal security specialists possess extensive knowledge and experience, ensuring our customers receive the highest level of support and advice.” Alta cloud solution Ross continued, “Over the last 12 months, we have witnessed a significant shift in sales for the cloud-based Avigilon Alta video (formerly AVA) and access products (formerly Openpath)."  "With the numerous benefits of the cloud solution, we anticipate this transition from the Unity on-premise to the Alta cloud solution to continue.” Inventory of Avigilon products Ross concluded, “We maintain a substantial inventory of Avigilon products, which are shipped out next day, free of charge, to our customers in the UK Mainland. However, our commitment goes beyond shipping products; it’s about adding value and supporting our customers."   "Through our Specialist Support Services, we can pre-configure Avigilon devices and cameras and even spray paint the cameras and brackets if required.”

Mayflex, the distributor of Converged IP Solutions, has appointed Jack Foss in the role of Account Manager for Converged Technology with an emphasis on IP Security. Jack Foss joins Mayflex from Eagle Eye Networks where he was the Southern Area Sales Manager, prior to that he worked in various sales and business development roles in technology companies.  Cloud-based technology Adam Herring, Director of Sales for Security at Mayflex commented, “We are delighted to welcome Jack to the team, he has real drive and ambition as well as good security knowledge and experience, so we believe that he will be the perfect fit for looking after our customers in London & the East Home Counties.”  Adam Herring continues, “With Jacks’ background in cloud-based technology he is well-placed to advise and support our customers on Avigilon Alta (formerly AVA and Openpath). He will also be driving the sales and working closely with our security vendors including Avigilon Unity, Axis, Hikvision, Milestone, Mobotix, Paxton, Pelco, Suprema, and Wavestore to name but a few.”  Access to brands and support services  Jack Foss commented, “I’m excited to join Mayflex and have access to such a choice of quality brands and support services. I’m very much looking forward to getting to know my fellow associates and then getting out to meet the customers in my area.” Adam Herring concluded, “In the first few weeks Jack will undergo a comprehensive induction to bring him up to speed on everything that is Mayflex and particularly around our security business."

Motorola Solutions announces the new Avigilon physical security suite that provides secure, scalable and flexible video security and access control to organisations of all sizes around the world. The Avigilon security suite includes the cloud-native Avigilon Alta and on-premise Avigilon Unity solutions, each powered by advanced analytics and designed to provide an effortless user experience. Avigilon has been the capstone of Motorola Solutions’ Video Security & Access Control business, which has grown through strategic acquisitions over the past five years to achieve over $1.5 billion in annual sales (2022). Physical security platforms The launch of the new Avigilon security suite marks the integration of technologies from three acquisitions – Avigilon (2018), Openpath (2021) and Ava Security (2022) – to create one of the most extensive physical security platforms on the market today, all under a modernised Avigilon brand. The launch of the new Avigilon security suite marks the integration of technologies from three acquisitions “Individually, Avigilon, Ava Security and Openpath offer excellence in their fields; together, they’re exponentially more powerful,” said John Kedzierski, Senior Vice President, Video Security & Access Control, Motorola Solutions. He adds, “The new Avigilon security suite makes enterprise-grade physical security accessible to businesses of any size, with modular layers of security that can be tailored to protect them from the increasing number and complex nature of threats around the world. It fills a critical void in the market today, bringing together the necessary capabilities to help keep people, property and assets safe.” Cloud-native security Motorola Solutions’ video cameras allow customers to comply with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Sec. 889 and highlights Motorola Solutions’ continued commitment to advancing technologies that protect the nation’s networks and supply chains from equipment that threatens national security. Avigilon Alta is an entirely cloud-native security suite that brings together Ava Security’s video portfolio and Openpath’s access control solutions. It requires no infrastructure beyond cameras, controllers and access control readers utilising cloud infrastructure managed by Motorola Solutions. Avigilon Unity is an on-premise security suite that has all the hallmarks of the original Avigilon portfolio, including Avigilon Control Center, Avigilon Cloud Services and Access Control Manager. It is designed for enterprises that want to manage their own systems.  Access control readers Both Avigilon Alta and Avigilon Unity feature: Scalable, flexible design for today and the future. The Avigilon security suite can scale as businesses grow, enabling organisations to include multiple sites, cameras and locations that can be operated from anywhere via a browser or mobile device. End-to-end security technology for complete situational awareness. The Avigilon security suite centralises video security, access control, analytics and decision management into one easy-to-use platform. Advanced artificial intelligence (AI) for proactive security alerts in real-time. The Avigilon security suite helps to make watching live video obsolete with AI-enabled analytics. Automatic alerts are sent to security operators who can securely access the platform from anywhere on any device to gain immediate visibility and insight into a threat. Avigilon Alta and Avigilon Unity will be on display at ISC West, March 29-31 in Las Vegas, booth #14059.

Consolidation is a dominant trend in the security marketplace. Large companies typically swallow up smaller companies as a means of expanding both their technology portfolios and their geographic reach. Sometimes a big fish is swallowed up by an even bigger fish.   Despite the pandemic and resulting economic challenges, the security market has continued to be a desirable environment for both big players and startups, which then provide abundant acquisition targets for the larger companies. Acquisitions of Motorola Motorola Solutions has been among the most acquisitive of the larger players, recently adding several smaller companies to their growing portfolio. Just this year, Motorola has acquired Ava Security, a video security and analytics company; Calipsa, another analytics company; and Videotec, an Italian provider of ruggedized video solutions for critical infrastructure applications. Video solutions that help to enhance safety and streamline operations while supporting customers In one announcement, Motorola chairman and CEO Greg Brown stated the goal of acquisitions is “to support our customers’ evolving security needs by expanding our portfolio of intelligent video solutions that help to enhance safety and streamline operations.” Previously, Motorola Solutions acquired Envysion, a video analytics company for the retail market. On the access control side, Motorola acquired Openpath Security, a cloud-based, mobile access control provider, in 2021. Motorola entered the video surveillance business back in 2018 with the acquisition of Avigilon for around $1 billion. Also now a part of Motorola are IndigoVision and Pelco, among others. ACRE's mergers and acquisition Another company active in the mergers and acquisition market has been ACRE (Access Control Related Enterprises). The company began with a spinoff from Ingersoll Rand in 2012 to become Vanderbilt Industries. As ACRE, the parent company has been active both in acquisitions and divestitures over the next decade. Vanderbilt grew with the acquisition of Siemens’ Security Products in 2015. ACRE owned Mercury Security, a manufacturer of OEM hardware used by access control companies, from 2013 until it was sold to HID Global in 2017. The acquisition of Razberi enhances the ComNet portfolio while providing complementary technologies ACRE’s more recent access control acquisitions are RS2 Technologies (in 2019), Open Options (2018), Feenics (2021), and Matrix Systems (2021). They acquired ComNet, a manufacturer of video and data transmission equipment, in 2016. The acquisition of Razberi (in 2020) enhances the ComNet portfolio and provides complementary technologies to the access control brands. Acquisition of ACRE ACRE itself was acquired by European investment firm Triton in 2021, and Joseph Grillo, the company’s founder and CEO, announced his retirement in 2022. His knowledge of the security and access control markets helped to drive the company’s growth, including 11 successful acquisitions in all. Securitas acquiring Stanley Security  The acquisition of Stanley Security is transformational for both Securitas and the security industry Stanley Security has also made headlines. In December 2021, Securitas signed an agreement to acquire the Electronic Security Business from Stanley Black & Decker for $3.2 billion in cash. Securitas President and CEO Magnus Ahlqvist says, “the acquisition of Stanley Security is transformational for both Securitas and the security industry.” Allegion plc, global security products and solutions provider, later signed an agreement to acquire Stanley Access Technologies and assets related to the automatic entrance solutions business from Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. for $900 million. Acquisition by HID Global, ADT Inc. & Allied Universal HID Global has acquired Vizinex RFID, thus increasing its presence and relevance in key vertical markets, including healthcare/medical, manufacturing, oil and gas, data centres, etc. and adding a key technology to HID Global’s RFID tag portfolio. ADT Inc. recently expanded its geographic reach with the acquisition of Key-Rite Security, a locally owned and operated security provider specializing in access control, surveillance, intrusion, and intercom systems in Colorado and for customers across the United States. Allied Universal continues its strategic growth with the acquisition of Attenti Group, an electronic monitoring company Allied Universal has acquired Star Protection Agency, the largest Hawaiian-owned and veteran-owned security company in the state. Although Star is primarily a guard patrol service, with workers at 125 sites throughout the state, it provides a range of security technology and consulting services. Internationally, Allied Universal continues its strategic growth with the acquisition of Attenti Group, an electronic monitoring company. Allied Universal will integrate Attenti Group with G4S Monitoring Technologies, to create Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring Services. SALTO Systems making acquisition news Also internationally, SALTO Systems has made acquisition news by investing in Bluefield Smart Access, thus strengthening their portfolio of access control solutions. SALTO Systems is a manufacturer of electronic access control and operating system solutions, designed to provide a seamless, keyless and mobile experience for modern buildings. Also joining the SALTO Group is Cognitec Systems, a face recognition company. The goal is to strengthen their research, development and market reach while working with SALTO on new technologies for expanding biometric markets. SALTO strategically selected Cognitec Systems to meet market requests for adding face recognition and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to the company’s electronic access control and ticketing solutions. Acquisitions by MOBOTIX and Resideo Technologies  Resideo Technologies, Inc. entered into an agreement to acquire First Alert, Inc., a provider of home safety products Further, on the international scene, MOBOTIX has reached an agreement to acquire Vaxtor Group, Tres Cantos, Spain, an artificial intelligence (AI) based video analytics provider, specializing in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Deep Learning technologies. On the residential system's front, Resideo Technologies, Inc. entered into an agreement to acquire First Alert, Inc., a provider of home safety products, from Newell Brands Inc. for $593 million in an all-cash transaction. Established in 1969 and based in Aurora, Illinois, First Alert offers a strong omnichannel presence serving end-users directly through retail and e-commerce channels and professional contractors through relationships with distributors and home builders.

Technology is driving new opportunities in the security industry. Innovation trends include artificial intelligence (AI), edge-based systems, mobile systems, a greater focus on software, and efforts to simplify operation of security systems, even as capabilities become more complex. ISC West 2022 reflected these changing trends. “In addition to emphasising technology innovation, ISC West also reflected an industry that is resilient, dedicated and passionate,” said Mary Beth Shaughnessy, the Event Director of ISC Security Events. ISC West 2022 “Almost 12,000 dealers, installers, integrators, end users and consultants reconnected at ISC West 2022, and there were nearly 20,000 total industry professionals in attendance (including manufacturers),” adds Mary Beth Shaughnessy. The 550 exhibitors and brands on display reflected an industry that has come through the COVID-19 pandemic in better shape than ever, poised for even greater success in the years ahead. Turning video and access control into knowledge Deployment of AI to ‘watch video’ can inform users of what’s happening in real-time Motorola Solutions emphasized several themes that were heard repeatedly throughout the show. “One trend is fulfilling the need to turn video and access control into sources of knowledge, inside the enterprise,” said John Kedzierzski, Motorola Solutions’ Senior Vice President of Video Security and Access Control. Deployment of AI to ‘watch video’ can inform users of what’s happening in real-time, while monitoring access control yields the equivalent of an operating system inside a building. Using the Cloud offers consumer ease-of-use to systems The second trend listed by Motorola Solutions is working to bring the consumer ease-of-use experience into enterprise security solution applications. Professional security systems were previously complicated to buy, install, manage and upgrade. However, using the Cloud, even distributed enterprises can bring consumer ease-of-use to systems, from improving the out-of-box installation experience to boosting the ability to manage the system. Transition to ‘mobile first’ interfaces The third trend emphasised by Motorola Solutions is transition to ‘mobile first’ interfaces, reflecting the need for busy security executives to be on-the-go, but with full access to their systems, without being chained to their desks. Since the last springtime ISC West show in 2019, Motorola Solutions has grown rapidly, both organically and through acquisition of IndigoVision, Pelco, Openpath, Envysion, and Ava Security. Cloud-based Orchestrate system Integration is simple through a ‘drag-and-drop’ approach that doesn’t involve writing code In addition, the company is making it easier to integrate video and access control systems with Motorola’s radio systems, typically carried by security guards. The cloud-based Orchestrate system translates ‘events’ from access control and video, to trigger notifications on a mobile radio. Integration is simple through a ‘drag-and-drop’ approach that doesn’t involve writing code. Simplifying implementation of AI Artificial Intelligence (AI) has traditionally been associated with the use of large servers or even intelligence in the Cloud. Several exhibitors at ISC West helped to change that misconception. For example, Oosto offers a simpler and more economical approach. They supply edge appliances for AI. The purpose-built Vision AI appliance, a small box, puts intelligence at the ‘near edge’, by connecting to up to five cameras. Easy and dependable ‘failover’ ensures redundancy without a big investment, and the system can work with any IP camera, including an end user’s installed base of cameras. Oosto’s TCO (total cost of ownership) calculator Oosto’s TCO (total cost of ownership) calculator spells out how much a customer can save versus using a big server, including lower costs such and power and cooling. AI was probably the biggest buzzword at ISC West, but there was also emphasis on the practical results of applying AI to physical security. Artificial Intelligence (AI) - the biggest buzzword at ISC West I believe our purpose is to bring buzzwords, like Cloud and AI together in a way that is useful to end-users" “What surprises me (at the show) is that there is a lot of generic marketing of AI, but we are trying to step back from our analytics and look at applications that serve certain end-users,” said Jeff Corrall, Vice President - Product Management at March Networks, adding “As an industry, we are still at the stage of AI as a buzzword.” Jeff Corrall further said, “I believe our purpose is to bring buzzwords, like Cloud and AI together in a way that is useful to end-users. We have to live with the buzzwords, but what we really want is to apply them. That creates a stickiness with the end-user — when high technology is making a difference.” March Networks Labs address specific end-user problems and then apply their systems to provide a solution. Jeff Corrall adds, “A lot of AI is responding to what the customer is asking for, and we are stepping back and making sure the end-user will use it on a consistent basis.” ‘Edge versus cloud’ was a common theme at ISC West Edge versus Cloud ‘Edge versus cloud’ was a common theme at ISC West, pondering where in a system the ‘intelligence’, such as AI and machine learning, as well as other functionality, should reside. Among the companies addressing the quandary was Axis Communications, which focused on the issue using a racing theme at their presentation to the industry press. The winner of the ‘race?’ - The combination of both approaches working together as a team, of course. AXIS Speed Monitor on exhibit One introduction at the show was the AXIS Speed Monitor, a speed detection app available using ACAP Axis Communications also highlighted the deep learning analytics of the ARPEC 8 camera chip (introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic), which will be deployed across their camera line. One introduction at the show was the AXIS Speed Monitor, a speed detection app available using ACAP (Axis Camera Application Platform), the capability to load ‘apps’ onto camera chips at the edge. They also introduced the D4100-E Network strobe siren (a smart edge device), the Audio Manager Pro (a cloud-based software system enabling zoning and callouts for specific areas in a building), the W101 body worn cameras with GPS capabilities, and a Barcode Reader for doorstop applications (another ACAP app). ‘App Store’ approach to expanding applications Azena is at the centre of expanding applications at the edge, promoting new applications through an ‘App Store’ approach that sells software apps that can be loaded onto cameras that are equipped with Azena’s operating system. In the last couple of years, the company (formerly known as Security and Safety Things) has expanded its offerings. There are currently 108 apps in the store from 30 to 40 app developers. There are 14 camera models (from six manufacturers) that are commercially available and run their operating system. The newest camera is a fisheye model from Vivotek. “What we have seen is that a lot of the use cases are pretty unique,” said Fabio Marti, Vice President - Marketing for Azena. Two examples are an application that monitors a flame to ensure it is burning cleanly (no smoke). Another system monitors nets covering fish farms to avoid birds getting tangled up in the nets. Fabio Marti said “A challenge is to find new business avenues for integrators. Everybody is not eager to look beyond their comfort zone.” Focusing on software to ensure user experience Software systems are one of the major focal points for innovation in security systems Software systems are one of the major focal points for innovation in security systems and Verkada is focusing on how software innovation can improve systems. “For decades, innovation was on the hardware front,” said Filip Kaliszan, Verkada’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), adding “We saw an opportunity for more innovation on the software side. The customer experience revolves around software.” Ensuring an end-to-end experience “We want to guarantee an end-to-end experience,” adds Filip Kaliszan. As a new company with a ‘hybrid cloud’ approach, Verkada focused on appealing to end users to convince them of the value proposition. Once an end user was convinced, Verkada brought in an integrator partner to deliver the solution. In effect, Verkada finds demand and brings that demand to the integrator. Software-centric operation of a modern building Verkada is broadly focused on ‘software-centric operation of a modern building.’ After starting out in video, Verkada has since expanded into systems for access control, alarm systems, and other categories. They use a combination of third-party hardware and equipment that is custom designed to work seamlessly with their software systems. Verkada’s end goal is to put the various systems together into a platform. They will continue building each product category, which will eventually be unified into ‘the operating system for the building of the future.’

A recent survey compared how employees, tenants, property owners and managers, and developers feel about returning to the workplace, and what would make them feel safer. Among the responses from employees and tenants, 63% don’t feel comfortable returning to work, and cited their own health and safety, as well as the safety of their loved ones, as the main cause for concern. However, 73% of business owners said they plan on reopening as soon as possible, within 2-4 weeks. How can we fix the disconnect, and ensure that property owners are creating safer, healthier workspaces for returning tenants?  With the right tools and strategies in place, businesses can return to work with confidence. As it turns out, decision makers are prepared to budget for safety precautions as well; whether it’s providing PPE for employees, or upgrading building systems, 51% of owners are increasing their security and safety spend in response to the pandemic. Innovative technology is helping businesses find ways to accommodate new health guidelines, as well as give tenants peace of mind as they return to the workplace.  Tenant and employee concerns 79% of people saying they’d be more willing to return to work with reduced occupancy In addressing top tenant and employee concerns, many businesses are pivoting to staggered work schedules. This is a good starting point for accommodating the CDC workplace guidelines for social distancing, as it helps minimise the number of people in the building. In fact, social distancing was the top-requested safety update requested by employees and tenants, with 79% of people saying they’d be more willing to return to work with reduced occupancy.  However, with 80% of businesses maintaining or decreasing their current building size, minimising the number of people at work can be challenging, especially if you’re managing your facility remotely. Occupancy management tools, such as density counters, people sensors, and presence reporting data, can help administrators track who is at the building and when. Plus, with more data at your disposal, you can make informed decisions about space utilisation throughout the building, whether to reopen amenities like gyms and cafeterias, and adjust work schedules to accommodate capacity thresholds. To further streamline the process, you can enforce capacity thresholds by connecting occupancy tools to your access control system. Associating work schedules with access credentials ensures that only those scheduled for the day will be able to enter the space. Accessing the workplace Which brings us to the next piece of the return-to-work puzzle: how people are accessing the workplace. “The reality is that people don’t want to touch things anymore; it’s just too stressful,” says Openpath President James Segil, “Removing the communal touch points is key to making people feel safer, which is why you’ll see so many tech companies pivoting to touchless capabilities.” And yet, only 25% of decision makers have implemented touchless solutions. Mobile credentials were already growing in popularity for their convenience and ease of use prior to the pandemic. In fact, 62% of survey respondents would prefer to use their phone to enter the workplace. Now, touchless access control options can also eliminate the need to touch a common reader or door handle. Plus, with a cloud-based access control solution, all those mobile credentials are managed remotely, which helps accommodate a remote workforce and eliminates the need to meet in person to issue a badge. When even opening the front door induces anxiety, touchless access makes it one less thing to worry about.  Healthcare questionnaires In addition to limiting who has access to the building, many businesses are now requiring employees and visitors to complete health questionnaires prior to coming into the workplace. Take the burden off your administrative staff by using tenant and visitor platforms like Envoy Protect, which offer digital access requests, check-in, and amenity reservations. Using a mobile platform to create, distribute, and manage health questionnaires is a smart way to streamline your operations, plus it gives you more visibility into who is in your building and when. 45% of commercial landlords and business owners admit security is one of the biggest challenges During the pandemic, 45% of commercial landlords and business owners admit security is one of the biggest challenges they’re facing. Approach technology updates with a smart strategy to maximise the safety and security benefits: start with the most impactful areas first, such as the front door. A mobile access control solution like Openpath that offers built-in occupancy tracking capabilities can help automate and enforce social distancing measures while still ensuring the security of your space. As a best practice, open systems allow for seamless integrations to strengthen your security. For example, integrating Cisco Meraki’s video surveillance platform with access control enables remote security management by associating real-time footage with access events.  Prioritising safety and security is key to addressing the concerns of returning tenants and employees as workplaces reopen. Because business owners are faced with tough decisions on which updates will prove to be sound investments, it’s important to consider technology that does more than solve immediate problems. Future-proof systems enable safer reopening now, and are also primed to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Integrated proptech tools are allowing businesses to make smarter decisions and create safer, healthier workspaces for the post-pandemic world.