Axis Communications, an industry leader in video surveillance, sees the UAE as its strongest market in the Middle East and expects the trend to continue.
“We have been in the UAE for 23 years, and 2023 has been our best year yet. With infrastructure developments that are taking place now, along with tremendous population growth. So with growth comes opportunity. Along with this there are very strong regulations locally in Dubai and also now Abu Dhabi, and those are very favourable for IoT providers,” Ettiene van der Watt, Regional Director for Middle East and Africa at Axis, told Khaleej Times in an interview on the sidelines of Intersec 2024.
At the event, Axis announced new products, including the world’s first thermometric explosion-protected camera specifically designed and certified for use in Zone and Division 2 hazardous locations, rhe first network horn speaker from Axis certified for Zone and Division 1 hazardous locations, and a high-frequency radar that can accurately detect, classify and track humans and vehicles in various light and weather conditions. Taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 16 to 18 January 2024, the 25th edition of Intersec Dubai celebrates a quarter century of uniting security technology and serving as a calendar highpoint for the security industry.
The annual event brings more than 45,000 stakeholders from around the world together to explore the latest trends, promote trade and commerce across international borders, showcase the latest innovations and products, and confront the world’s most pressing security challenges.
“The security industry and the needs of our customers are in constant flux. Axis is constantly refining our product and service offering to meet those needs and to that, we are always innovating and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with network monitoring and security products. We are very excited to introduce the world to our latest products and demonstrate what we can to do enhance organisations’ security, and help build a smarter, safer, and more sustainable world for all,” said van der Watt.
For Axis, van der Watt said the trend this year is to go beyond security solutions. “I would say that key trends for us is beyond security — because cameras have AI and they are AI-enabled, meaning that the camera can be used to support you in operational efficiency and business intelligence. It can help you in some basic decision making it can help you in object analytics,” he added.
In terms of sustainability, van der Watt said most of the components used in Axis’ products are PVC free. “Seventy to 80 per cent of our components are made from recycled products. We also have one of the lowest power consumption in our sector,” he added.