Motorola Solutions announced their acquisition of IPVideo in December, the last major M&A deal in security in 2023. With the acquisition, Motorola Solutions gains a non-video threat detection solution that adds to their portfolio of security and safety products. The article takes a closer look.
Motorola Solutions
announced their acquisition of IPVideo in December, the last major M&A deal in security in 2023. With the acquisition, Motorola Solutions gains a non-video threat detection solution that adds to their portfolio of security and safety products. The article takes a closer look.
Motorola announced on December 18 their acquisition of IPVideo, the latest in a slew of acquisitions Motorola Solutions has made over the years. In 2018, the company made headlines when it acquired Avigilon. Subsequently Motorola purchased such companies as
IndigoVision,
Pelco, Openpath,
Ava and Videotec.
Unlike the other companies, though, IPVideo provides solutions that are not so related to video surveillance or access control. Rather, the Bay Shore, New York-based IPVideo is the creator of the HALO Smart Sensor, an all-in-one device with various built-in functions including air quality monitoring, vape detection, gunshot detection, abnormal noise and motion detection and emergency keyword detection.
HALO’s vape detection is especially worth mentioning. While vaping, or the act of smoking electronic cigarettes, has become more common, there are places where vaping might be prohibited, including workplaces, restaurants and bars. This is where HALO can come in handy, especially considering it’s a non-video-based solution.
“It uses a series of sensors and a dynamic vape detection algorithm to automatically learn the environment and alert when vaping particulates in the air are detected. It can detect the harmful chemicals emitted from vaping, vaping with THC, and smoking,” said John Kedzierski, Senior VP of Enterprise Sales at Motorola Solutions. He added that in areas where cameras and video security solutions are not suitable, such as restrooms, classrooms, hospital rooms and hotel rooms, HALO can improve situational awareness and offer peace of mind while protecting privacy.
However, this is not say HALO cannot work with security cameras to provide a more layered approach to security and safety. “For example, the HALO Smart Sensor integrates seamlessly with the Avigilon security suite. When HALO detects an anomaly such as poor air quality or unusual noise, an alert is sent directly to the Avigilon Unity or Avigilon Alta Aware video management systems, providing another layer of critical information that helps organizations better detect, analyze and respond to everyday incidents or emergencies,” Kedzierski said.
According to Kedzierski, HALO already has a presence in different parts of the globe. With the acquisition, Motorola Solutions plans to widen its reach.
“HALO is currently available in North America, EMEA and APAC. We also have plans to open up distribution in South America in 2024,” Kedzierski said. “In addition to IPVideo’s current go-to-market channel, we plan to leverage our existing video security go-to-market channels.”
All in all, the acquisition is special in that it extends Motorola Solutions’ end-to-end physical security offering by integrating a non-video threat detection product into their safety and security ecosystem. “This acquisition reinforces Motorola Solutions’ commitment to improving safety and security by offering end-to-end solutions with unique workflows. IPVideo adds the HALO sensor that is easy to deploy and operate for enterprises of all sizes. We see this as an opportunity to introduce additional detection solutions that help our customers protect people, property and places,” Kedzierski said. “Motorola Solutions and IPVideo will continue to deliver security solutions that help create safer schools, safer hospitals, safer hotels and safer businesses.”
"We are excited to join Motorola Solutions and look forward to strengthening the innovative solutions we deliver to our customers,” said David Antar, President of IPVideo, during the acquisition announcement. “Together, we will continue investing in and building upon Motorola Solutions’ leading safety and security ecosystem, equipping customers with advanced ways to protect their people and enhance their operational insights.”