Leaping to the forefront of the rapidly growing fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and video analytics, Nortek Security & Control LLC (NSC), a global provider of smart connected devices and systems for residential, security, access control and digital health markets, announced the acquisition of San Jose, California-based IntelliVision Technologies Corp., a pioneer and leader in Artificial Intelligence, smart cameras and deep learning-based video analytics software.
IntelliVision will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of NSC. IntelliVision will continue to support its customers and products. IntelliVision is a market leader in AI and deep learning-based video analytics software for smart cameras, providing video analytics solutions for several markets including Smart Home/IoT, Smart Security, Smart Retail, Smart City and Smart Auto/ADAS.
IntelliVision AI and video analytics solutions provide actionable insights for security and monitoring in smart home, smart enterprise, and smart city applications
Monitoring smart home, city applications
"This acquisition is a great fit for us," NSC President Mike O'Neal said. "The IntelliVision team brings incredible strengths from which we will together build rich, future-ready solutions, with intelligence that will transform the NSC product line. This will extend our leadership position in security, automation and entertainment technology, with significant benefits for our partners and customers."
IntelliVision AI and video analytics solutions provide actionable insights for security and monitoring in smart home, smart enterprise, and smart city applications; business intelligence for smart enterprise and smart retail; and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for automobiles.
Implementation by major brands
The company's software includes licenses for dozens of patents and has been deployed globally in over 4 million cameras from over 50 top tier brand customers and consumer electronics manufacturers. Customers include Comcast, ADT, Netgear, Ring, Ambarella, Schneider Electric/Pelco, Dallmeier, DLink, Disney, and Zebra.
"We are thrilled to become part of Nortek Security & Control," commented IntelliVision CEO Vaidhi Nathan, who will stay on to lead video analytics and artificial intelligence development under the NSC umbrella. "We now have the support and resources of a major market-leader. Plus, integrating IntelliVision's AI and video analytics technologies into NSC's security, control and entertainment platforms will create clear leadership advantages in the markets we collectively serve."
The video analytics and AI technology will empower us to offer incredibly personalised control and automation solutions, and will add significantly to our security platforms"
Personalised control and automation solutions
NSC Executive Vice President of Marketing and Innovation Joe Roberts said that IntelliVision technology will be embedded in key NSC products and systems. "The video analytics and AI technology will empower us to offer incredibly personalised control and automation solutions, and will add significantly to our security platforms," said Roberts. "This will create important new benefits for our dealers and exceptional experiences for the end-users of our products."
Roberts cited IntelliVision's strengths in face detection, recognition and search, intelligent motion, object detection and tracking, intrusion/perimeter watch, object classification (people, vehicle, pet), license plate detection and recognition (LPR/ANPR), and audio recognition.
Multi-factor authentication security system
"For example, imagine a security or access control system that can recognise an approaching person," continued Roberts. "The system itself can provide a hands-free, multi-factor authentication that nearly eliminates false positives all while improving the user experience. And for automation, knowing who is in the room enables setting the lighting and climate scenes according to that person's preference. Now the connected home is not just smart, but intuitive."
According to Roberts, the acquisition also strengthens the company's ongoing investments in voice and natural language technologies and significantly adds to the company's growing patent portfolio.
