Video: 10 Minute IT Jams - Axis Communications on new IP solutions

Axis Communications is changing how we think about audio and video security. Speaking to 10 Minute IT Jams, Waiking Wong, Regional Director at Axis Communications, discussed the company's newly launched IP solutions and why they matter so much in today's market.

The conversation began by clearing up what exactly an IP solution is and why it's gaining momentum. Wong explained, "Let's think of this way - the IP solution is equivalent to Internet of Things, similar to Internet of Things." He continued, "Whatever we released today are mainly the cameras - meaning for securities which all connected through ethernet and then we also release a new product which is the audio version which connects to the internet as well." This latest offering includes both security cameras and internet-connected audio solutions.

Axis Communications is no stranger to innovation in this space. "We started back in 1996. So that's actually a long time ago for Internet of Things releases," Wong said. He revealed that Axis began as a print server company, even holding the position of number two globally for print servers before offices started integrating print servers directly into printers. Their transition into IP technology had a rather humble beginning. "We would call it an accidental development as well from Martin Grant [the founder] in a way that he has a good friend who actually has a lot of analog cameras and they'll work together and put it together and put an IP based camera - that's how it all started from there," Wong shared.

Since then, Axis Communications has come a long way in the security and audio markets. Market demand for IP-based solutions has exploded, particularly in security. "From the camera point of view, it's usually from the security market," Wong explained. "So we actually convert the analog version of the CCTV world to the IP version today so we actually move all the analog systems all into our digital today." In short, CCTV surveillance has gone from old-fashioned wiring and analogue video to easy-to-manage, remotely monitored digital systems.

But the changes and opportunities don't stop at security cameras. Wong believes the next big area is IP audio - bringing the same digital flexibility and convenience to how businesses manage audio across their sites. "The future is we are looking actually in the audio market whereby today most audios today are actually digital and we are actually enabled our products to transform or transmits audios digitally across through ethernet and easily and able to manage across any other networks," he said.

The most common uses for this technology might surprise some. Wong noted, "If you go to the retailers, you will definitely hear some background music, correct? When you go to shopping centres you hear some background music. The problem with the current systems or the legacy system is... whenever you want to change the music for certain zones it's very difficult, you have to physically remove and change the zones." With IP-based audio, this headache becomes a thing of the past. "In IP technology you don't have to do that, you can just click and select whichever zones that you have." As an example, he offered, "Let's say Christmas is coming... and you have a kids section with all the kids toys and you want to run different time music - maybe region-specific music – in there. You can actually customise that and provide that for that area alone. So you can actually segment across different type of environment within the shopping centre."

It's not only retail that stands to benefit. Education is one of the burgeoning markets for IP audio solutions. "One of the bigger or up-and-coming requirements are actually from education - schools...school bells, ironically school bells," Wong said. Today, many schools still rely on simple, inflexible bell systems that often ring even on holidays. "With IP solution you can actually pre-configure that, you can actually configure the timing of the school bells, you can actually create PA systems as well announcements, everything and you can zone across different type of areas to actually do announcements," Wong explained.

This flexibility borders on the revolutionary for administrators. Not only does the technology eliminate the need for physical rewiring, "you actually reduce the number of amplifiers—you don't have amplifiers, you don't need amplifiers at all because the speaker itself is built in amplifiers because it's all based on PoE [Power over Ethernet]," Wong said.

Looking towards the future of the audio/video industry, Wong pointed out that the next five years could see even more dramatic change. "When we started the IP cameras...the cameras capture content, we digitise it and transmit it across the network. In IP audio it's the reverse. All the content is digital...most of your music today's all digital-based. The question is how do you deliver the content out to the market," he said. The answer, from Wong's perspective, is clear - IP audio systems which "automatically delivers the content out to the market through those speakers."

He described practical implementations already at work in Axis's own office: "We have 60 songs on Monday, Tuesday we have 80 songs, so you get multiple different songs in there and pre-configure everything set up to an IP audio systems."

The interview concluded with Wong explaining that Axis has offices in all major states and is headquartered in Melbourne. Reaching out for more information is straightforward, and the company is ready to help businesses and institutions modernise their audio and video infrastructure.

In summarising the broader opportunities and benefits to come, Wong said, "Looks like some exciting things happening in the future."