business news Flir wins 74 million dollar contract for US army Wilsonville, Or (USA) Flir Systems, Inc. has been awarded a $74.7 million firmfixed-price order to deliver Tac Flir surveillance cameras in support of the U.S. Army EO/IR-Force Protection (FP) programme. The U.S. Army will purchase the systems through Army Contracting Command, Redstone. The units delivered under this contract will support the ongoing U.S. Army EO/IR-FP programme, which provides enhanced perimeter security and force protection for U.S. troops stationed around the world, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. As part of the same programme, Flir was also awarded an $8.8 million contract in the third quarter 2017 to deliver other Flir Ranger radars. “We are honoured to continue our long-standing support of the U.S. Army,” said Jim Cannon, CEO and President of Flir. “This programme highlights our ability to rapidly deploy our technology for critical missions and underscores Flir’s commercially developed, military qualified approach.” The contract expands the use of Flir stabilised surveillance systems for the U.S. Army’s EO/IR-FP programmes. Flir has delivered over a thousand EO/IR sensors to the U.S. Army as part of this programme to support the safety of U.S. forces and those of U.S. allies, including a variety of systems. Flir will manufacture the systems in Wilsonville, Oregon, and deliveries will begin during 2017 and be completed within one year. Johan Molin may leave Assa Abloy Stockholm, Sweden Nest expands into Home Security market San Francisco, Ca (USA) President and CEO Johan Molin is considering leaving Assa Abloy during 2018. Although nothing official had been announced, the company has released the following statement: “Due to rumours in the market, we clarify that Johan Molin, President and CEO of Assa Abloy has informed the Board of Directors that he is considering to resign as President and CEO during 2018. Against this background, the Board has begun the work on evaluating potential successors to Johan Molin and has also appointed an external recruitment consultant.” Johan Molin succeeded Bo Dankis as CEO for the Swedish access solutions company Assa Abloy in December 2005. Previously he led a successful turnaround as CEO of the Danish industrial group Nilfisk-Advance, world leader in industrial and commercial cleaning machinery. During his 12 years so far as Johan Molin, President and CEO, Assa Abloy is considering his position. CEO, Assa Abloy has acquired over 80 companies, and the offensive acquisition strategy is continuing with the acquisition of Mercury from ACRE last month and the acquisition of SMI in India in August 2017. Nest Labs Inc has entered the domestic market with a home security solution that includes the Nest Secure alarm system, Nest Hello video doorbell, Nest Cam IQ outdoor security camera, and corresponding software and services. With the introduction of these six new products, Nest doubles its hardware portfolio for the second time in a year. Nest Secure alarm system is a home security system designed for ease of use. The Nest Secure starter pack includes: Nest Guard, an all-in-one security base that provides the alarm, keypad and a motion sensor, and a voice. Nest Detect is being marketed as a category first: a sensor that detects both motion and open or close movement in one compact, battery-powered product. Put it on a window and it will know when it opens. Stick it on a wall and it senses motion in a room. Place it on a door and it can do both. Nest Tag is a convenient fob that can attach to a keychain, allowing you to easily arm and disarm Nest Secure without a passcode. Nest Hello video doorbell and Nest Cam IQ outdoor security camera, a purpose-built outdoor security camera that protects homes with best-in-class imaging and intelligence, and tamper resistant, weatherproof components. “Today, Nest is delivering on the next phase of our strategy to create the thoughtful home,” said Marwan Fawaz, chief executive officer of Nest. “We’ve had quite a year so far, expanding into 11 more countries, growing our product portfolio with the successful launches of Nest Cam IQ indoor and the Nest Thermostat E, and today we’re disrupting yet another product industry: home security. By building product experiences our customers love, Nest has experienced more than 60% growth on devices shipped in recent years and continues to expand to millions of homes around the world.” Hikvision commits to 1.28 billion Euro R&D investment Hangzhou, China Hikvision Corporate has confirmed a €1.28 billion investment plan to construct four new R&D centres and two new industrial bases to expand surveillance equipment manufacturing and general R&D in various Chinese cities. As security concerns and cyber security risks increase worldwide, Hikvision anticipates demand for its conventional security business will continue to grow steadily. “While we stay committed to R&D in the traditional surveillance industry with video technology as our core business, the planned facilities will promote Hikvision’s technology innovations on i.e. the development of artificial intelligence applications, the Internet of Things, smart cities and more,” says Derek Yang, General Manager of Hikvision Europe. Hikvision will use accumulated profits to fund the project and may seek additional financing methods from traditional sources such as loans. Hikvision’s fixed asset ratios will remain low and operational cash flow will continue to be robust. Hikvision’s new R&D Centres will be constructed in the Chinese cities of Xi’an, Wuhan, Chengdu and Hangzhou. Industrial bases planned for the Chinese cities of Chongqing and Wuhan will improve Hikvision’s manufacturing capacity and production scale for security and innovative new technologies. Hikvision’s planned investment project is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. Security News Every Day – www.securityworldmarket.com 18 • d ete kto r internati onal