Company type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Video surveillance |
Founded | 1984 |
Founders |
|
Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Ray Mauritsson (CEO) |
Products | |
Revenue | 15.9 billion kr (2022) |
1.92 billion kr (2022) | |
1.52 billion kr (2022) | |
Total assets | 12.5 billion kr (2022) |
Total equity | 7.74 billion kr (2022) |
Number of employees | 4,210 (2022) |
Parent | Canon Inc. |
Website | axis |
Footnotes /references [1] |
Axis Communications AB is a Swedish manufacturer of network cameras, access control, and network audio devices for the physical security and video surveillance industries. [2] [3] Since 2015, it operates as an independent subsidiary of Canon Inc.
Axis Communications was founded in 1984 by Martin Gren, Mikael Karlsson and Keith Bloodworth in Lund, Sweden. [4] [5] The company developed and sold protocol converters and printer interfaces for the connection of PC printers in IBM mainframe and mini-computer environments. [6] [7] [8] By the end of the 1980s, Axis Communications opened its first U.S. sales office in Boston, Massachusetts and, in the early 1990s started shifting its focus away from IBM mainframes towards networking and the TCP/IP protocol. [9]
In 1991, Axis Communications introduced a multi-protocol print server supporting both TCP/IP and NetWare. [10] In 1993, the company developed its own CPU Architecture, ETRAX CRIS, for microprocessors used in embedded devices. In 1995, the company introduced a file server independent, multi-protocol CD-ROM server, supporting TCP/IP (NFS) and Windows (SMB), for Ethernet networks, the AXIS 850. [11] By 1995, Axis Communications opened sales offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo, Japan.
Axis Communications introduced the industry's first network camera in 1996, the AXIS 200. [12] [13] This was followed in 1999 by the AXIS 2100 which was the first volume product using an embedded Linux. [14] In 2003, the company introduced the AXIS 205, the smallest network camera of its time.
In 2008, Axis Communications, together with Bosch and Sony, announced that the companies would cooperate to standardize the interface of network video products and form a new industry standards body called ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum). [15] [16]
On 10 February 2015, Japanese multinational corporation Canon Inc., which specializes in the manufacture of imaging and optical products, announced a cash bid of 23.6 billion Swedish kronor (US$2.83 billion) to acquire Axis Communications. [17] [18] While Canon is the majority shareholder, Axis is run independently. Canon's network cameras have been sold and supported by Axis Communications in the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) region since September 1, 2016, and in North America since October 1, 2016. [19] [20] [21] In November 2018, Axis Communications was delisted from Nasdaq Stockholm. [22] [23]
On February 1, 2016, Axis Communications acquired Citilog, a video analytics provider for traffic and transportation security and safety applications. [24] [25] On April 30, 2021, Axis Communications announced that it was selling Citilog, citing challenges in finding "desired synergies because of our different go-to-market models." [26] On May 30, Axis Communications acquired 2N Telecommunications, a provider of IP intercom systems based in the Czech Republic. [27] [28] On June 3, 2016, Axis Communications acquired Cognimatics, a video analytics provider for retail applications such as people counting, queue measurement and occupancy estimation. [29] [30]
In May 2018, Axis opened a new R&D office for software development in Linköping, Sweden. [31]
Axis Communications operates offices in more than 50 countries and employs over 3,800 people. [32]
Installations include the City of Houston, [33] City of Dubuque, [34] Sydney Airport, [35] Moscow Metro, [36] Toronto Airport, [37] and Madrid Buses. [38]
In 2019, Axis Communications published a sustainability report stating that 80 percent of its network cameras and video encoders are PVC-free. [39]
The Axis Real-Time Picture Encoder Chip (ARTPEC) is a system on a chip (SoC) developed by Axis Communications. There are currently eight generations of the chip, all of which run AXIS OS, a modified version of Linux designed for embedded devices. Not all products developed by Axis Communications use its custom chip. The chip is typically found in high-performance devices such as higher-end cameras, while lower-cost devices use SoCs from Ambarella. [60]
The ARTPEC-1 ASIC is the first ASIC designed in-house by Axis Communications for Network Video. Initial development began in 1996 to support hardware compression and encoding of video. At the time processors were not available for network video. Its internal firmware is based on an embedded operating system called μClinux which became known as Embedded Linux.
The ARTPEC-2 SoC released in 2003, is based on the ETRAX CRIS architecture. Unlike ARTPEC-1 which relies on an external CPU, ARTPEC-2 has an internal ETRAX CPU which improves power efficiency and performance. The SoC has a MPEG-4 encoder and decoder which reduces bandwidth when streaming and recording video.
The ARTPEC-3 SoC released in 2007, is based on the ETRAX CRIS architecture. This is the first SoC developed by Axis which supports the H.264 standard for video encoding. The image processing pipeline is capable of capturing a 1080P video source at 30 frames per second.
The ARTPEC-4 SoC released in 2011, has a single-core multi-threaded MIPS CPU (34Kc). The image processing pipeline is based on ETRAX CRIS. The SoC has Lightfinder, a technology which allows a camera to see color in challenging light conditions and P-Iris which reduces lens refraction. [61]
The ARTPEC-5 SoC released in 2013, has a dual-core MIPS CPU (1004Kf) with dual hardware threads and support for Symmetric multiprocessing. The image processing pipeline is based on ETRAX CRIS. The chip actively increases forensic details in a scene via a technology called Forensic Capture and lowers bandwidth while preserving forensic details in an image via a technology called Zipstream.
The ARTPEC-6 SoC released in 2017, is powered by an ARM Cortex-A9 CPU. The image processing pipeline is based on ETRAX CRIS. The SoC is capable of capturing 4K video at 30 frames per second. The chip actively increases forensic details in a scene via a technology called Forensic WDR and runs video analytics. [62]
The ARTPEC-7 SoC released in 2019, is powered by an ARM Cortex-A9 CPU. The image processing pipeline is based on ETRAX CRIS. This is the first SoC developed by Axis which supports the H.265 standard for video encoding. ARTPEC-7 has features such as secure boot which prevents booting of unauthorized firmware, improvements in low light imaging via Lightfinder 2.0, and a machine learning processor. [63]
The ARTPEC-8 SoC released in 2021, is powered by an ARM Cortex-A53 CPU. The SoC is similar to its predecessor using the same image processing pipeline, video encoders, and security features. Primarily focused on machine learning for video analytics, the processor features a deep learning processor. [64]
In October 2021, cybersecurity research firm Nozomi Networks published "three new vulnerabilities (CVE-2021-31986, CVE-2021-31987, CVE-2021-31988) affecting all Axis devices based on the embedded AXIS OS." [65] Axis and Nozomi collaborated throughout the research and disclosure process, with Nozomi publishing a statement from Axis in its announcement of the vulnerability. [65]
To exploit these vulnerabilities, the potential adversary needs network access and administrator-level access to the Axis device. [66] A week after their discoveries, CVE-2021-31986, CVE-2021-31987, and CVE-31998 were patched in AXIS OS 10.7, AXIS OS 2016 LTS Track 6.50.5.5, AXIS OS 2018 LTS Track 8.40.4.3, and AXIS OS 2020 LTS Track 9.80.3.5. [66]
We thank Nozomi Networks for their research and good collaboration throughout the disclosure process. AXIS Communications welcomes researchers to inspect our devices and firmware as it is our belief that long-term sustainable cyber security is created through collaboration and transparency.
— Sebastian Hultqvist, Global Product Manager for AXIS OS [65]
Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly transmitted, though it may employ point-to-point, point-to-multipoint (P2MP), or mesh wired or wireless links. Even though almost all video cameras fit this definition, the term is most often applied to those used for surveillance in areas that require additional security or ongoing monitoring.
Motion JPEG is a video compression format in which each video frame or interlaced field of a digital video sequence is compressed separately as a JPEG image.
Canon Inc. is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, specializing in optical, imaging, and industrial products, such as lenses, cameras, medical equipment, scanners, printers, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
μClinux is a variation of the Linux kernel, previously maintained as a fork, that targets microcontrollers without a memory management unit (MMU). It was integrated into the mainline kernel as of 2.5.46; the project continues to develop patches and tools for microcontrollers. The homepage lists Linux kernel releases for 2.0, 2.4 and 2.6.
Xilinx, Inc. was an American technology and semiconductor company that primarily supplied programmable logic devices. The company is known for inventing the first commercially viable field-programmable gate array (FPGA). It also created the first fabless manufacturing model.
Motorola Solutions, Inc. is an American video equipment, telecommunications equipment, software, systems and services provider that succeeded Motorola, Inc., following the spinoff of the mobile phone division into Motorola Mobility in 2011. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Alchemy is a family of ultra low power embedded microprocessors originally designed by Alchemy Semiconductor for communication and media devices. Alchemy processors are SoCs integrating a CPU core, a memory controller, and a varying set of peripherals. All members of the family use the Au1 CPU core implementing the MIPS32 instruction set by MIPS Technologies.
The ETRAX CRIS is a RISC ISA and series of CPUs designed and manufactured by Axis Communications for use in embedded systems since 1993. The name is an acronym of the chip's features: Ethernet, Token Ring, AXis - Code Reduced Instruction Set. Token Ring support has been taken out from the latest chips as it has become obsolete.
The Texas Instruments DaVinci is a family of system on a chip processors that are primarily used in embedded video and vision applications. Many processors in the family combine a DSP core based on the TMS320 C6000 VLIW DSP family and an ARM CPU core into a single system on chip. By using both a general-purpose processor and a DSP, the control and media portions can both be executed by separate processors.
An Internet Protocol camera, or IP camera, is a type of digital video camera that receives control data and sends image data via an IP network. They are commonly used for surveillance, but, unlike analog closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, they require no local recording device, only a local area network. Most IP cameras are webcams, but the term IP camera or netcam usually applies only to those that can be directly accessed over a network connection.
The following is a list of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC products and implementations.
ONVIF is a global and open industry forum with the goal of facilitating the development and use of a global open standard for the interface of physical IP-based security products. ONVIF creates a standard for how IP products within video surveillance and other physical security areas can communicate with each other. ONVIF is an organization started in 2008 by Axis Communications, Bosch Security Systems and Sony.
Video over cellular (VoC), also known as VoCIP, is a term used for processing streaming video such as surveillance, using high-resolution video cameras over 3G and 4G cellular networks. Creating a VoC transmission requires encoding and decoding of video packets of data. The method of transport over a cellular packet switched network such as EvDO, HSPA, LTE or WiMax have been restricted to a standard five-gigabyte monthly limit of data from the carrier.
Video content analysis or video content analytics (VCA), also known as video analysis or video analytics (VA), is the capability of automatically analyzing video to detect and determine temporal and spatial events.
Chips&Media, Inc. is a provider of intellectual property for integrated circuits such as system on a chip technology for encoding and decoding video, and image processing. Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.
Avigilon is a Canadian subsidiary of Motorola Solutions, which specializes in the design and development of video analytics, network video management software, surveillance cameras, and access control products.
The Physical Security Interoperability Alliance (PSIA) is a global consortium of more than 65 physical security manufacturers and systems integrators focused on promoting interoperability of IP-enabled security devices and systems across the physical security ecosystem as well as enterprise and building automation systems.
Hardware backdoors are backdoors in hardware, such as code inside hardware or firmware of computer chips. The backdoors may be directly implemented as hardware Trojans in the integrated circuit.