i-PRO
{{COI|date=January 2025}}
{{Lowercase title}}
{{Infobox company
| name = i-PRO
| logo = Logo d'i-PRO.png
| logo_caption = Logo since 2019
| trading_name = i-PRO
| native_name = i-PRO株式会社
| native_name_lang = ja
| former_name = Panasonic Security and Panasonic Medical Vision
| ISIN = {{ISIN|sl=n|pl=n|1010001200456}}
| industry = Video security
| predecessor = {{Unbulleted list|Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd.|Panasonic System Solutions Company of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.|Panasonic System Networks Co., Ltd.|Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions}}
| founded = {{Start date and age|2019}} in Japan
| hq_location_city = Tokyo, Japan
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = Masato Nakao (CEO)
| products = {{Unbulleted list | Artificial intelligence for video surveillance | Camera | Electronics | Software }}
| owner = Panasonic
Polaris
| num_employees = 1400
| parent =
| divisions = {{ubl | i-PRO Americas Inc. (US) | i-PRO APAC Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) | i-PRO Co., Ltd. (Europe) | i-PRO Sensing Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (China) }}
| website = https://i-pro.com/
}}i-PRO is a company established in Japan in 2019, originating from a division of Panasonic. The company manufactures video protection cameras with advanced AI video data analytics, as well as specialized camera modules integrated into medical devices, catering to security surveillance, public safety, medical imaging, and industrial applications.{{Cite web |title=i-PRO Appoints Gerard Figols as Chief Product Officer |url=https://git-sicherheit.de/en/news/i-pro-appoints-gerard-figols-as-chief-product-officer |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=git-sicherheit.de |language=en}}
History
Panasonic had been in the semiconductor industry since 1957, with their semiconductor technologies used in various applications, including video surveillance cameras.{{Cite web |last1=Shilov |first1=Anton |date=November 29, 2019 |title=Panasonic to Sell Semiconductor Business to Nuvoton |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/15171/panasonic-to-sell-semiconductor-business-to-nuvoton |access-date=February 8, 2021 |website=AnandTech}} IP network camera business started in 2001.
In 2019, Panasonic sold its security systems (security camera) businesses.{{Cite web |date=November 28, 2019 |title=Panasonic to sell loss-making chip business to Taiwanese firm: source |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/11/28/business/corporate-business/panasonic-sell-loss-making-chip-business-taiwanese-firm-source/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807135530/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/11/28/business/corporate-business/panasonic-sell-loss-making-chip-business-taiwanese-firm-source/ |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last1=Fujino |first1=Itsuro |date=May 31, 2019 |title=Panasonic to spin off security camera business as costs weigh |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Panasonic-to-spin-off-security-camera-business-as-costs-weigh |website=Nikkei Asian Review}} Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions Co., Ltd. was established as an independent entity, spun off from Panasonic’s Security Systems Business Division, with co-investment from Polaris Capital Group Co., Ltd.{{Cite web |last1=Mosqueda |first1=Mars W. Jr. |date=June 4, 2019 |title=Japan's Polaris Capital to acquire 80% stake in Panasonic's spinoff business |url=https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/polaris-capital-panasonic-138745 |website=DealStreetAsia}} Since 2019, it has been providing surveillance camera systems.{{Cite web |date=2020-11-12 |title=パナソニックi-PRO本社、監視カメラ AI画像解析を開発 九州・沖縄 拠点を探る |url=https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO66155200S0A111C2LX0000/ |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=日本経済新聞 |language=ja}} Since July 2020, the company has been offering network cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities directly integrated into the devices. In the spring of 2021, i-PRO took another step by including AI by default in its mid-range camera lineup.{{Cite web |title=Full Focus on Excellent Hardware for Security and Medical Vision |url=https://git-sicherheit.de/en/topstories/full-focus-on-excellent-hardware-for-security-and-medical-vision |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=git-sicherheit.de |language=en}}
The company established itself in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2021 for the European market and in Houston for the US market.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-04 |title=Over 100 new camera models released by i-PRO in one year |url=https://securityjournalamericas.com/more-100-new-camera-models-i-pro/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=securityjournalamericas.com |language=en-GB}} R&D facilities are located in Fukuoka.{{Cite web |last=Matt |first=Jones |date=January 25, 2023 |title=i-PRO Moves Manufacturing Center to Japan |url=https://campussecuritytoday.com/Articles/2023/01/25/iPRO-Moves-Manufacturing-Center-Japan.aspx?admgarea=Topics |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=Campus Security Today |language=en-US}}
Starting in 2023, it is developing products in the industrial sector to reduce the management workload of factory production lines, using artificial intelligence.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-04 |title=生産ラインへ「機械の目」安価に パナソニックから独立のi-PRO |url=https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOJC03B1N0T00C23A2000000/ |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=日本経済新聞 |language=ja}} In the same year, it signed the United Nations Global Compact.{{Cite web |title=i-PRO joins the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) |url=https://www.sourcesecurity.com/news/i-pro-joins-united-nations-global-compact-co-1584600779-ga.1689669418.html |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=www.sourcesecurity.com}}
Products
Its technology uses artificial intelligence to analyze metadata captured on video in real time.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-13 |title=パナソニックi-PROセンシング、i-PROに社名変更へ |url=https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOJC107S00Q1A810C2000000/ |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=日本経済新聞 |language=ja}} When a person or vehicle is detected on the screen captured by the camera, it is surrounded by a blue frame. If the object enters a restricted area, the color of the frame instantly changes to red and an alarm sounds. To simplify the management of its cameras' AI capabilities, i-PRO also launched Multi-AI software (Active Guard), a plug-in that allows for the supervision of data analysis from multiple cameras within a video management system.
References
External links
- [https://corp.i-pro.com/ Official website]
Category:Companies established in 2019
Category:Japanese companies established in 2019