| Milestones in the history of Axis Communications |
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1984 A dream becomes a business |
In 1984, two young Swedish students were talking and dreaming about the future of computers in a student dorm. At that time, Martin Gren was halfway through his studies for an engineering degree at the Lund Institute of Technology, while Mikael Karlsson, only 22, had just received a business degree from the Stockholm School of Economics. The entire computer world was on the verge of a huge paradigm shift: IBM had recently introduced its PC, and the Internet was going to fly, and fly high in the coming years and decades. The two friends sensed that a solid business opportunity was just around the corner.
They quickly discovered that the printer sector would be the fastest to commercialize. They would simply have to develop a product, produce it, sell it, get paid for it, and thus make a living. With this basic business concept, the pioneering entrepreneurs gave birth to Axis Communications – which was to become the world leader in network video.
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| 1984 – 1990 Opening the world of network connectivity |
Right from the start, the business was oriented towards network connectivity, but originally had a niche focus on protocol converters/printer interfaces for the connection of PC printers in IBM mainframe and mini-computer environments. For the first time ever, users could access and share printer resources within a building or complex.
Quickly, through its innovative capabilities, Axis forged its reputation for the quality and ease of use of its products. As a result, Axis became, by the end of 1980s, one of the three world leaders in this market.
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| 1990 – 1995 Broadening operations |
The next step was to broaden the company’s technical competence and experience with regard to protocol converters/printer interfaces and network connectivity. At the same time, Axis built up a sales and distribution organization in Europe, and established offices in the USA and Asia.
With its technology base and distribution channels in place, Axis next moved into print servers and TCP/IP-protocol in local area network (LAN) environments.
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1995 – 1998 Network access to everything
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The third development phase was to make the network smarter, broadening the IP-based technology platform of the print servers to include products that offered a simple, affordable connection, access and utilization of other types of office equipment in networks, e.g. CD-ROMs, hard disks, scanners and… digital network cameras.
During this phase, Axis’ operations and presence in the USA grew and additional offices were opened in Europe and Asia. Sales increased, innovative products were launched and Axis gained a role in industry technology forums with leading IT companies, such as Microsoft and Sun Microsystems. A number of strategic customer partnerships were forged. The concept of “network access to everything” accelerated.
Also during this period, in 1996, Axis launched the world’s first network camera. The challenge had been to develop a high-quality camera that could easily be connected to the network. The answer was the AXIS 200. Equipped with a built-in web server, the new network camera enabled access to its images from any web browser, from anywhere in the world. The camera was initially designed for the purpose of monitoring, but as system integrators began to realize its great potential for many other applications, the stage was set for a revolution….
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| 1998 – 2000 Fulfilling the connectivity vision |
Axis now began its fourth development phase in the drive to fulfill our fundamental vision: IP-based connectivity for all types of equipment. This phase coincided with developments in wireless data and voice communication, as well as the convergence between fixed and wireless networks, between protocols and applications, and between analog and digital technologies.
With the emergence of these new technologies and the growing importance of network accessibility, Axis broadened its connectivity scope to include embedded Linux, and both wired and wireless solutions. Products such as wireless access points for mobile connection were developed. And in response to the convergence towards IP-based systems, Axis focused increasingly on solutions for applications such as video surveillance, remote monitoring, web attraction, network printing and document management.
On June 27, 2000, the company was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. The influx of capital significantly increased Axis’ capacity to develop the company’s core technology, new product offerings, geographical expansion and the establishment of Axis as one of the world’s leading suppliers of IP connectivity products.
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| 2000 – 2002 Leading lights of network video |
| The millennium shift changed the market for Axis’ more mature product segments: document and storage servers. The unusually strong demand that was noted during 1999 was, in 2000, replaced by a generally weaker market for these products. In addition, sharply declining hard disk prices reduced the competitiveness of Axis’ CD-server products. The decision was made to discontinue those products and concentrate efforts entirely on network video and network printing. |
| 2002 – 2007 The network video revolution |
Although Axis launched the world’s first network camera in 1996, it was not until 2002 that network video first took center stage. The user-friendly AXIS 200 had revolutionized the world of video surveillance and transformed Axis from a “connectivity company” into the worldwide leader in network video. The camera was based on open standards – just like Axis protocol converters and print servers ever since 1984 – which enables seamless integration into applications. Indeed, the goal of Axis has always been to make everything open and compatible with many standards.
Following this business model, Axis changed the security market, driving forward the shift from analog to digital. Its already leading position, exclusive know-how in developing core technologies and products for network connectivity, its strong sales channels and key partnerships, quickly positioned Axis as the leader and reference in the market.
Today, Axis is driving the development and sales of network video, making IP convergence seamless for customers across many different industry segments – such as retail, transportation, education, government, industrial, and banking & finance. The company has expanded its business all over the world, establishing offices on all continents – sharing the same beliefs of customer dedication, openness, and market leadership through innovation, quality and professionalism.
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