In mid-December, private equity firm Triton announced it would acquire the security and communications technology product business from Bosch. And while the deal is still undergoing customary regulatory approvals and closings, the company pushed forward on the beginnings of an eventual rebranding from the Bosch name at ISC West.
Prominently displayed at the Bosch booth was a large banner touting Keenfinity, a Germany-based company that already touts brands such as Electro-Voice, Dynacord, RTS, and Telex. After the Triton deal closes, it will assume full ownership of Keenfinity.
According to Bosch/Keenfinity VP of Sales, Marketing and Corporate Communications Barbara Zelenay, ISC West was a perfect opportunity to introduce dealers, end-users and current and prospective customers to the Keenfinity brand.
“Right now we are pre-closing – meaning we're still owned by Bosch – but as of [around] July, we will be under the ownership of Triton, and we as a company will be moving forward under the Keenfinity name,” Zelenay explains. “Keenfinity will be the company that we operate under and we introduced it at ISC as a soft launch.”
While Keenfinity is not a brand that may be familiar to many security professionals in the United States, once the acquisition is complete, it will have 4,300 employees in 50 countries and 90 locations.
That said, Keenfinity will not be the product brand, Zelenay says. “Our security portfolio will continue using the Bosch brand after closing for a certain period of time. We will announce the exact duration of that timing after closing. We will eventually transfer to a new product brand in our security portfolio.”
The company took the first steps to that product branding initiative at ISC West with the unveiling of “Radionix” – the familiar name the company will use for its intrusion detection lines moving forward.
More on the Radionix Launch
“We did research and surveys, and most of our customers – current or past ones, and industry people in general, who we may not even do business with today, still recognize Radionix as a household name,” Zelenay says. “It was very easy to see there is something there that we can utilize, and build on the legacy of Radionix.”
Zelenay adds that a new panel – the Radionix G Series that was previewed at ISC West – will be released later this year.
So while the transition is still in its infancy, and will be gradual over the next few years, Zelenay stresses that it is all part of an overarching plan.
“Throughout this process, we’ve had a twofold message: It is about continuity and opportunity,” she says. “Everything you liked about [Bosch] is still there, and becoming an independent business creates some new opportunities that we may not have gone after in the past. Being an independent business, we will be in charge of our own destiny. So, we really want to bring everything that we like with us, and build on that, and look for the other opportunities that we may not have utilized up until now. So, for dealers and customers, we ask you to continue to trust us, and partner with us.”
