Panasonic and Milestone Systems Team up for Integration

Panasonic Security and Milestone Systems are working together in a close capacity according tot Panasonic's Frank DeFina. According to a statement from DeFina, the companies have aligned to create a sales and marketing alliance that will be focused on the integration of systems between the companies

"The convergence of technologies enables the implementation of a diverse range of video systems ranging from the proven NTSC format to newly emerging IP-based security systems," said DeFina, in a statement about the alliance. "By forming strategic alliances with companies that offer innovative solutions, we can further expand our sales and marketing efforts to deliver highly specialized systems and support services to various markets. With our new corporate-driven 'open infrastructure' initiative, Panasonic Security Systems will capitalize on the expertise of companies like Milestone Systems to further extend the applications for Panasonic's Intelligent Technology."

In the U.S., Panasonic is now a dealer-direct provider of Milestone's XProtect software, a scalable system for video surveillance system control.

Courtney Dillon Pedersen, the communications manager for Milestone Systems, says that the alliance between the two companies was an organic one that started in Europe in the last year.

"We started working more closely with Panasonic in Europe last year, where their distribution/partner channel has begun offering our software together with their surveillance cameras in a number of countries," says Pederesen. "An example is the Swiss Panasonic distributor, John Lay Electronics, who has already used our software in implementing surveillance for the city of Locarno."

Pedersen stresses that Milestone's system was designed to work across many platforms, so that the alliance with Panasonic is a natural path for a system that is designed to work openly with many manufacturers' products.

"Milestone XProtect software was not designed originally for one particular hardware manufacturer," says Pedersen. "The company vision is a democratic one, like the internet and open platform technology it is based upon: to provide people the independence and flexibility to choose for themselves what is best for each situation."