Milestone Drops Hikvision as Elite Partner

Milestone has quietly dropped Hikvision from their 'Elite Partners', less than three years after adding the Chinese government-owned mega-manufacturer.

  • Feb 13, 2019

Milestone has quietly dropped Hikvision from their 'Elite Partners', less than three years after adding the Chinese government-owned mega-manufacturer. This comes amidst rising criticisms of Hikvision, from mainstream global media and U.S. and U.K. elected officials.

“We can confirm that as of December 13, 2018, HikVision is no longer a Milestone Elite Camera Partner,” said Bjørn Skou Eilertsen, Milestone’s CTO. “To be named a Milestone Elite partner, companies must demonstrate outstanding sales, implementation, consulting and support for Milestone Systems solutions and consistently show excellence in business initiatives and marketing. The engagement between the companies did not achieve this. Therefore, the ongoing relationship between HikVision and Milestone Systems will continue to operate at a non-elite level.”

Industry blogger and IPVM founder John Honovich asked what impact Hikvision’s cybersecurity issues and the Chinese government control had on removing them from the Elite Partner page.

“The business engagement is thoroughly evaluated annually, we don’t comment on specific criteria. We are of course aware of the criticism of HikVision and we are following the developments.”

Hikvision's devices are still supported by Milestone, with the same license and same pricing, however, without the advantages of being an Elite Partner. Companies enjoying Elite Partner status include Axis, Bosch, Hanwha, Panasonic and Sony.

Elite Partner Advantages

  • Dedicated Partner Manager to coordinate integration activities.
  • Prioritized driver development & test execution.
  • Option to have dedicated drivers developed by Milestone using the partner camera API.
  • Prioritized and first to be invited for various Milestone Marketing activities and events.

Contrast With Genetec Expelling

Milestone's move is not as extreme as Genetec. While both companies have deprioritized developing and supporting Hikvision's products, Genetec requires a special increased license fee and a special waiver that make Hikvision products effectively “devices non grata.” By contrast, Milestone is putting Hikvision on the same level as smaller camera manufacturers. This, of course, is atypical given the size of Hikvision as a camera manufacturer.

Featured

  • A Look at AI

    Large language models (LLMs) have taken the world by storm. Within months of OpenAI launching its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, it amassed more than 100 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Read Now

  • First, Do No Harm: Responsibly Applying Artificial Intelligence

    It was 2022 when early LLMs (Large Language Models) brought the term “AI” into mainstream public consciousness and since then, we’ve seen security corporations and integrators attempt to develop their solutions and sales pitches around the biggest tech boom of the 21st century. However, not all “artificial intelligence” is equally suitable for security applications, and it’s essential for end users to remain vigilant in understanding how their solutions are utilizing AI. Read Now

  • Improve Incident Response With Intelligent Cloud Video Surveillance

    Video surveillance is a vital part of business security, helping institutions protect against everyday threats for increased employee, customer, and student safety. However, many outdated surveillance solutions lack the ability to offer immediate insights into critical incidents. This slows down investigations and limits how effectively teams can respond to situations, creating greater risks for the organization. Read Now

  • Security Today Announces 2025 CyberSecured Award Winners

    Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 CyberSecured Awards winners. Sixteen companies are being recognized this year for their network products and other cybersecurity initiatives that secure our world today. Read Now

  • Empowering and Securing a Mobile Workforce

    What happens when technology lets you work anywhere – but exposes you to security threats everywhere? This is the reality of modern work. No longer tethered to desks, work happens everywhere – in the office, from home, on the road, and in countless locations in between. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.