Milestone Systems Celebrates 25 Years

The Danish-based company was founded in 1998 by engineers John Blem and Henrik Friborg Jacobsen. The pair started the business from a basement and had approximately USD $11,500 in seed funding. Today, Milestone has annual revenues over USD $140 Million and employs more than 1,200 people globally.

The first version of XProtect® – Milestone’s open-platform video management software and core product – was sold in 2002 in Canada. Since then, Milestone’s video technology products have been deployed in more than 500,000 security installations through a network of distributors and resellers. Milestone’s products are used by a variety of end users, from airports to municipalities to hospitals, and many others—virtually all industries use video technology software to protect people and assets and optimize workflows. Milestone’s XProtect can be integrated with the vast majority of cameras, sensors and other security devices.

Open Platform IP-based Video Technology Software
Beginning in 2003, Milestone expanded its footprint beyond its Brøndby headquarters on the outskirts of Copenhagen. The company now has a presence in 26 locations around the globe, including offices in the United States, Singapore, Bulgaria, Mexico, Australia, India and the United Arab Emirates.

Over the years, Milestone has played an important role in creating software that is truly based on an Open Platform, free from propriety hurdles. Its products are robust and scalable and integrated with most cameras, sensors and other security devices available on the market. The company emerged during the transition from analog to IP cameras. IP cameras enabled Milestone to build a reliable, open platform upon which third-party technology partners can create add-on applications.

Looking Ahead
For Thomas Jensen, CEO of Milestone Systems, celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary provides an opportunity to consider how far the company has come – and what the coming decades will bring.

“During the early 2000s, together with three or four other companies, we revolutionized the security industry by leading the transformation from analog to IP (digital) technology,” Jensen said. “Looking ahead, we are preparing to innovate again. We see a future in which data-driven video technology is a game-changer that will help to make society safer and a better place for us all to work and live.”

As the company continues to grow, Milestone aims to further its work in creating responsible technology. Since 2006, the company adopted a set of core values in which it puts people before technology. In 2009, Milestone incorporated a human rights clause into its end user license agreements. In 2017, it co-authored the Copenhagen Letter, a declaration calling on innovative companies to prioritize people when designing and using technology.
Facts about Milestone Systems

  • Milestone originated from an idea for seamlessly transferring financial data from the stock exchange. Founders John Blem and Henrik Friborg Jacobsen discovered the same technology could be used to transfer video data.
  • During its start-up phase, the company spent some time in the Symbion incubator in Copenhagen.
  •  In addition to selling software, Milestone also provides a hardware product called Husky. The first version was launched in 2013.
  • In 2014, Milestone Systems was acquired by the Canon Group, under which it operates as a standalone company.

Featured

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

    A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs. Read Now

  • Sustainable Video Solution Delivered for Landmark City of London Office Development

    An advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, with a focus on reducing waste and costs, has helped a major office development in the City of London align its security with sustainability objectives. Read Now

  • DHS to End ‘Shoes-Off’ Travel Policy

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced a new policy today which will allow passengers traveling through domestic airports to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • 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.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.