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Telco partnership brings Axis to Latin American homeowners

Telco partnership brings Axis to Latin American homeowners

CHELMSFORD, Mass.-In a deal that network video company Axis Communications says foreshadows deals yet to come, they have joined with TELMEX, a large Mexico-based telco, to sell network cameras to homeowners and small businesses in Latin America. Announced on August 21, the deal has been in effect since April and TELMEX, through Prodigy, an ISP that serves Latin America, has already sold $440,000 worth of network cameras to homeowners and small businesses in that geographic region. The TELMEX Prodigy Cam service enables customers to monitor their homes and small businesses via the Internet. It includes the remote recording and storage of video, event and motion-based notifications via email and cellular telephones, guest accounts that allow multiple users to monitor the cameras, as well as technical support. Axis Communications general manager Fredrik Nilsson said, "At this time, it's a complement to a home [security] monitoring system, because the homeowner monitors the video themselves," he said. This particular camera system is installed by the customer. However, Nilsson believes that telcos will begin to encroach further on home security companies' turf and eventually will become a force in this part of the security industry, either alone or by working in partnership with home security companies. He noted that the telcos "already have relationships with customers, they are already billing them for [other services] and it would be easy to approach them for an add-on [security] service." An American version of the Axis-TELMEX deal is in the offing, he said. "There is some interest from some [American] telcos and project-testing in certain markets. It's a matter of when this will come to the U.S." Nilsson said the reduction in camera prices is making this service attractive to high-end homeowners and small-business people. As the price of cameras continues to decrease, he predicted more homeowners will more often choose this kind of system.

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