It was announced in a virtual press conference yesterday, June 23, that Panasonic Security, Public Safety and Medical Imaging are spinning off as i-PRO to reflect a “significant change in philosophy relative to the company’s go-to-market strategies, product and integrated system offerings and reseller and technology partnerships.”
“Our goal is to establish a new brand — a brand that addresses the needs and listens to our customers,” said i-PRO President Bill Brennan in the press conference.
Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions was established on Oct. 1, 2019. The company said it will continue to build on its portfolio of new technologies and AI-driven software and analytics, along with its imaging technologies and edge products.
Brennan said this change will give the company more freedom and flexibility.
“We’ve lost some really great integrators that we’d like to come back, so we need to get the word out there. We’re actively recruiting,” Brennan said. “We will still utilize the resources of Panasonic going forward . . . Panasonic still has a very invested interest in us; there are a lot of benefits to be had by continuing to work together . . . But if we find another third party that will help us meet the needs of our customers more efficiently, we can do that.”
Since Panasonic acquired Video Insight in 2015, Brennan said the company shifted a lot of focus to the K-12 market, and that is a shift that will now continue.
“We are focused on the greater good,” Brennan said. “We are committed and transparent to our partners. We want more integrators — we want more high-level integrators — we’re very open also to working with third party VMS platforms.”
The iPro headquarters is in Rolling Meadows, Ill. The company also has a large office in Houston (the former Video Insight headquarters), and is planning on opening a new facility in Anaheim, Calif. in August of this year.