In 2018, home appliance conglomerate Bosch created a startup, Security and Safety Things (or "SAST"), whose mission was to develop a platform to help developers create software for AI-equipped cameras. SAST was to host a moderated and vetted "app store" for Internet-connected cameras that would allow developers to build software on an open standard, primarily focused on security and "business intelligence" use cases.
SAST successfully launched the app store in 2020, then renamed it (and itself) Azena and opened a location in Pittsburgh's Strip District. But after an investment of tens of millions of euros by Bosch, SAST, now Azena, apparently never achieved the success its parent company hoped for.
Azena is winding down its outside operations and turning to internal projects at Bosch. In a statement, a Bosch spokesperson said partners and customers have been informed and that Azena will "fully comply" with its existing contractual obligations.
“In the future, Azena will focus on Bosch's internal business and stop developing external business. This includes a transition to maintenance and support for [Azena's software] only.” "All components of the Azena platform remain operational for now... We are actively working on a transition plan."
Azena's market was relatively strong by IP camera market standards, with around 100 apps at its peak. Like popular smartphone app stores, it allowed developers to sell their apps to customers and provide demos for pilot projects. The app store would take care of backing up and restoring settings and ensuring that settings stayed consistent across all cameras.
Image credits: Azena
Before its partial closure, Azena had also been developing a camera operating system that allowed compatible models to run multiple AI-enabled apps simultaneously. Built on Android, manufacturers including Qisda/Topview, AndroVideo, Vivotek and Bosch itself have sold cameras with the firmware, which has powered apps for heat mapping and queuing analysis in retail stores, automated payment processing, license plate recognition between others.
As of September 2021, Azena had more than 120 employees spread across its Munich offices, its Pittsburgh facility, and its Eindhoven R&D center, Netherlands. The startup counted the NHL hockey team the Pittsburgh Penguins among its customers, who used the Azena platform to monitor crowding at stadium entrances, recognize license plates, and identify crowding near merchandise retailers. fans.
Azena sparked controversy earlier this year when she it came to light that the startup was only conducting a basic audit of the software hosted on its app store. According to the company's terms of use, the responsibility for the ethics and legality of the applications fell squarely on the shoulders of the developers and users. Some apps claimed to accurately detect weapons and analyze human behavior — apps that many ethicists say are beyond the capabilities of even the most sophisticated AI systems.
In a public response at the time, Azena noted that it required developers working on its platform to commit to adhering to ethical business standards set by the United Nations. But the startup admitted it did not have the ability to verify how Azena-powered cameras were being used and did not check whether apps sold on its store were legal or complied with developer agreements.
Un research projects. The Intercept also found evidence that Azena was years behind in patching security vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to access cameras running its operating system. Azena disputed the news, but acknowledged that Azena's firmware allowed users to sideload apps outside of the app store on compatible cameras.
