Schneider Electric has acquired California-based Pelco, a company that specialises in the design and manufacturing of video security systems.
The acquisition will reinforce work done by Schneider Electric’s subsidiary, Building Automation, whose scope covers electronic security, fire safety and power and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) control. Building Automation’s security division made sales worth €155m last year.
Pelco had sales of $506m in 2006, and made significant R&D investments to develop its systems (7.5 per cent of sales). Under the acquisition contract, it will lead the Fire & Security Product Division of Building Automation.
In the video security industry, communication is shifting from pure analogue protocols to IP and software-based solutions. It can be used in conjunction with or replace other security systems such as intruder detection, fire alarm or access control.
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