Bosch Security and Safety Systems: Security and communications products, solutions and services

Bosch Security Systems is part of the Bosch Group, a well-known and leading global supplier of technology and services, the origins of which date back more than 130 years.

The group was employing about 375,000 people worldwide at the end of 2015, a year in which it’s reported to have generated sales of €70.6 billion.

Its operations are divided into four business sectors: mobility solutions; industrial technology; consumer goods; and energy and building technology. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and approximately 440 subsidiaries and regional companies in about 60 countries. It employs around 55,800 associates in research and development, and its stated strategic objective is “to deliver innovations for a connected life”.

Active in the UK for more than 100 years, Bosch has established a reputation synonymous with state-of-the-art technologies, innovation and reliable products. The Security Systems division of the company employs 12,457 workers worldwide and generated sales of €1.53 billion in the fiscal year 2014.

Having seen its revenues grow by 10.9 per cent, from US$1387.3m in 2014 to US$1538.5m in 2015, Bosch Security Systems was ranked fourth in AS Magazine’s 2018 Security 50 rankings.

The company’s extensive product portfolio includes video surveillance, intrusion detection, fire detection and voice alarms, as well as access control and management systems. It also supplies professional audio and conferencing systems for voice, sound and music transmission.

Bosch also has a growing presence in the emerging smart homes market. The Bosch Smart Home App, for example, allows people to control and monitor their home’s lighting, heating, smoke and motion detectors via their tablet or smartphone. At the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, Bosch presented extended functions of its Smart Home System: the addition of a smoke alarm and motion detector, as well as its Scenario Manager.

On sensing smoke, the smoke detector triggers a siren and sends the homeowner a message over the app. An additional function allows the siren to be deployed to warn off unwelcome visitors. To make the running of a smart home even more intuitive, the Scenario Manager is designed to support everyday tasks, such as checking that the heating, electrical appliances and lights are switched off when the homeowner leaves their house.

The company’s focus on innovation is embodied in its Technology Partner Program, which allows its partners to create software applications that support products from both Bosch and third parties.

Bosch also has a goal of networking its entire electronic products range and offering a connected service package for each product. Offering extensive experience in sensor technology, software and services, the company has its own Internet of Things cloud and believes it can operate as a one-stop shop in this emerging field. Data security plays a central role in this area, says the company, with customers and users able to decide themselves how data are used.

Through its ‘Engineered Solution and Software’ product group, Bosch supports its international customer base with the design, tender preparation, and implementation of more complex projects.

At the other end of the scale, the company’s ‘Advantage Line’ portfolio consists of products suitable for use in small to medium-sized security applications. Bosch says it offers a broad portfolio of easy-to-integrate products with management and recording software, video analytic software, monitor wall systems, video surveillance as a service (VSaaS), as well as solution integration.