At a special event broadcast from its HQ in Ukraine, Ajax Systems showcased an array of new additions to its product line-up. IFSEC Global reports from the UK screening.
With the relaunch of its entire production system across just one month, ongoing construction on a second plant in Turkey, and planned expansions in the United States, Australia, Mexico and Canada (amongst others), despite an ongoing invasion in its home country, Ajax has also found time to launch a series of new product additions to its line-up.
Unveiled at a series of global launch events, held both in-person and online, the team has made significant updates to its software-based apps, while introducing new hardware for installers and specifiers to offer their customers.
Entitled ‘Comfort Zone’, the event underlined the company’s commitment to its partner programmes and support for installers, with new updates coming to European regions imminently.
The Ajax UK Special Event took place in London on 11 October
More than this though, the array of new products on show is set to provide security installers – its traditional customer base – with several options to move outside of their own ‘comfort zones’. Products covering lighting, water leak detection, air quality monitoring and, perhaps a bit closer to home, fire detection, are to be available from distribution partners in the coming months (across Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 dependent on region).
The Ajax team initially outlined key updates to its software-based products, the PRO Desktop app and the Ajax app.
The PRO Desktop app, which now has more than 800 registered companies using it, has introduced maintenance reporting to support installation companies provide better customer service. The reports will allow all the information of the registered security devices to be viewed more easily, including hub status, battery levels and communication status.
Meanwhile, the Ajax app is set for a design overhaul to improve user experience, as well as the ability for installers to increase their brand awareness by co-branding the app with their own logo. The new interface will include improved fonts and dark mode for enhanced readability, as well as functionality for quick access to automation devices and the ordering of devices by pages rather than a long scroll.
Three additional features will be implemented in the app, too. Keypad access codes for unregistered users will now be available, allowing for users to assign a person or company a separate access code in the hub settings without the need to create an Ajax account.
The team has expanded the ‘Photo by scenario’ function, meaning that PhOD-labelled detectors can take photos by alarm of any device, while the new temperature regulation feature provides users with the ability to trigger a ‘temperature scenario’. Any Ajax device that indicates temperature in the app can be used to trigger an automated scenario to switch the heating on or off, if required.
Well known for its security-based intrusion alarm devices, the company is now looking to diversify its offering and expand into what it described as ‘the comfort zone’. Using the technology already available and trusted by its customers, such as its Jeweller communication protocol, an array of new products are set to be launched between Q4 2022 and the end of Q1 2023.
Notably, the manufacturer has launched a new generation of its fire detection range – FireProtect2. Said to provide a whole “new level of technology”, the range encompasses smoke, heat and CO detection devices, all designed to reduce false alarms and maintenance requirements. A new smoke chamber is said to be “impenetrable for insects and dust”, while a dual-spectrum optical sensor can distinguish between smoke from water steam. A thermistor can also detect a temperature spike, while all options come with either replaceable or sealed batteries.
The FireProtect2, like the remaining products that have been launched, is designed to work with the Ajax app and in collaboration with other devices from the manufacturer to provide a holistic solution to a home or office environment. The indication from the company is that security installers already have the skills to fit connected systems, so why not expand and offer not just security and safety, but also comfort solutions?
The launch of LifeQuality, for instance, will allow Ajax installers to offer a professional indoor air quality monitor. Measuring CO2, temperature and humidity levels via sensors used in medical equipment, the device provides end-user customers with LED indicators of their air quality, which can also be viewed on the app.
Not stopping there, the team has also developed the Ajax LightSwitch. Very much what it says ‘on the tin’, the new lighting control device will support a wide range of bulbs and wattages, can be controlled via the app, is available in eight finishes and features touchless and touch sensitive variants. A simplified install process also allows for several to be fitted next to each other with three different frame sizes of two, three and four seats.
The final main addition to the portfolio is WaterStop, a water shutoff valve with remote control. While this device may not be one that security installers feel comfortable fitting themselves, the product is designed to utilise Ajax’s professional security technology for reliability purposes to build a fully automated leak prevention system – a problem many buildings experienced when properties were left vacant during lockdowns over the past two years.
Further launches included a new partner portal on the Ajax website, a new DIN Holder bracket to fix Relay or WallSwitch on a DIN rail, and a new Socket Plus (type G) with arc fault protection.
Certainly then, an impressive array of launches for a business based in a country experiencing significant challenges at present. All the products keep to Ajax’s minimalist, sleek designs, with a clear indication from the business of its belief in security installers and specifiers to offer ‘comfort’ products in addition to their traditional security portfolios.
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