Axis: Difference between revisions
Fleshed out main points of Remote Access Removal and Proprietary SD Card requirements with sources |
Remove redundant Archive.today link |
||
| (22 intermediate revisions by 14 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
Axis | {{CompanyCargo | ||
|Description= | |||
|Founded=1984 | |||
|Industry=Security | |||
|Logo=Axis.png | |||
|ParentCompany= | |||
|Type=Subsidiary | |||
|Website=https://axis.com/ | |||
}} | |||
[[wikipedia:Axis_Communications|'''Axis''']] is a video surveillance company with approximately 4,000 employees across more than 50 countries that was founded in 1984 and headquartered in Lund, Sweden.<ref>Axis website, https://www.axis.com/en-us/about-axis | |||
[https://web.archive.org/web/20250118192802/https://www.axis.com/en-us/about-axis Archived] 2025-01-18</ref> | |||
== | ==Consumer impact summary== | ||
{{Ph-C-CIS}} | |||
==Incidents== | |||
=== | ===Closure of Axis Companion Classic=== | ||
Released in 2016,<ref name=":0">Companion software release notes, https://www.axis.com/ftp/pub_soft/cam_srv/cam_companion/latest/relnote.txt | |||
[https://web.archive.org/web/20250118183233/https://www.axis.com/ftp/pub_soft/cam_srv/cam_companion/latest/relnote.txt Archived] 2025-01-18 </ref> Axis Companion Classic (formerly just Axis Companion) was a freely provided software for Axis account owners to be able to setup, configure, & manage cameras on the network. It also allowed a remote viewing feature for an iOS or Android Companion app to be able to view camera feeds remotely. | |||
===Removal of remote access support=== | |||
Axis signaled that they would be removing remote access for any new sites created after March 31, 2023.<ref name=":0" /> Their software was updated in version 3.74.000 (released on March 15, 2023) to notify customers.<ref name=":1">Axis Companion FTP download site, [https://www.axis.com/ftp/pub_soft/cam_srv/cam_companion/] | |||
When version 3.75.000 was released on 2023 | [https://web.archive.org/web/20250118183555/https://www.axis.com/ftp/pub_soft/cam_srv/cam_companion/ Archived] 2025-01-18</ref> | ||
When version 3.75.000 was released on March 24, 2023,<ref name=":1" /> '''the only change was to prevent users from being able to enable remote access to camera feeds for new sites.''' | |||
<blockquote>Release Notes: | <blockquote>Release Notes: | ||
''Changes since 3.75.000'' | ''Changes since 3.75.000'' | ||
''========================'' | ''========================'' | ||
''No Secure Remote Access on new sites created after 2023-03-31.''</blockquote> | ''No Secure Remote Access on new sites created after 2023-03-31.''</blockquote> | ||
If a consumer never updated to this or later versions, all remote access would continue to work and consumers could continue to create new sites without restriction.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
'''This restriction removes functionality without providing any benefit to the customer.''' | |||
===Axis Companion=== | |||
As part of their efforts to upgrade software while retaining legacy setups, Axis created Axis Companion after renaming the previous Companion to Companion Classic. | |||
===Removal of third-party SD card support=== | |||
Starting June 27, 2024, Axis removed support for any new device configurations in Companion with third-party SD cards.<ref name=":2">Policy update regarding 3rd Party SD Cards, https://www.axis.com/dam/public/11/2e/29/axis-surveillance-cards-now-required-en-US-443994.pdf | |||
[https://web.archive.org/web/20250118190032/https://www.axis.com/dam/public/11/2e/29/axis-surveillance-cards-now-required-en-US-443994.pdf Archived] 2026-01-18</ref> This policy change effectively forces customers to purchase Axis-branded storage solutions for any new installations, while existing installations using third-party SD cards would continue to function.<ref name=":2" /> | |||
The company justifies this change by claiming their SD cards are optimized for surveillance applications and offer greater functionality and endurance.<ref>NetworkWebcams.co.uk article to explain pricing https://www.networkwebcams.co.uk/blog/why-use-axis-sd-surveillance-cards-in-ip-cameras/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250916223323/https://www.networkwebcams.co.uk/blog/why-use-axis-sd-surveillance-cards-in-ip-cameras/ Archived])</ref> This change also coincides with Axis' expansion of proprietary storage requirements across their product lines, including their Camera Station Edge platform which similarly mandates the use of Axis-branded SD cards.<ref name=":3">FAQ for Axis Edge, https://faq.axis.com/s/article/third-party-sd-cards-as-recording-storage-in-my-vms-solution</ref> | |||
===Axis SD cards=== | |||
Axis sells proprietary SD cards manufactured by SanDisk,<ref>Technical Datasheet of Axis 256GB SD Card https://www.axis.com/dam/public/55/dd/19/datasheet-axis-surveillance-card-256-gb-en-US-417022.pdf ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250709004324/https://www.axis.com/dam/public/55/dd/19/datasheet-axis-surveillance-card-256-gb-en-US-417022.pdf Archived])</ref> marketed under their own brand with claims of specialized optimization for surveillance applications. These cards come with a five-year warranty and are claimed to have up to six times more endurance than standard SD cards.<ref>NetworkWebcams.co.uk article to explain pricing https://www.networkwebcams.co.uk/blog/why-use-axis-sd-surveillance-cards-in-ip-cameras/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250916223323/https://www.networkwebcams.co.uk/blog/why-use-axis-sd-surveillance-cards-in-ip-cameras/ Archived])</ref> | |||
====Pricing and market position==== | |||
As of 2025, Axis' SD cards are sold at approximately five times the price of comparable third-party SD cards<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20250125114540/https://camcentral.net/product/axis-surveillance-card-256gb/ Pricing 256GB Axis SD Card], Pricing 256GB Samsung SD Card</ref> despite being based on standard SanDisk hardware. The company's transition to requiring these proprietary cards across their product lines creates a closed ecosystem where consumers must purchase storage solutions exclusively from Axis at premium prices. | |||
=== | ====Platform lock-in==== | ||
The requirement for Axis-branded SD cards is now being implemented across multiple Axis platforms: | |||
*Axis Companion (new installations after June 27, 2024)<ref name=":2" /> | |||
*Camera Station Edge platform<ref name=":3" /> | |||
This represents a shift from open hardware compatibility to a closed ecosystem where customers have to buy Axis-branded storage at sky-high prices to maintain full functionality of their security system. | |||
== | ==Products== | ||
{{Ph-C-P}} | |||
==See also== | |||
{{Ph-C-SA}} | |||
==References== | |||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
[[Category:Axis]] | |||