Tyco announced that it has opened innovation centers aimed at solving broader customer problems while championing startups in security, fire protection and smart connected technologies. The first centers are operating in Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv, with more centers planned for other locations later this year.
The company is looking for smarter solutions to customers’ challenges, and increasingly, those solutions go beyond a fire protection or security purpose to improve their overall operations and advance their core mission.
Tyco provides more than three million customers around the globe with the latest fire protection and security products and services. It has over 57,000 employees in more than 900 locations across 50 countries serving various end markets, including commercial, institutional, governmental, retail, industrial, energy, residential and small business.
The commercialization program at the Tyco Innovation Tel Aviv center provides entrepreneurs with an accelerated go-to-market platform, an opportunity to collaborate with Tyco’s business units and access to the company’s vast network of installed systems and devices, spanning diverse markets and customers in over 200 countries.
Tyco is sponsoring startups with innovative applications in the areas of smart cities, buildings and homes, retail, and commercial properties. Specific areas of interest include Internet of Things; retail/store solutions; sensing and detection; image processing, tracking and location; machine intelligence; and big data.
“Tyco’s innovation centers will be at the heart of this drive, combining local vibrant startup cultures with Tyco’s expertise and global business to spur growth through innovation,” said Daryll Fogal, Tyco’s chief technology officer. “We plan to partner with or invest in the most promising startups with successful pilots, bringing new disruptive technologies to Tyco’s products and services portfolio.”
The six-month acceleration program comprises a Tyco-funded roadshow and introduction to relevant Tyco business units;, collaboration with Tyco’s industry experts and/or customers;, co-specification of project scope and pilot program;, and implementation of the pilot for several months with Tyco’s guidance and mentoring.
“This program is a great opportunity for startups in the right spaces to work with the global market leader in fire and security, leverage our know-how and customer insights, and scale up on a global stage,” Eli Gorovici, general manager of Tyco’s Innovation Center in Tel Aviv noted.
The company has also launched Tyco Innovation Garage facilities in Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv. These centers team Tyco’s internal R&D capabilities with partners and stakeholders inside and outside the company to focus on solving complex customer problems by applying advanced technologies and sensor-based analytics.
“We plan to bring digital experience to the physical environment,” said Anurag Maunder, vice president at Tyco Innovation Garage. “When combined with our expertise in sensors for security and safety, new generation technologies such as deep learning and 3D vision will fundamentally transform people’s daily experience.”
Earlier this year at the 2016 CES show, Tyco Security Products, part of Tyco, displayed its connected home solutions in its debut appearance. As Ppart of the display was Tyco Security Products’ wireless smart home solution, the IQ panel, which coupled with Alarm.com’s interactive service, enables homeowners to remotely arm and disarm their security systems, view camera feeds, and receive event notifications and system status updates. They can also use the solution to control lights, locks, thermostats and other home digital devices.
A range of sensors and other peripherals, which integrate with the IQ panel, including smart door and window contacts and other smart sensors, will also be featured at the booth. Additionally, Tyco Security Products offered a line of security grade home automation/smart home sensors, which work across the broad portfolios of smart home ecosystems and allow smart home providers to offer to their end customers.
Tyco Security Products also intends to bring its deep solid experience in home security to many aspects of the smart home environment. As part of its strategy to leverage open standards for unified IoT adoption, Tyco serves on the Board of Directors and as a sponsor of The Thread Group, the not-for-profit consortium responsible for market education around the Thread networking protocol, which connects products in the home.
Tyco Security Products delivers the broadest connected home connectivity portfolio, with products that support technologies like Thread, ZigBee, Zwave, WiFi and PowerG. The company’s solutions also enable interactive services as well as smart home and home automation services — partnering with companies like such as Alarm.com, iControl, ADT (Global), Works with Nest, Telguard, SmartThings, IFTTT, and others.
