Pickup trucks and vans used by small businesses like plumbers, electricians and contractors often carry tools and equipment worth more than $50,000. And vehicles owned by consumers may be loaded with mountain bikes, kayaks and other recreational gear. These provide tempting targets to thieves.
On Tuesday (Jan. 18), ADT and Ford announced they’re developing a solution that will protect both vehicles and cargo from thieves. The companies will invest in a new joint venture that will provide a vehicle security service that includes monitoring by ADT and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven cameras from Ford. Called Canopy, the joint venture is to launch its first product and subscription service early next year.
“I think what we’re bringing to the market together really brings forth that there is a need in this space but also a great solution that marries technology, that marries professional monitoring, and really helps the segment of the population and the small business owners that are carrying all this gear in the bed of their truck,” Leah Page, vice president of mobile security and strategic partnerships at ADT, told PYMNTS.
Providing AI-Powered, Connected, Monitored Vehicle Security
Canopy will use cameras, acoustic sensors and AI technology to enable ADT and vehicle owners to keep an eye on the vehicle. It will record video, stream it live, trigger alerts to both ADT and the vehicle owner, use audio to warn thieves and use AI to distinguish true threats from false alarms.
The service will initially be available for Ford trucks and vans and will then expand to cover new and existing vehicles of all brands. It will be designed to be added to existing vehicles or integrated into new vehicles at the factory. In addition to the added devices, it will use sensors and other devices that are already on the vehicle.
“Cars are certainly much smarter today than they were even five years ago,” Page said, “and being able to leverage and use the technology that’s on board to help understand what’s happening and then, from an ADT perspective, be able to professionally monitor that and give feedback to the vehicle owner is a really important piece of this.”
Bringing Professional Monitoring Beyond Homes and Businesses
With video showing what’s happening and GPS providing the vehicle’s location, ADT’s monitoring agents will be able to assess any incidents and alert police or the vehicle owner when necessary.
By participating in the Canopy joint venture, ADT will continue extending its professional monitoring services beyond homes and small businesses. This new joint venture follows ADT’s introduction of a mobile app that provides personal safety to people who are on the go by calling for help when needed.
“This is our first extension into the vehicle market, so we’re really excited to continue our mission of bringing ADT security, our professional monitoring and the ability of our monitoring agents beyond the home,” Page said.
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