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Axis: Difference between revisions

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Added an infobox for Axis.
minor changes
 
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Released in 2016,<ref name=":0">Companion software release notes, https://www.axis.com/ftp/pub_soft/cam_srv/cam_companion/latest/relnote.txt
Released in 2016,<ref name=":0">Companion software release notes, https://www.axis.com/ftp/pub_soft/cam_srv/cam_companion/latest/relnote.txt


Archived, https://archive.ph/RNJ8J</ref> Axis Companion Classic (formerly just Axis Companion) was a freely provided software for Axis account owners to be able to setup, configure, and 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.
Archived, https://archive.ph/RNJ8J</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 ===
=== Removal of Remote Access Support ===
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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" />
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 ==
== Axis Companion ==
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=== Removal of Third-Party SD Card Support ===
=== 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>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
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


Archived, https://archive.ph/uHiaB</ref>
Archived, https://archive.ph/uHiaB</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/</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>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 SD Cards ==
Axis sells proprietary SD cards, and claims that their cards are specially designed for reliability<ref>NetworkWebcams.co.uk article to explain pricing https://www.networkwebcams.co.uk/blog/why-use-axis-sd-surveillance-cards-in-ip-cameras/</ref> and offer a five-year warranty.<ref>Axis 256GB SD Card Page (Archived), https://web.archive.org/web/20240120015558/https://www.axis.com/products/axis-surveillance-card-256-gb</ref><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</ref> As of 2025, Axis' SD cards are roughly five times as expensive as a comparable third-party SD card<ref>Pricing 256GB Axis SD Card, https://archive.ph/nS3l4
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</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/</ref>
 
=== Pricing & Market Position ===
As of 2025, Axis' SD cards are sold at approximately five times the price of comparable third-party SD cards<ref>Pricing 256GB Axis SD Card, https://archive.ph/nS3l4
 
Pricing 256GB Samsung SD Card, https://archive.ph/CM2z8</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>FAQ for Axis Edge, https://faq.axis.com/s/article/third-party-sd-cards-as-recording-storage-in-my-vms-solution</ref>


Pricing 256GB Samsung SD Card, https://archive.ph/CM2z8</ref> and is required for all new setups on their "free" platform Camera Station Edge.<ref>FAQ for Axis Edge, https://faq.axis.com/s/article/third-party-sd-cards-as-recording-storage-in-my-vms-solution?language=en_US</ref>
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.


== References ==
== References ==

Latest revision as of 08:27, 19 January 2025

Axis Communications
Basic Information
Release Year 1984
Product Type Security
In Production Yes
Official Website https://axis.com/


Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Lund, Sweden, Axis is a video surveillance company with approximately 4,000 employees across more than 50 countries.[1]

Axis Companion Classic[edit | edit source]

Released in 2016,[2] 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[edit | edit source]

Axis signaled that they would be removing remote access for any new sites created after March 31, 2023.[2] Their software was updated in version 3.74.000 (released on March 15, 2023) to notify customers.[3]

When version 3.75.000 was released on March 24, 2023,[3] the only change was to prevent users from being able to enable remote access to camera feeds for new sites.

Release Notes:

Changes since 3.75.000

========================

No Secure Remote Access on new sites created after 2023-03-31.

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.[2]

This restriction removes functionality without providing any benefit to the customer.

Axis Companion[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

Starting June 27, 2024, Axis removed support for any new device configurations in Companion with third-party SD cards.[4] 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.[4]

The company justifies this change by claiming their SD cards are optimized for surveillance applications and offer greater functionality and endurance.[5] 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.[6]

Axis SD Cards[edit | edit source]

Axis sells proprietary SD cards manufactured by SanDisk,[7] 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.[8]

Pricing & Market Position[edit | edit source]

As of 2025, Axis' SD cards are sold at approximately five times the price of comparable third-party SD cards[9] 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[edit | edit source]

The requirement for Axis-branded SD cards is now being implemented across multiple Axis platforms:

  • Axis Companion (new installations after June 27, 2024)[4]
  • Camera Station Edge platform[10]

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.

References[edit | edit source]