Exclusive: Malou Toft looks ahead to MIPS 2021

International Security Journal catches up with Malou Toft, VP EMEA at Milestone Systems to discuss what will be on offer at MIPS 2021 and Milestone’s roadmap for the rest of the year.

What can attendees expect from MIPS 2021?

Each year, MIPS celebrates the innovation made possible by Milestone’s open platform, showcasing the ideas, technologies and methodologies that will shape the future of video technology. Like everything else this year, MIPS will be fully virtual, which gives us the opportunity to do things a little differently. The event is split across two days, which are broken out into keynote sessions and sector-specific tracks looking at retail, safe cities and transportation.

This year, we are talking about Shaping the New Next – exploring how society might evolve in the coming years and how video will play an increasingly important role over that time.

Attendees can expect to hear from Milestone’s new CEO, Thomas Jensen, as he sets out his vision for the Milestone Community and Bjørn Skou Eilertsen, Milestone’s Chief Technology Officer, who will talk about the impact of COVID-19 and the evolution of Milestone’s technology vision.

Are there any particular highlights on the agenda that attendees should look out for?

Yes, we’re really excited to welcome the renowned thought leader, Peter Hinssen, as guest keynote speaker on 1 March. His keynote will focus on ‘The Never Normal’ and how to leverage the opportunities presented to us to accelerate transformation in our businesses and industries. Peter will outline the strategies, mindsets and culture that create success and I am really looking forward to that.

Another highlight is our product tracks and selection of vertical-specific tracks on 2 March. For those working within the retail, safe cities or transportation fields, these tracks will unveil the breadth of possibilities that video technology delivers – and that go far beyond security.

How is Milestone Systems helping to shape the “New Next”?

Artificial intelligence will rely on the ability for super computers to translate and process massive amounts of visual data, which places video and sensor technology at the epicentre of the upcoming IoT era.

With our leading VMS and strong community of technology partners, Milestone Systems is in a very solid position to shape how the evolving video and sensor technologies are used responsibly and can make societies and businesses work better in the future.

What does the roadmap look like for Milestone throughout 2021?

In the coming year, I believe our customers will have an extra focus on keeping their business systems up to date with the latest cyber, GDPR and feature updates. At Milestone, we are prepared to support our partners with Care campaigns throughout the year and with Care Premium, we offer case management and direct access to Support to both partners and end users.  

If you want to know more about what we have in scope for the year, I encourage you to attend the on-demand sessions on 2 March.  Among many other things, you can learn about Smarter Retail, our new Husky or get a deep dive on how to deploy Xprotect.

Do you see opportunities for video surveillance in applications beyond just security?

Definitely. The range and availability of new solutions is reaching a new level and we have seen technology partners from our community come together to address the new challenges.  

Just look at something like “digital signage” which has exploded in the recent year. Counting people, directing traffic or pushing critical information in real-time.  

All kinds of new, safe-distancing measures have been implemented: face mask detection, thermal sensors, touchless access control and huge spikes in ecommerce requiring more warehouses, more access control and more VMS integration.

A trend we’ve also seen with new data centres popping up, driven by the massive demand for remote computing. A ripple effect resulting in many new opportunities for our industry.

How can people register for MIPS 2021?

For the first time ever, MIPS will be fully virtual and is free to attend. You can also indicate which sessions you’d like to attend over the course of the two days.

Registering is very simple – click this link to access the form.

Or, visit www.milestonesys.com for more information about Milestone Systems and MIPS 2021.