Hikvision

Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd. provides video intelligence Internet of Things solutions worldwide. The company offers network cameras, PTZ cameras, explosion-proof and anti-corrosion series products, network video recorders, data centre and storage products, and power-over-Ethernet and Wi-Fi kits; and turbo HD cameras, DVRs, PTZ cameras, and portable products. 

It also provides transmission products; display and control products, which include digital signages, interactive flat panels, monitors, LCD video walls and displays, and controllers; and intelligent traffic products that include signal control and traffic flow systems, smart surveillance and AID systems, entrance and exit management products, checkpoint and intersection violation systems, and parking and traffic guidance systems. 

In addition, the company offers access control products, such as face recognition and card terminals, controllers, turnstiles, visitor terminals, fingerprint terminals, readers, electrical locks, and kits; video intercom products, wire, and IP products and doorbells; security and thermography thermal cameras; alarm products, including Hikvision intrusion alarm panel, Hikvision intrusion detector, emergency alarm, and security radar products; CCTV, access control, mobile, traffic, transmission and display, and video intercom product accessories; and HiLook IP, turbo HD, and transmission products. Further, it provides HikCentral Professional, integrated security software for video security, access control, intrusion alarm, etc.; 

HikCentral Enterprise; Hik-Connect mobile app; and Hik-ProConnect, a cloud-based solution. It serves public security, transportation, retail, education, healthcare, financial institutions, intelligent buildings, and other markets. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Hangzhou, the People's Republic of China.

Hikvision was founded in 2001 by Zhejiang HIK Information Technology Co., Ltd. with the company having a 51% stake and Gong Hongjia a 49% stake at that time.

Hikvision is an IoT solution provider with the video surveillance market as its core competency. It devotes 8% of its annual revenue to research and development with 40,403 employees. Hikvision has been listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange since 2010. In October 2016, the company concluded a deal to use Movidius' computer vision technology. In May 2017, Hikvision established Hikstorage, a subsidiary focused on the production of storage devices.

In January 2021, the company won a US$33 million, 1,900-camera smart city project in Shanghe County, Shandong that includes cameras with facial recognition and license plate recognition technologies. In 2021, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe's stopped selling cameras from Hikvision brand Ezviz due to concerns about Hikvision's complicity in surveillance and human rights violations in Xinjiang. In 2022, Hikvision was awarded a Chinese government contract to develop software to track "key people" in order to prevent them from entering Beijing. The same year, IPVM reported that Amazon Web Services provides cloud services to Hikvision.

In January 2019, the U.S. government began considering whether it should sanction Hikvision, which American government officials described as having "provided thousands of cameras that monitor mosques, schools, and concentration camps in Xinjiang."The U.S. government banned Hikvision from receiving federal government contracts in August 2019 due to security concerns. In October 2019, Hikvision was formally placed on the Entity List by the U.S. government, which stated that it was involved in the surveillance of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and of other ethnic and religious minorities in China. 

Hikvision expressed its opposition to the U.S. decision and stated that they believe the decision had no factual basis. They urged the U.S. government to re-examine its decision. In response to the bans and sanctions, Hikvision has hired former U.S. ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper "to advise the company regarding human rights compliance" as well as numerous lobbyists, including former U.S. Senators David Vitter and Barbara Boxer, former U.S. congressman Toby Moffett, and a former senior OFAC official. 

In April 2021, the European Parliament confirmed that it had removed Hikvision thermal cameras from its premises following the approval of an amendment sponsored by Dutch MEP Lara Wolters calling for the removal of "all of Hikvision’s thermal cameras from Parliament’s premises" due to “an unacceptable risk that Hikvision, through its operations in Xinjiang, is contributing to serious human rights abuses.” In July 2021, the UK Foreign Affairs Select Committee published a report stating that Hikvision cameras "have been deployed throughout Xinjiang, and provide the primary camera technology used in the internment camps". In June 2022, documents from the Xinjiang Police Files showed how Hikvision technology is used by Xinjiang police to surveil all Xinjiang residents. 

In June 2021, 224 Hikvision products were banned for one year by South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT over forged test reports. In September 2021, the Indian Navy's headquarters "asked its all formations to 'discontinue' procurement of CCTV cameras and surveillance systems from Hikvision," according to The Week. The Week also reported that the Indian Navy had ordered the replacement and destruction of its existing Hikvision cameras. In April 2022, the UK Department of Health and Social Care banned the purchase of Hikvision cameras.

In November 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order prohibiting any American company or individual from owning shares in companies that the United States Department of Defense has listed as having links to the People's Liberation Army, which included Hikvision. In December 2020, Hikvision was removed from FTSE Russell. On 12 January 2021, the Joe Biden inaugural committee returned a $500 donation to former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer after she registered as a foreign agent for Hikvision. In March 2021, the Federal Communications Commission declared that Hikvision services and equipment "pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security."

“To explore innovative ways to better percelve and understand the world to empower vision for decision-makers and practitioners and work together to enhance safety and advance the sustainable development of the world.”

“Empower vision for the security and growth of the world.”

According to the website:

“Hikvision is committed to serving various industries through its cutting-edge technologies of machine perception, artificial intelligence, and big data, leading the future of AIoT: through comprehensive machine perception technologies, we aim to help people better connect with the world around them; with a wealth of intelligent products, we strive to identify and satisfy diverse demands by delivering intelligence at your fingertips; through innovative AIoT applications, we are dedicated to empowering every individual to enjoy a better future by building an intelligent world that is more convenient, efficient and secure.”

Video surveillance cameras: Hikvision offers a wide range of video surveillance cameras, including bullet cameras, dome cameras, PTZ cameras, thermal cameras, and more.

Network video recorders (NVRs): Hikvision's NVRs are used to store and manage video footage from its cameras.

Digital video recorders (DVRs): Hikvision's DVRs are used to store and manage video footage from analog cameras.

Video management software: Hikvision's video management software allows users to view, manage, and analyze video footage from its cameras.

Access control systems: Hikvision offers access control systems that allow users to control who has access to certain areas of a building or facility.

Alarm systems: Hikvision's alarm systems can detect and alert users to intrusions, fire, or other types of emergencies.

Intercom systems: Hikvision's intercom systems allow users to communicate with visitors or employees remotely.

AI-powered analytics: Hikvision's AI-powered analytics can detect and identify objects, people, and vehicles in real-time.

Cloud services: Hikvision offers cloud-based video surveillance services that allow users to access and manage video footage from anywhere with an internet connection.