The government technology supplier joins Axon in positioning its law enforcement products for a new area. In Axon’s case, it launched a line of body cameras for security in stores and health-care facilities.
For Flock, its new offering — labeled Flock Aerodome Drone as Automated Security, or DAS — “gives private sector security teams rapid aerial visibility and broader coverage across expansive facilities at the tap of a button,” according to a statement from the company.
“Security leaders are being asked to protect more with less across bigger footprints, tighter budgets and real staffing constraints,” said Rahul Sidhu, VP of aviation at Flock Safety, in the statement. “Flock Aerodome DAS gives them a ‘guard in the sky,’ putting eyes on the scene in seconds and turning blind alarms into informed action.”
Large stores and malls, warehouses, business parks, factories, rail yards and hospitals — those are among the main potential users of the new drones, according to Flock, which says those machines can spot problems missed by fixed cameras and human guards.
It’s a philosophy roughly similar to some of the ideas driving drone adaption by police departments — that is, extra eyes that can range widely while providing real-time data, quickening response times and enhancing safety.
Flock bought the Aerodome drone company almost a year ago.
Since then, the company has attracted criticism over data sharing and collection, and taken heat — along with other companies — for its role its technology plays in ongoing immigration roundups.
Flock said that one of the reasons behind this expansion is that federal regulators “are clearing the way for American-made, automated drones.”
The new drones can automatically deploy within 90 seconds of a tripped alarm or sensor, and can cut response times by up to 71 percent, according to the company’s sales pitch. The drones can cover 38 square miles and have 45 minutes of flight time.
The company recently launched its Flock Business Network to help private companies boost their security via “joint investigations” and “pooled resources,” along with Flock technology.
