Kentix Community Day took place in May 2025 – a long-awaited event that brought together numerous partners, customers and industry experts for the first time since 2019. A lot has happened since the last event: Kentix is celebrating its 15th anniversary and has evolved from a pure sensor manufacturer to an innovative software and platform provider.

From sensor manufacturer to platform provider: the transformation of Kentix

Originally known for the Kentix multisensor, which is well established in IT and server room monitoring, Kentix has undergone a profound transformation in recent years. The days when hardware alone determined the business are over.

Today, the focus is primarily on software: the flagship product Kentix One was launched in the last three years with a major development effort and has established itself as a flexible platform for the integration of various security disciplines. Kentix One currently integrates eight subsystems – from access control and intrusion detection and video surveillance to environmental and condition monitoring.

This concept corresponds to modern physical security information management (P-SIM), but with a stronger IT and IoT focus than traditional solutions. The platform makes it possible to combine disparate security components in a single software solution – a major added value for operators of data centres, critical infrastructures and industrial facilities.

Focus on data centres and KRITIS: exploiting opportunities

While traditional industries such as SMEs are currently rather cautious about investing, the market for data centres and critical infrastructures (KRITIS) is extremely dynamic. Kentix is clearly focusing on this area. The company not only supports data centre operators with comprehensive sensor and security systems, but also has its sights firmly set on standards such as EN 50600 – an important certification benchmark for modern data centres.

Demand in these areas is growing steadily, partly due to regulatory requirements and the increasing importance of cyber-physical security. For system houses and integrators, these market segments offer interesting opportunities to expand their business areas and balance investment cycles.

Anecdote: Standardisation in Germany

Fritz described the following episode as a small anecdote with regard to possible standardisation: He looked back on the early days of the company and described the feedback received when applying for certification of the multisensor from VdS Schadenverhütung GmbH in Cologne. He emphasised that, at the time, VdS saw no chance of certifying the multisensor given the wealth of sensor functions it offered – from fire detectors and burglar alarms to temperature detectors. The contact persons at VdS in Cologne could not even name a department that would have been responsible for this task. The multisensor was simply ahead of its time and did not fit into any standardisation scheme.

Innovative strength despite crises: from Smart Scan to Kentix One

The coronavirus pandemic also presented challenges for Kentix – planned product launches such as the multi-sensor thermal imaging scanner ‘Smart Scan’ were hampered by trade fair cancellations and lockdowns. At the same time, this gave rise to an unexpected success story: a face temperature scanner designed for COVID-19 prevention found buyers in over 40 countries within a very short time.

This phase was characterised by a reorientation. Internal development work was intensified to realise the vision of Kentix One as a central, modular security platform. Kentix now employs around 18 software developers – a clear sign of its new role as a software house. Hardware continues to be produced, but is more standardised and modularised – a trend that is emerging throughout the security industry.

The Kentix team and community: growth and partnership

A key factor in Kentix’s success is its close cooperation with partners and customers. Since 2019, the team has almost doubled in size – not only in sales and internal services, but above all in software development and business development. Experts such as Frank Neubauer are driving expansion in the data centre segment, while new team leaders are professionalising customer support.

Community Day 2025 not only provided an opportunity to present new products, but also offered intensive networking: partner companies presented solutions, case studies and services from the ecosystem surrounding Kentix One. The importance of exchange in the DACH region – especially in Germany, Austria and Switzerland – was clearly emphasised.

1. Strong convergence of technologies: IT and OT are growing together
2. System houses and firewall manufacturers are increasingly pushing into the OT sector. In the past, security technology was clearly separated from IT – today, the boundaries are blurring. Certifiers are also opening up to this new world, which, however, also creates new points of attack for security issues.
3. Long awaited and now in practice: mobile credentials
4. Everyone is familiar with the classic key, but smartphones are increasingly taking over its role – especially in access control. The technology has now become part of everyday life, and there is a lot going on in this area.
5. The role of artificial intelligence
6. The security and IT industry is in an exploratory phase: What can AI do for products, services and infrastructures? Traditional interfaces could soon disappear – systems will work in the background and only provide information when needed.
7. Sensor technology as the key to integration
8. Kentix has been working on the integration of various sensors for 15 years. Fused sensor technology is becoming increasingly important – supplemented by intelligent software. The focus is on new technologies such as radar sensor technology and 4-factor early fire detection including VOC measurement (air quality).
9. Autonomous data centres are gaining in importance.
10. Access via kiosk function, automatic arming, app-controlled access – many things are becoming smarter and more technology-supported. Open APIs and services create the necessary flexibility for integration.
11. More than just software: the Kentix One platform
12. The Kentix One platform is more than just an interface or software on a device. It also includes functions such as licence management, automatic detection of empty batteries or faulty devices, and provides maintenance recommendations – an essential factor for certified security technology. Documentation and knowledge management are now also digitised. Digital manuals are standard. The platform serves as a central knowledge base for partners and operators.

Conclusion

Kentix Community Day 2025 was more than just a product presentation – it exemplified the development of a company that has transformed itself from a device manufacturer to a software-driven platform provider. With a clear focus on system integration, booming markets such as data centres and KRITIS, and a strong community, Kentix is ideally positioned to actively shape the future of digital security.

Outlook: platform strategy and digitalisation of security

With Kentix One, Kentix has created a platform that is constantly evolving – driven by customer feedback and market requirements. The software is flexible and can be used both on its own hardware and virtualised in cloud environments, which facilitates future applications in hybrid and distributed infrastructures.

The digital transformation in security technology is opening up new business opportunities, especially in the area of sustainable and scalable solutions. Kentix sees itself as a pioneer in combining hardware, software and IoT technology – and invites its community to actively shape the future of digital security together.

Thomas Fritz emphasises the differences between the Kentix philosophy and traditional security technology and clearly positions the company in the IT and IoT world.

From Fritz’s point of view, technology has changed. Times have changed, and he sees the industry on a completely different level today. For him, one thing is clear: ‘What is happening right now is extremely interesting – not only for manufacturers, developers and system houses, but also for operators who are implementing new forms of infrastructure.’

Five core topics of digitalisation

With regard to future trends, Fritz quotes from the annual SIA Trend Report (Security Industry Association, USA), which presents the ten most important developments in the field of security in 2025. Many of these topics have already been implemented by the Kentix One team – as trendsetters for the last 15 years. The managing director presented five key topics to the audience. All participants received an overview of the report at the beginning of the event.