Axis: Difference between revisions - Consumer_Action

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Archived link to Axis website, https://archive.ph/8oCS2</ref>

==Axis Companion Classic==

== Consumer impact summary ==

* User Freedom:

* User Privacy:

* Business Model:

* Market Control:

== Incidents ==

=== Closure of Axis Companion Classic ===

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

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

==Axis Companion==

=== Axis Companion ===

As part of their efforts to upgrade software while retaining legacy setups, Axis created Axis Companion after renaming the previous Companion to Companion Classic.

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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 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 and market position===

==== Pricing and 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===

==== Platform lock-in ====

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

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 Archived link to Axis website, https://archive.ph/8oCS2</ref>
-==Axis Companion Classic==
+== Consumer impact summary ==
+* User Freedom:
+* User Privacy:
+* Business Model:
+* Market Control:
+== Incidents ==
+=== Closure of Axis Companion Classic ===
 Released in 2016,<ref name=":0">Companion software release notes, https://www.axis.com/ftp/pub_soft/cam_srv/cam_companion/latest/relnote.txt
@@ Line 37: / Line 46: @@
 '''This restriction removes functionality without providing any benefit to the customer.'''
-==Axis Companion==
+=== Axis Companion ===
 As part of their efforts to upgrade software while retaining legacy setups, Axis created Axis Companion after renaming the previous Companion to Companion Classic.
@@ Line 47: / Line 56: @@
 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 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 and market position===
+==== Pricing and 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===
+==== Platform lock-in ====
 The requirement for Axis-branded SD cards is now being implemented across multiple Axis platforms: