The environment changed, and the pace of innovation changed with it

If you’d told me a few months ago that I’d be writing this from a brand-new set-up, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.

But here we are…

Fresh location, fresh office, fresh everything.

After the chaos of recent travel and events, it feels like the right time for a reset. I’ve even got a standing desk.

Plus, I’m one of Vinted’s top sellers right now, mainly because I’m trying to get rid of years’ worth of stuff I didn’t even know I owned.

We had confirmation this week that we’ll be installing our first docked drone on a solar farm in mid-December. This move is truly huge for us, not just because of what it means operationally, but because this is where security and operations finally stop sitting in separate corners and start working as one system, we’ll be doing a joint webinar with the involved partners so watch this space!

A drone that can launch itself, do the job automatically, and wrap security around operational insights more than a step forward, it’s a different category altogether.

I also went to Ajax’s “Dare to Be First” event, where they unveiled the first wireless Grade 3 intruder detection system on the market. As far as they’re concerned, only one other business has ever attempted it, and that was years ago.

This is proper game-changing stuff. Considering ASEL has around 5,000 Ajax devices deployed out in the wild, it’s exciting to see what this next leap will unlock. And there’s a nice full-circle moment too: Ajax was the very first API integration we ever built between the docked drone and an external system. It’s always good when innovation aligns backwards and forwards at the same time.

On top of that, we’re building a bespoke off-grid CCTV solution designed specifically for supply chain and logistics customers. It’s a fully self-contained unit that can sit on the back of a lorry, move wherever it’s needed, and slot neatly into a much wider development programme we’re pushing in the transport and logistics space.

Flexibility is the theme this week, both in the technology and in the services we can provide.

All of this is happening against the backdrop of me settling into the new place, tweaking cable my set-ups, and waiting for the rest of the flat-packs to arrive.

So it’s been one of those weeks where everything shifts at once: the physical environment, the work priorities, and the technology pipeline.

But that’s the nature of what we do. Change doesn’t arrive politely, it tends to turn up with a van full of kit, a drone dock under one arm, and a pile of device firmware updates under the other.

And as disruptive as it feels in the moment, there’s something energising about it. You step back and realise that all these pieces – the drone installs, the new Grade 3 kit, the logistics tech – they’re all signals that both we, and those at the forefront of the industry doesn’t slow down.

So yes, the location has changed. The desk height changes every 20 minutes. The cable trays are a work in progress. But the momentum is very much the same… pushing forward, testing boundaries, and getting ready for what’s coming next.