All-in for a big week…
How about this for a ‘back to reality’ moment…
I landed back from a work trip on Monday. By Tuesday, jetlagged as anything, I was standing in a car park showing a retailer our latest fog tech.
The concept we were demonstrating has been quietly bubbling away for some time: a fully autonomous, battery-powered WASP unit with Smoke Screen fog inside.
No mains, no cables, no limits. A self-contained deterrent that you can drop anywhere you need a serious layer of protection.
It’s the product of a partnership we’ve been building with ASEL, the team behind the WASP (Wireless Alarm Site Protection). Their units are already a common sight in the retail world – strobe lights, sirens, voice warnings, and camera feeds all in one tough, portable shell.
We’ve just added another layer, and our fog takes the whole WASP concept to a new level.
How about that for the power of integration?
Enough to ease even the weariest, jetlagged mind.
Basically, what we’ve done is engineered a battery-operated fog unit that can be slotted seamlessly into the existing WASP design – the ‘WaspX’, as it’s likely to be called.
It’s a modular upgrade, meaning ASEL can now offer fog protection to any site that needs it most, without touching the power grid. Some quickfire details (just because I’m pretty damn proud of the thing):
- Triggered by the WASP’s standard system
- Allows for up to five minutes of fog per activation
- Compact, bespoke casing hides the unit inside
- Fully standalone, but still remotely monitored
It’s built principally for retail environments, but we can also see it coming in handy across construction sites and any other location where permanent power is a luxury.
This is right up our street, this integration. None of this ‘flashy tech for tech’s sake’ nonsense.
Instead, we’ve worked closely with ASEL to find smarter ways to layer protection and make deterrence easier to deploy.
Gah! I still daydream about bringing everything under one umbrella of control.
And I feel that daydream is getting closer to reality.
The WaspX will be managed on ASEL’s monitoring platform rather than Sentience – but that doesn’t change the point: it’s another example of systems working together in practice. Different dashboards, same outcome.
The relationship with ASEL has been years in the making. We’ve long admired their inventive approach to portable security and how adaptable their technology is.
This integration cements that partnership in a way that feels properly unified. Their first batch of battery fog units is already being ordered (after roaring success with the prototypes), and we’re looking forward to seeing the roll-out with major retail clients in the coming months.
Jack represented us at ASEL’s recent event in Newcastle, where there was a real sense of momentum – not just around WaspX, but for how collaborative the security sector can be when it sets its mind to it.
That idea of collaboration (and integration) is exactly what the upcoming Safer Business Action (SaBA) Week is all about.
Running from November 10th, it’s a national initiative led by the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), bringing together police forces, Business Crime Reduction Partnerships, BIDs, and the private security industry to tackle retail crime head-on.
Last year’s SaBA Week saw over 750 arrests, more than 640 events, and involvement from 3,400 police officers and PCSOs.
Perhaps more importantly, it built trust and long-term engagement between businesses and law enforcement.
This year’s focus continues under the banner of ‘Tackling Retail Crime Together’ – and that last word is key.
Because whether it’s through joint patrols, knowledge sharing, or technical integrations like our ASEL partnership, the message is the same: we’re stronger when our systems, strategies, and people are connected.
Our new WASP integration is a microcosm of that joined-up mindset. A physical symbol of collaboration. One device that blends multiple deterrents – sound, light, voice, camera, and fog – working together as one unified defence.
Innovation’s a buzzword that makes me squirm a little, especially in security. But when you boil it down, innovation typically comes down to collaboration. Protecting retail isn’t a solo act. It’s a team sport. Joined forces means better outcomes.
That’s the spirit behind Safer Business Action Week. And it’s the same spirit behind WaspX.