From Here To Keenfinity With Bosch Building Technologies.
From Here To Keenfinity – When you’ve been in the electronic security industry as long as SEN has, nothing is quite so unsettling as news of a major acquisition, particularly when it involves a manufacturer of the stature, respect and mutual history of Bosch Building Technologies.
The company has built some of the security industry’s most loved alarm, access control, video surveillance and management systems, has a unique and living connection to ANZ electronic security product development stretching back to the late 1970s, and is an undeniable pioneer of operational AI solutions that empower security managers with elevated levels of situational awareness.
Taking all this into account, it was a huge relief to sit down with the local Keenfinity management team in Sydney and learn that while ownership and board-level management may have changed, under the ownership of Triton through Keenfinity, everything else at the former Bosch Building Technologies remains the same.
And by everything, we mean absolutely everything: the team, the relationships, the route to market, the product development pipeline, the global manufacturing facilities with their elevated levels of quality control. Even the Bosch product branding remains the same for up to 4 years, during which time the team will transition products from the Bosch name to the highly respected nomenclature of the company’s core product lines – think Solution, TriTech, Flexidome and IVA Pro.
First up, Keenfinity has a new managing director, Allen Hepburn, who retains his role as business manager Intrusion Alarms. Promoting from within after the retirement of long-time Bosch skipper Chris Dellenty is a good decision and not only from the perspective of team continuity.
Hepburn has the sort of deep connection to electronic security technology that only comes from an apprenticeship on the tools, and his management ethos is ably supported by Paul Donnelley, business manager video systems, who has been with Bosch since the days of Detection Systems. Donnelley’s considered management style is similarly bound to a focus on operational solutions.
Given the connectedness of this pair to product and application, it comes as no surprise that our discussion never strays far from the core interests of a product range towards which Hepburn and Donnelley are intensely committed – to the point of recognising with pleasure that the change of ownership is going to empower product development more than they ever expected.
According to Donnelley, the first the team heard of the divestment of Bosch Building Technologies from the Bosch company was a story in the German press.
“Initially, the team assumed Bosch might divest individual parts of its building technologies division – perhaps video or another product group,” Donnelley explains. “However, it was quickly confirmed that the entire division would be sold, which in hindsight was the best outcome for staff and customers.”
Keenfinity was established to house multiple brands owned by Luxembourg-based Triton Partners and this layered upper management is deftly handled, with a strong new board leading Keenfinity, while owner, Triton Partners, manages at a discreet distance. It’s a leadership style that flows through to local operations, with ANZ management having full responsibility for their business units.
Donnelley, who began with Bosch via Detection Systems way back in 2002, says that while leaving the Bosch brand was emotionally difficult, there was real excitement too.
“Bosch was a respected name, 94 per cent owned by a not-for-profit foundation committed to social improvement, as well as being associated with high-quality technology many people use in their everyday and professional lives – it’s no exaggeration to say that Bosch is unique,” Donnelley says. “Stepping away from that family connection is bittersweet.
“But right from the start the team could see clear benefits. As a developer of technology, the new company will be more agile, with more focused management, and will no longer be impacted by performance fluctuations in Bosch’s much larger divisions, like automotive, which influenced strategic directions at a Bosch board level. With greater autonomy and with greater input we can already feel we will be able to make quicker decisions, release products faster, and better meet customer demands.”
Donnelley says that unlike predatory acquisitions, this change of ownership was never a case of people worrying whether they would keep their jobs.
“It’s so typical of Bosch that they divested their Building Technologies Division in this way,” he explains. “Even at this early stage we can see the ownership change has led to a period of growth, not contraction. Business expectations are higher, but there’s also significant investment to support elevated goals – from a team perspective this is challenging but very encouraging.”
Meanwhile, Hepburn says the ownership transition process began in Q4 of 2023, so the new administrative processes, which were flagged early and undertaken carefully, are now well bedded down.
“There were understandable concerns initially, but many team members almost immediately viewed the divestment as an opportunity for renewed focus and future growth for the Building Technologies Division in its own right,” Hepburn says.
“This was evidenced by the fact most German staff chose to transition to Keenfinity and it was the same here in Australia – the team is virtually unchanged.
“There’s new board level management with a new management style, but everything else remains the same. Staff, manufacturing, development pipeline, routes to market – these are all unchanged. It’s very hard not to see this as the best possible outcome for the team and for our customers.”
However, Hepburn says that while much remains the same, the security team is now “off leash” – more agile and more focused, while retaining the core qualities of the Bosch culture in which staff are steeped.
“The new COO and board are energetic, tech-focused, and responsive,” Hepburn says. “Communication has improved significantly, with more open forums, rapid updates, and direct access to leadership.
“We also feel we are going to have an enhanced level of input into product development, enabling us to meet the challenges of the rapidly evolving electronic security market.”
Hepburn confirms that ANZ distribution retains its continuity, too, through Controlware, Wesco Anixter (including Wesco Anixter branches / CSD and Atlas Genetec in NZ), Source Security, Madison and Connect Dicker Data in NZ for video, while intrusion and sensor distribution remains with long-time partners APOL, Electrocraft, Electronic Security Sales, Micron Alarms, Net Security, Seadan, Sprint and Source Security in Australia, and Connect NZ.
At the same time, the communications product distribution continues through Jands for ProSound, and Audio Brands & Pacific AV NZ for public address and conference systems. When it comes to expanding the channel, Hepburn is clear: the company is not looking to add new distributors in a way that might erode margin and loyalty. He says a tightly held channel strategy has served the business well and will continue.
“Distributors have been reassured – it’s the same team, products, and plants, with more focused financial backing,” he explains. “All 4 of Bosch Building Technologies’ manufacturing sites – Mexico, Germany, Portugal and China – were included in the acquisition.
“Because they all meet required quality control standards, some plants will continue manufacturing for Bosch under contract – that indicates the strength of continuity: same team, same standards, same facilities, same product lines – enhanced by greater flexibility and greater input.”
It’s hard not to see a tightening of focus delivered by the change of ownership as timely. The electronic security market is evolving rapidly, with AI, edge, cloud services and integrated applications changing the nature of what’s possible. Over the next 5 years it’s certain AI will be incorporated into the downstream functions of electronic security devices, reducing false alarms and enhancing system intelligence.
But while future systems may detect behavioural trends, track environmental data, and interact more intuitively with users, installers and responders; to remain competitive when it comes to delivering cutting edge possibilities, companies must have highly engaged engineering teams. That demands serious investment and a culture of listening to end users and installers.
Hepburn points out that on this score the signs for Keenfinity look good, with strong commitment to continuing development of key elements of quality systems.
“At the recent Keenfinity Intrusion sales drive event, I saw strong investment across the product range – including access control, intrusion panels, and alarm sensors,” Hepburn explains. “Importantly, too, there’s full commitment to the Bosch development pipeline – this includes key releases, such as the replacement for the Bosch 6000 alarm and access panel that we’ll be showing for the first time at the security show in Sydney next week.”
In terms of future product development, Hepburn and Donnelley say 2026 will see a refresh across all categories. Donnelley reiterates that development plans were already in place prior to the transition and have continued, while Hepburn adds that with increased production capacity and more agile systems, the business is well positioned to grow.
Something that’s obvious as an industry observer is that installer and end user interest in Bosch solutions remains high. The brand enjoys strong loyalty across ANZ, as well as globally, and the momentum generated by recent product releases will only grow as the vigour of new management infuses decision making.
“The business is performing well in 2025, with all units tracking on or ahead of projections for the year,” Hepburn says. “With all product roadmaps transferred across from Bosch to Keenfinity, and development continuing in alarms, access control, new thermal and dual-sensor cameras, PTZ models, and LPR technology, there’s so much promise for the future.”
You can learn more about Keenfinity here or read more SEN news here.
“From Here To Keenfinity With Bosch Building Technologies.”
