Intelligent Safe Technologies is on a mission to improve physical security for SA’s commercial sector. And it’s sorely needed: South Africa has one of the highest crime rates globally, with businesses frequently targeted by armed robberies, invasions, and property-related crimes.

In 2022/23 alone, 1.1 million households experienced housebreaking, while the commercial sector saw a 19% increase in robbery incidents. Companies need more robust security measures to protect assets and ensure employee safety and business continuity.

Intelligent Safe’s answer? One of the most advanced smart dispensing devices the country has ever seen, backed by advanced software and continuous monitoring and support. The only problem was getting such advanced new tech efficient enough for scale.

This is how Octoco helped Intelligent Safe Technologies get ready to scale…

About Intelligent Safe Technologies

Founded in 2016, Intelligent Safe Technologies provides high-security storage solutions for high-value stock in industries like retail, banking, and large-scale facilities.

Their flagship product, The Sentry Solution, is an advanced, smart dispensing device designed to protect valuable stock from theft. It features biometric access, time-delayed doors, vibration and motion detection, and backup communication – to mention but a few.

It ensures complete security with features like pepper spray deployment, sirens, and tilt detection, making it one of the most sophisticated retail security solutions available.

However, despite its impressive security capabilities, Intelligent Safe encountered challenges in developing a next-generation dispensing device capable of competing at every level in the market (specifically in terms of scalability and long-term competitiveness).

Challenges & Opportunities

Developing a product that integrates multiple advanced security and asset management systems into a single seamless solution presents unique challenges:

• Complex technology integration: Combining multiple independent systems into a unified product created engineering challenges, as each component needed to function cohesively without compromising performance or reliability.

• Security & reliability requirements: Given the critical nature of Intelligent Safe Technologies’ tech, even minor disruptions could compromise security, making system stability and fail-safe mechanisms essential.

• Scalability limitations: To support long-term growth, Intelligent Safe Technologies needed a product that was not only feature-rich but also reliable and low-maintenance, ensuring scalability without relying on continuous technical interventions.

These challenges required a comprehensive technology assessment to enhance system performance, maintain reliability, and support a scalable, cost-effective solution that could support both new deployments and existing units.

Octoco’s Solution for Intelligent Safe Technologies

In 2023, Intelligent Safe Technologies (IST) partnered with Octoco to address the technical challenges that came with upgrading its integrated security solution. With a shared focus on long-term scalability and reliability, Octoco collaborated closely with IST to optimise both hardware and software, ensuring the product could deliver seamless performance with minimal maintenance.

1. A Smarter Architecture for Stability

To support IST’s goal of creating a reliable, low-maintenance solution, Octoco helped redesign the system architecture, ensuring each device efficiently monitored activity while offloading complex processing to a more intelligent backend system.

2. Building Reliability into Every Component

Recognising the importance of uninterrupted performance in high-security environments, Octoco strengthened system resilience by ensuring each component could recover from errors without compromising security. This self-healing design reduced the need for manual interventions.

3. A Future-Proofed Platform for Scalable Growth

Octoco’s hardware and software enhancements laid the foundation for IST’s next phase of growth. Real-time system insights, accessible via a secure web portal, empowered IST to monitor and manage its network of devices remotely. With a system capable of running for months — even years — without intervention, IST could scale its operations confidently, knowing its technology was built to perform reliably at scale.

The Results

The collaboration between Intelligent Safe Technologies and Octoco delivered immediate and measurable improvements, strengthening IST’s position as a leader in advanced security solutions:

1. Proven long-term stability: The upgraded units have operated flawlessly, demonstrating the system’s enhanced reliability and resilience.

2. Dramatic reduction in support calls: With the new architecture streamlining system performance, support calls dropped significantly, improving operational efficiency and reducing maintenance overhead.

3. Focused on growth: With enhanced system stability, IST is now positioned to scale its operations, expand its client base, and focus on long-term growth and market leadership.

“We finally have our third-generation product and can push it to market,” says Intelligent Safe Technologies’ Managing Director.

"We've transitioned our focus from on-site support to fully remote support for both the existing fleet and new offerings. With 99% of support calls now handled remotely, we've moved from reactive troubleshooting to delivering a stable, scalable solution."

“We are focused on growth and giving every SA business the option of having this level of physical security.”

Intelligent Safe Technologies: A Future Built on Stability

Through its collaboration with Octoco, Intelligent Safe Technologies has elevated its already advanced security solution — refining system performance to deliver even greater reliability and efficiency, without the need for constant maintenance or troubleshooting.

With an enhanced technical foundation now in place, IST is poised to scale its operations, confident in the strength of its technology and its ability to support long-term growth.

Need help stabilising and scaling your tech product?

Book a strategy session with Octoco’s expert team for tailored CTO support, hardware and software engineering.