10 Years of NetCo Body-Cam: From Pilot Project to Established Use in Germany
Blankenburg (Harz), August 2026 – Ten years ago, NetCo delivered its first Body-Cam systems in Germany. What began as a pilot project with the Saxony-Anhalt police has since developed into an established security solution for police forces, public transport operators, municipal enforcement authorities and numerous other organisations. Today, NetCo develops its Body-Cam solutions made in Germany, consistently tailoring them to the requirements of the German and European markets.
When NetCo implemented its first Body-Cam projects, the technology was still largely unknown in Germany. While individual police authorities had already begun gaining initial experience with Body-Cams, there was no established market at the time. Together with technology partner Wireless CCTV, NetCo developed a solution for use in Germany and secured the Saxony-Anhalt police as its first pilot customer.
“Ten years ago, we delivered our first Body-Cams. At the time, it was still completely unclear how quickly the market would develop. We recognised early on that Germany had different requirements from international markets and therefore consistently tailored our solution to meet them,” explains Anna-Lena Nolte, Head of Body-Cam at NetCo.
Today, several thousand NetCo Body-Cams are in use across Germany. More than 100 reference customers rely on the company’s Body-Cam solutions. These include major organisations such as Deutsche Bahn, as well as numerous transport operators, municipal enforcement authorities, police forces and security companies. The long-standing collaboration with users continues to shape the ongoing development of NetCo’s Body-Cam solutions.
While data protection played a relatively minor role in the first police projects due to the respective regulations at federal-state level, it quickly became a key challenge, particularly in the private security sector. At the same time, initial reservations among users had to be overcome. Many employees were concerned that the technology could be used to monitor them personally or regarded the additional equipment as another burden in their day-to-day work.
As the technology became more widespread, clearer legal and organisational frameworks emerged, opening up further areas of application. Today, Body-Cams are an established part of security strategies in many organisations, particularly in public transport, municipal enforcement and private security.
Made in Germany for the European Market
From the outset, the development of the NetCo Body-Cam differed significantly from many international solutions. While numerous systems were originally designed for other markets, NetCo focused on European requirements at an early stage.
These include data-protection-compliant storage of recordings, defined retention and deletion periods, differentiated access permissions and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These functions were developed specifically for the German and European markets and have been continuously expanded.
Another feature has been part of the NetCo Body-Cam since its first generation: the integrated display. It creates transparency and supports de-escalation during use and remains one of the solution’s key distinguishing features.
More Than Technology: Promoting Exchange Across the Industry
For many years, NetCo has not only been active as a Body-Cam manufacturer but has also provided a platform for professional exchange. Through its annual Body-Cam Conference and Body-Cam Expert Dialogue, the company brings together representatives from police forces, transport operators, municipal enforcement authorities, security companies, academia, data protection and legal practice. The aim is to share practical experience, discuss current challenges and jointly advance the safe and legally compliant use of Body-Cams.
The Market Continues to Evolve
After relatively slow development during the early years, larger deployment projects, including those in public transport, gave the market significant momentum. Today, numerous organisations use Body-Cams to better protect employees from assaults and to document critical situations in a transparent and traceable manner.
NetCo also expects the technology to continue developing dynamically in the years ahead. Key areas include greater integration with other security and communication systems and the use of artificial intelligence directly on the Body-Cam.
“The next stage of development will see Body-Cams interact intelligently with their surroundings. In future, artificial intelligence could operate directly on the device while meeting European data protection requirements. This could, for example, enable hazardous situations to be detected and recordings to be started automatically,” says Anna-Lena Nolte.
Ten Years of Experience for Greater Safety
With ten years of experience, NetCo is one of the pioneers of the German Body-Cam market. The systems are continuously developed in close cooperation with users from police forces, transport operators, municipal enforcement authorities and security companies. Practical experience shows that Body-Cams can have a de-escalating effect and help defuse conflicts in around 75 percent of deployment situations. NetCo’s goal remains to provide modern Body-Cam solutions that combine safety, data protection and practical usability while meeting the requirements of the German and European markets.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
NetCo has been active in the Body-Cam sector for ten years. The first systems were deployed as part of a pilot project with the Saxony-Anhalt police. Since then, the solutions have been continuously developed to meet the requirements of the German and European markets.
Today, several thousand NetCo Body-Cams are in use across Germany. More than 100 reference customers include police authorities, municipal enforcement authorities, transport operators, security companies and Deutsche Bahn.
Body-Cams can help defuse conflict situations. Practical experience shows that they can have a de-escalating effect in around 75 percent of deployment situations. With the NetCo Body-Cam, the integrated front display supports this approach and creates transparency: in a critical situation, the person facing the camera can see themselves on the screen, which may encourage them to reflect on and adjust their behaviour.
NetCo Body-Cam solutions include features designed to support data-protection-compliant use. These include secure storage of recordings, defined deletion periods and differentiated access permissions. The solutions are developed with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in mind.
