“For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” This is the powerful theme for this International Women’s Day, Saturday 8 March 2025.
Whilst it is always important to reflect on trailblazers who have gone before us and shaped the world we live in today. This year Arlo brings to attention Marie Van Brittan Brown. Brown is a trailblazing woman who’s name should be synonymous with innovation in home security.
In 1966, Marie, a nurse working long shifts in a neighbourhood plagued by slow police response times, co-invented the world’s first home security system with her husband Albert L Brown. Her groundbreaking design, which included a closed-circuit television system, a two-way communication feature, and even a remote-controlled door lock revolutionised the way we think about safety at home, becoming the blueprint for modern smart security.
Brown’s patent on their home audio-video security system was granted on 2 December 1969. At the time, Marie was quoted in the New York Times as saying that with her invention “a woman alone could set off an alarm immediately by pressing a button, or if the system were installed in a doctor’s office, it might prevent holdups by drug addicts.”
Arlo recognises the significant impact of Marie Van Brittan Brown’s work, and it continues to inspire their mission to provide personalised, smart and easy to use solutions. Their relentless commitment to home security is driven by industry first innovations with our advanced AI and Computer Vision capabilities, including person recognition with Arlo Secure Plus. Furthering Marie’s ambition for personal safety, the Arlo Secure Person Recognition feature allows customers to know exactly who is on their property, bringing peace of mind and security.
This International Women’s Day, Arlo celebrate Marie’s incredible impact and recognise the role technology plays in empowering women. Her invention wasn’t just a step forward for home security—it was a step toward equality, giving everyone the right to feel safe and secure. Arlo believes in protecting your everything – exactly as Marie set out to do.
Thanks to her ingenuity, Arlo can now deliver cutting edge technology that keeps families, homes, and businesses secure every day.
To demonstrate the impact of Brown’s invention, the patent has been cited in 38 patent applications as of July 2024.
Happy International Women’s Day from Arlo!
