Verkada's October 2026 Release: Everything That's New
"Two new hardware product lines, a 3D digital twin of your site, AI built into Command, and new software across every category. Here's the full October 2026 Verkada release, in plain language."
Verkada's October 2026 release is the biggest in a while: two brand-new product lines, plus new software across every category deployed on client sites. This article is the short version of everything in the release, in order of impact. For the full detail on any one category, five companion articles cover Cameras, Alarms, Access Control, Intercom, and Command & Workplace individually, linked throughout and at the bottom of this page.
Understanding the Release Badges
Included ships free to the existing Command license, with nothing to schedule or buy.
Included + Setup is also free software but needs a short technician visit that Fortified schedules.
New Hardware is an optional upgrade the account team can quote.
Command Now Answers Questions in Plain English
Catalyst connects Command directly to Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini, so a team can ask a question instead of digging through footage — a 30-day incident summary in seconds instead of an afternoon of scrubbing video. It is Included, in beta, and requires nothing to install.
Read the full detail and use cases in the Command & Workplace release article.
A New Product Line for Fleet and Vehicle Coverage
A whole new hardware line puts cameras, a gateway, and Command on vehicles, so school buses and fleet trucks get the same live coverage as buildings, on the same dashboard. This is New Hardware, an optional new product category rather than an upgrade to something existing — ask the account team if fleet coverage is relevant.
The First Dual-Spectrum Thermal Camera
A new thermal camera reads heat rather than just light, so it can flag a person or vehicle through smoke, fog, or total darkness earlier than standard video. This is New Hardware, suited to sites with low-visibility risk areas.
One-Button, Site-Wide Lockdown
A single press now triggers an automatic, site-wide lockdown with alerts the whole team can act on together, using a panic button. Fortified will wire one in for any site that doesn't already have one. This is Included + Setup.
A New Product Line for Paging and Audio
A second new hardware line adds managed speakers and audio players for music, paging, and emergency announcements across every site, from one platform. This is New Hardware, a new product category rather than an upgrade.
Your Site, Mapped in 3D
Maps in Command puts a 3D digital twin of a site inside the platform, with every camera, door, and alarm on one interactive floor plan — useful for onboarding new staff and coordinating a live response. It is Included and in beta; building the map takes a short on-site scan that Fortified schedules, with no hardware to buy.
Get the full Maps details in the Command & Workplace release article.
Browse the Full Release by Category
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Included features are already live or rolling out on your existing Command license at no additional cost — there's nothing to schedule or buy.