Vanderbilt is working with partners to further integrate its product offerings, as well as promote its cloud solution.
Through acquisitions and new partnerships,
Vanderbilt has built up its product portfolio, expanded its services and widened its network of integration partners.
Growth in cloud and RMR
A few years ago Vanderbilt acquired Access Control Technology (ACT). Since then the company has been heavily focused on developing those products as its core access control offerings. Among those is ACT365, the company’s cloud-based access control solution with which they partner Microsoft Azure. ACT365 is the only product in Vanderbilt’s portfolio in it manufactures its own video control unit.
From an alarm monitoring perspective, because things are moving online and the cloud is getting utilized more effectively, Vanderbilt offers commercial and industrial users SPC Connect, a cloud-based solution for monitoring and managing its intrusion detection platform.
Through its subscription-based access control and video surveillance product offerings installers are showing more and more interest in recurring-monthly-revenue (RMR) options, according to Ross Wilks, Head of Marketing Communications at Vanderbilt.
“Installers get their recurring monthly revenue from their system install spread out over many years; it guarantees them that income,” Wilks explained. “And that’s a huge value add for them. It guarantees them their income as an independent business.”
Growing public acceptance of cloud solutions is also driving adoption. “As we keep improving, we reassure them with the security procedures we have in place and the way in which we protect their data under GDPR law. So, people are warming to the idea of having a security solution as a monthly recurring small payment as opposed to one large outlay at the start,” Wilks said.
Integrated with more partners
Last year, the company announced a new partnership with its sister company
ComNet. This partnership will allow it to provide a “strategic integration to offer customers an improved level of service,” according to a press release.
In terms of video surveillance, Vanderbilt is already integrated with video surveillance giants such as
Hikvision Digital Technology and
Dahua Technology. From an intrusion detection perspective, it’s integrating with
Milestone and
SeeTec, while also building its third-party integration portfolio to offer added solutions.
“We recognize intrusion detection is one aspect of the system, but by partnering with those larger VMS providers we’re giving the video verification using their expertise,” Wilks said.
Product launches in 2019
As part of Vanderbilt’s
ACT Enterprise offering, the company launched a series of PoE (Power over Ethernet) controllers and PoE Ultra controllers last year. “The benefits of that PoE controller means that installers can run all of the power directly from the controller, which comes directly over the network,” Wilks said.
Additionally, its partnership with ComNet allows Vanderbilt to provide a full network solution. “No longer do you need to buy your access control solution and then go somewhere else for the network provider,” he explained. “We’re able to offer the full system because the power now is being drawn over the network; you no longer need the hardwire power supply.”
Vanderbilt has also launched a rules mapping engine on its ACT Enterprise solution. This allows the user to make more connections without needing somebody to write a software script.
“We’ve done a drag and drop scenario where it gives a rule of commands, and using a module or the network will allow you to trigger many things… It’s not just about opening doors, closing doors, and locking down facilities. It’s providing more scope for things you wouldn’t usually have done with a security system five or 10 years ago,” Wilks said.
Vanderbilt is also planning to launch a new IP door entry phone connection for its ACT Enter-prise solution. It is also planning to move into biometrics for its access control.