Risco Looks to Smart Homes in China

Risco Group has been in China for about 20 years, mainly focusing on intrusion alarms and security management solutions in the country. Compared to their main market of Europe, Steven Fang, GM of Risco Group in China, pointed out that the Chinese market is very different for them. Unlike other parts of the world, he said, China is about solutions: they will choose one solution for a project, not just one product from this company and another from that company. Therefore, Risco partners with many companies in China, particularly in the newly burgeoning smart home sector.

The residential market is one of the company’s key focuses in China. Looking to the future of the residential market, Fang noted the smart home concept as a trend in the high-end Chinese residential market. To meet this demand, Risco works closely with many smart home companies in China. In the long term, Fang said Risco sees alarms as just one part of a smart home, noting that integration is definitely the future. In fact, the company has worked with Crestron, one of their partners, on many large villa projects, integrating Risco products into Crestron’s systems.

Although China is the core of their APAC business, the company has also had success outside of the Middle Kingdom. For example, Risco partners with Secom in Taiwan where they provide the market with detectors. Additionally, in Thailand, the company has sold many wireless systems to the residential sector.

In the future, Risco expects to see growth of 30 to 40 percent in the coming three years. “We have sewn many seeds, and some have started to grow,” Fang said. Banks, another major focus for the company, have started going to Risco in China as a major supplier. Furthermore, as the company’s marketing image continues to get stronger, Risco hopes their unique products and flexibility toward customization will continue to help them in China’s large security market.