Trying Times, Prettier Prices

Cost-effectiveness sells, especially during financially trying times. With government spending cuts slowing down infrastructural development and the private sector strapped for cash, security solution providers of all sizes are busy seeking and identifying the next “blue sea.” In the meantime, small-and medium-size end users are in for a treat, as more affordable and efficient solution offerings are made available.

Axis Communications
Phil Doyle, Regional Director of Northern Europe
With our cloud, more cost-effective and low-light offerings, we are better enabled to reach partners and installers with smaller business operations. We've been “cloud-friendly” for more than nine years, so it just shows we were right all along. Globally, we will continue to invest in technology and innovation; as proof, 13.6 percent of our revenue last year was earmarked for such efforts.

Canon
Julian Rutland, Director of Visual Communication Products and Solutions for Europe
General economy is quite hard, and people are taking the time to evaluate new brands and alternatives. We're a relatively new kid on the block, so that helps. Compared to last year, we're enjoying an upward trajectory of 800percent. With the shift to IP, the channel is learning, and we're also learning, to work hand in hand and move in the right direction. System integrators usually don't have the time to test everything, so we test and integrate for them to make sure everything is compatible. Thanks to our consumer electronics, we have the upper hand in image processors (with analytics) and lens specs in terms of overall pricing. We are a full member of ONVIF, working with more and more VMS brands, and incredibly committed to delivering the kind of promise, quality and training that our channel partners and end clients expect of us.

Honeywell Security
Tony Makosinski, Head of Marketing for the U.K. and Ireland
We're seeing growth in residential burglar alarm products, due to higher crime rates. The fact that Honeywell has a myriad of solutions across the board does help. Mirroring what has spiked demand in the IT market, we now provide DVR-like cloud storage with user-friendly interfaces, making it easy for our partners to sell monthly plans rather than big, initial investments. Storing and managing on the cloud has also helped shorten time to market and further green initiatives. System checks and maintenance are done automatically. If there's something wrong, an email will be generated and sent to the responsible technician automatically, minimizing unnecessary truck rolls. For certain legally mandated system checks and tests, the cloud saves the trouble of emptying out the entire building during such procedures.

Navtech Radar
Philip Avery, MD
Single-unit prices of radar systems cannot be compared to regular surveillance cameras. But, think holistically. Radar provides 360-degree coverage and significantly cuts down numbers and costs of guards, tours/patrols, trip wires, intrusion detectors and cameras. There's no trenching required, further reducing installation time, service disruptions and related expenses. We own all the key technologies (hardware, software algorithms, signal processing) and can tailor to specific system integrator requirements. For example, we managed to cover an airfield in Romania with just two radars. This is the kind of message that needs to be heard when people are scrambling to find the next best, more affordable alternative.

Opgal
Yair Sakov, VP of Security Business
Thermal cameras are not security cameras. Helping our partners understand the technology — the breadth of our offerings, picture quality, innovation — and transforming them into our extensions in the field do take a lot of resources. A lot of security solution providers sell on fear, uncertainty and doubt; we sell on the value of being able to see clearly and cost-effectively what's going on at critical locations like airports, seaports, railways and energy plants in challenging environmental and lighting conditions. Five years of market education and evangelization are really paying off: the company was ranked No. 2 in market share by the latest IMS Research report on thermal cameras. Although there's a lot of cautiousness in the market at the moment, the private sector and emerging markets in Asia and Latin America are luckily still buying. Examples include interesting flame detection applications from garbage disposal sites and commercial buildings. We will continue to preach about security being like insurance and make sure our partners will never lose any project to the No. 1 in this market on price.

Panogenics (AMG Group)
David Myers, MD
This business unit was founded by the founder of Grandeye and is a sister company of AMG Systems (fiber transmission). Our new product is nicknamed the “time machine.” With just one unit, there are 14 streaming possibilities, and you can go back to any recorded, HD, 360-degree footage to zoom in and dewarp, easily replacing four to eight traditional cameras. The management software was developed in-house, and we are integrating with Wavestore, Axxonsoft, Xtralis and more to target verticals like retail, transportation, education and health care. Our new firmware that's coming up will also be ONVIF-compliant, opening up even more possibilities and cost savings.

 Texecom (Halma Group)
Clym Brown, Marketing Director
Our business is about solving problems. Right now, it's about getting more than 1,000 installers across Europe up to speed on the new confirmed alarm standard, via road shows and workshops. We have new, conformant equipment for different market sectors: small to medium residential units, medium commercial establishments, and high-end infrastructure projects. One common characteristic of our new solutions is getting more done with less devices (and money). The home automation media server, for example, controls lighting, entertainment units and the alarm system all on one panel. Our top-end, self-healing, auto-rerouting mesh system gets signals across industrial or commercial sites with changing and challenging environments, which reduces false alarms and related penalties. And yet we keep everything simple, to minimize installation time/cost and maximize user enjoyment and energy savings. For instance, our dual-detection system of 32 devices can be set up and activated with just one touch and within two seconds.

Time and Data Systems International
John Davies, MD
The UK and European access control market is growing at about 4 percent; we are growing at about 15 percent in this market as well as overseas in the Middle East and Asia. We compete with different Tier-1 brands in different regions, but all at a lower, mid-point price, in verticals like education, finance/banking, health care, telecommunications and commercial buildings. Our cost-effective solutions provide reliable features, tailored functions with adjustable Web interfaces and add-on software and database tools; the flexible look and feel enhance user experience considerably. It's critical for access control solution providers like us to be able to work with specialists in architectural design, audio/visual, structural cabling and IT/IP infrastructure early on in any given project; it's our reputation on the line, so we need to make sure there are no surprises down the line. We already have video integration capabilities and are looking to biometrics, NFC and the cloud for new possibilities and opportunities.

Tyco Security Products
Leon Langlais, Product Management Director for Residential and Small Business, Tyco Security Products
Everyone is affected by the economy, but our intrusion detection business has had three straight years of double-digit growth. Our unified, all-in-one-box server solution was designed specifically for the small- to medium-size market, with an average application requiring 20 to 100 readers and 8 to 32 IP cameras. At aggressive price points, we address all the issues that installers care about: speed of installation, quality, reliability and third-party integration, so that they can continue to grow with us even in difficult times. For example, the fact that no wireless repeaters are needed (thanks to the Visonic acquisition and complementary market synergy) and installation time is cut from two weeks to two days makes it rather easy to sell, even to the cost-conscious bunch. Battery life of wireless products is also extended to five to eight years with corporate-grade reliability, eliminating unnecessary installer dispatch and user headaches.