Security Sales & Integration

July 2013

SSI serves security installing contractors providing systems and services; surveillance, access control, biometrics, fire alarm and home control/automation. Coverage in commercial and residential product applications, designs, techniques, operations.

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VIDEO INNOVATIONS ROUNDTABLE INNOVATE OR FOLLOW LEADERS? Kostas Mellos, Commercial Leader, Video & Transmission, Interlogix: Innovation and the ability to adapt existing products for critical market needs are both important. You can design and build a unique product or fnd a diferent way of using existing products to solve problems. Either way, technology and innovation work together to provide more safe and secure environments. Pierre Racz, President and CEO, Genetec: Innovation and imitation are two valid strategies to achieve commercial success. Imitation is not in our DNA. All of our founding members and engineers, and most of our current engineers at Genetec are avid consumers of sci-f and are more inclined to think about what could be, instead of what is. For innovative companies, especially when they are young, commercial success is secondary to technology. We derive satisfaction less from commercial success than we do from bringing to life really cool ideas. Te luck part of the story is that we turned out to have some latent business acumen that ended up serving us well. We now pride ourselves in both being creative in business and in technology. BLENDING INGENUITY & MARKETING Willem Ryan, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Bosch Security Systems: Te market needs to be ready and a supporting infrastructure needs to be in place for an innovative technology to make a real impact. HD and megapixel technologies have been around for a long time, but it wasn't until H.264 compression came along that it was possible for many to adopt it. Price is also an essential factor. In the past, the high cost of thermal imaging made it prohibitive for all but government and other high-risk, critical applications. However, recent innovations in the production of this technology have made thermal cameras more cost-efective and therefore more accessible for everyday surveillance applications where long-distance detection is required or where the feld of view is partially-obstructed. Marketing is very important. You can have an ingenious product, but no one will know about it if there is no marketing behind it. On the reverse side, a not-so-innovative product can have a huge marketing engine and be perceived as innovative simply because of that marketing push. Te right balance is important to make the technology stick, as is the education of the market on the benefts of the innovation. Steve Surfaro, Security Industry Liaison, Axis Communications: Solving a specifc need is a major ingredient. Color-at-night producing Lightfnder technology is an example of one such innovation that solved a real need and then integrated marketing savvy. By recording a demonstration video in extremely low light in the middle of the night near a series of train tracks or busy city street, this showed where the product has made the biggest impact — in public safety, transportation and critical infrastructure markets. It also showed that moving objects, such as a train passing by, can be recorded in clear, crisp color video in near darkness without ghosting. Alternatively, a multifunction camera with built-in audio, white LED illuminator, intrusion passive infrared detector and talkback features perfectly ft the needs of small jewelry stores. FENDING OFF COMMODITIZATION De Fina: In the technology world, almost all true innovations eventually evolve to commodities. Megapixel cameras are perhaps the most common example in the pro security market as prices continue to drop while performance continues to increase. Tis has allowed users and installers to implement megapixel imaging for mainstream applications. On the consumer side, smartphones and tablets are another great example, as demand has increased production and "For innovative companies, commercial success is secondary to technology. We derive satisfaction less from commercial success than from bringing to life really cool ideas. The luck part is we turned out to have some latent business acumen." Pierre Racz, Genetec competition and continues to drive down prices. In both the megapixel and smartphone/tablet example, quantities sustain proftability that in turn drives additional R&D.; Poulin: Tis is where marketing comes into play. Te job of the marketing department is to communicate the value of the ofering through a variety of channels. If they can clearly articulate the benefts of their particular solution and the value it adds to a customer's business, margins can be maintained. Panasonic products are ofered at a premium because our FIND IT ON THE WEB INTEGRATOR INSIGHTS ON VIDEO INNOVATION Surveillance Systems Integration President Todd Flowers calls upon his more than 20 years of experience to address how video innovation is affecting his business. See exclusive Under Surveillance blog at securitysales.com/blog. 72 / SECURITYSALES.COM / JULY 2013

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