Enterprise for Salient Systems. Eric joined Salient in 2021 with 20+ years of experience in working with Integrators and Enterprise End Users on the deployment and support of integrated security systems. Eric attributes his long-term success in the security industry to his ability to understand the needs of the client by examining their business, listening, asking questions and then developing a custom solution. Eric has a proven history in a variety of vertical markets including Financials, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Data Centers among others.
Building a Surveillance Strategy for Continuous Evolution
There is a tendency for Integrators and End Users to want to hit the easy button by selecting a solution provided by a single manufacturer – one throat to choke. The idea is that there will be a tight integration with cameras, access control, VMS, analytics, cloud services, etc. Problems arise when the manufacturer falls short with innovation speed, support or willingness to work with 3rd party solutions that are important to the customers’ operations. Having an open platform enables the customer to leverage capabilities that a single manufacturer doesn’t offer. Important to an effective surveillance strategy is how to keep systems up to date. For many years, a periodic upgrade cycle has been used. Large gaps between upgrades and open vulnerabilities can hamper the use of new capabilities and integrations. Switching from a perpetual license model to a subscription model can help make the switch to a continuous lifecycle model that doesn’t have these upgrade gaps.
Keeping Customer Realities at the Center of Innovation
A disciplined cadence of comprehensive business reviews with Integrators and End Users leads to being customer driven and helps to avoid being technology driven. Manufacturers must understand and be realistic about customer lifecycles related to budgets, deployment configurations, training, etc.
AI and Cloud Reshaping Video Surveillance
Video Surveillance will be reshaped by increasing ease of use and using the incredible amount of data that comes from live and recorded video. Instantly alerting customers of events they are concerned about and giving the ability to search recorded video with natural language will be revolutionary. Increasing the interoperability with intrusion and access control systems will make systems significantly more efficient. Bringing the ability to identify patterns that can help predict circumstances that will need attention can help prevent or prompt immediate attention that ultimately reduces losses.
Building Trust by Simplifying Security for Customers
Have a technical understanding of solutions and then refrain from sharing everything you know. Understand it is your job to gain trust by simplifying your customers’ lives. Spend time with end users to truly understand how VMS is and isn’t used. Gain an understanding of what risks they are truly concerned about and help them manage them. Be both proactive and responsive and you will set yourself apart.
