IP Camera Solutions Outside Your Core Competency? You're Wrong.

By The Business Solutions Network

I'm convinced the intended takeaway of this article is so important and on point, I'm going to skip right to it: The minute you stop thinking about video cameras as being used only for surveillance, and the minute you can convey that message to your customers, is the minute that you'll realize that video camera solutions are within your core competency and among the technologies that should be on your line card. It's also at this point that the ROI conversation around video cameras changes dramatically. It goes from justifying a loss prevention expense to showcasing exciting new ways you can solve your customer's business problems. You can do what you do best: be consultative. On a related note, a recent survey conducted by our retailer-focused sister publication revealed that 38% of retailers are not aware of the benefits of IP cameras compared with analog. This is because traditional security dealers don't understand the capabilities of IP enough to sell them effectively. You can sell IP effectively!

I've written/spoken about this recently, but until I read our Publisher Sue Bresee's blog post the other day and something clicked, I don't think I could articulate it as clearly as I just did above. Of course, the key to successfully thinking outside the video surveillance box is to familiarize yourself with what you can do with today's latest IP cameras. For that, you'll probably need help. Not to simply parrot what Bresee wrote, but her advice is good: reach out to your distributor partners to learn more. Talk to some of the integrator-friendly vendors. I'll add another: attend upcoming trade shows like ESX (June 25-29, Nashville), ISC Solutions (Oct. 30-31, New York City), ASIS (Sept. 10-13, Philadelphia). These shows have been adding integrator-focused education tracks and it's obviously a great place to speak with tons of different people and companies about this opportunity.