IP Video: A Technology You -- And Your Customers -- Will Love
By The Business Solutions Network
Today, I spent the day surrounded by current and future Mobotix integrator partners. If you don't already know, Mobotix is a manufacturer of IP video cameras and related solutions. One thing that really struck me in speaking with various partners is that there's a definite level of excitement that comes across when they speak. I often don't find such enthusiasm when I talk with resellers of other technologies. So, what's different?
I think one reason there's so much excitement in the IP surveillance space is because there's so much innovation occurring. While IP cameras have been around for years, lower prices and increased capabilities mean that there's more technology being installed.
However, more a factor is that IT integrators like you are now getting into the game. Whereas cameras, for years, have been used primarily by traditional dealers as deterrents or to try to figure out who robbed a store after the fact, now IT integrators are taking their specialized market knowledge and creating unique solutions that traditional security dealers couldn't even imagine. I've written about some of these solutions in the past; People counting, analytics, solutions tied into marketing, and so on. IT integrators now have the tools necessary to solve multiple customer business problems and lower the TCO on a security camera purchase. For integrators involved in the security space, they're loving it.
Here at the Mobotix conference, this is very apparent. It's common to hear integrators and the Mobotix executive team liken the company to Apple (much to my chagrin). That is, what you hear from partners is not just brand loyalty, but zealot-like excitement about the products and upcoming releases. Again, something I don't encounter in other industries. It's refreshing and, particularly for those who this is their first Mobotix event, it's the opposite of the boring and uninspiring feelings that are more commonplace.
If you're still on the fence about getting (more) involved in IP video, I urge you to get educated. Sorry if you've read this from me before, but there's been so much innovation in this space, unless you've been keeping up, you don't have all the info you need to make an informed decision about whether IP video is right for your line card or who would be a good company with which you should partner.
Speak with your distributors, read the articles we've been publishing every month in Business Solutions, or even give me a call or shoot me an email. I'm happy to share whatever I've learned at conferences like this one to help get you on your way to feeling the same level of excitement I experienced today.