The IP surveillance market is reaching its peak in India today and as projected by experts, the surging demand for CCTV and surveillance products will be maintained with consistent and high growth rates over the next 4-5 years, thanks to the smart city drive that is already underway and moving in full vigor in the country.
This growth has created ample opportunities for the existing system integrators and channel partners, apart from creating space for newer players in the segment.
In an exclusive interaction with Channel Times, Sanjeev Gulati, Country Manager-India & SAARC at Vivotek, shares his company’s ambitious plans in this space and explains the opportunities for channel partners.
Channel Times: Since the awareness of CCTV and other cameras has increased in India on the security-level, how much Indian consumers think cameras beyond security?
Sanjeev Gulati: To provide for the aspirations and needs of the citizens, urban planners ideally aim at developing the entire urban eco-system, which is represented by the four pillars of comprehensive development-institutional, physical, social and economic infrastructure. This can be a long term goal and cities can work towards developing such comprehensive infrastructure incrementally, adding on layers of ‘smartness’. “
Camera is one part of the urban eco-system of smart City. To utilize monitoring and intelligent technology for legitimate public safety purposes is the first priory to enhance the quality of life of citizens. After fulfilling the security demands, more and more Indian customers will embrace the cameras beyond security which will transform to the connected device in Internet Of Things.
Channel Times: What opportunities any Indian channel partner selling security solutions has in data-driven aspects of cameras?
Sanjeev Gulati: For the channel partners who are offering IP surveillance solutions are able to take advantage of data analysis compare to those offering analogue security solutions. In the world of IoT, physical devices are all connected through internet which enables these objects to collect and exchange data. The video generated from network camera of IP surveillance solutions will become the most important resources for data analysis. Take retail market for example, network cameras which equipped with people counter technology can generate data information such as people counting, flow path tracking that applied to in store layout improvement, promotional evaluation, staff planning, and the control of service times, providing business owners key metrics to effectively make operating decisions and increase Return Of Investment. This could be difficult to achieve for analogue solution providers.
Channel Times: How much Indian channel partners are prepared to grab the opportunities in the surveillance space beyond the security aspects?
Sanjeev Gulati: This growth in the surveillance segment has widened the scope of work, where analog integrators are being to become IP integrators. Keeping up the evolving landscape, channel partners across the country have realized the significance of building their skill sets, as more and more enterprises today are looking for single integrated network with building management, access control and physical security along with a surveillance network on the same IP platform. Led by this evolution, more and more vendors are training and educating their partners on the benefits of IP surveillance products and solutions.
Channel Times: Please explain your roadmap for Indian market
Sanjeev Gulati: As discussed above, realizing the growing significance of channel partners in the security surveillance segment, we plan to reach 100 active channel partners by mid-2018. Furthermore, appreciating the fact that channels partners are indispensable to the growth of Vivotek, the organization recently launched a channel partner program in a bid to enable its partners to leverage the organization’s position as a leader in the IP surveillance segment, and in the process, further scale its business. Apart from channel partners, the program also includes dealers, resellers and system integrators.
Channel Times: What is your current channel strength in India and explain your field activities on promoting awareness?
Sanjeev Gulati: We are currently working with 75 channel partners across India, and is promoting their growth under its partner program, which is available to all those who are purchasing from VIVOTEK-authorized distributors. The program is designed in 3 levels, viz. Bronze, Silver and Gold, and offers various exclusive benefits to all Vivotek partners. To stay top of the industry and strengthen networks with partners, Vivotek Warrior Academy is a global education initiative created by us. The program provides comprehensive courses for fundamental knowledge, system design, and technical details essential for IP surveillance systems to enhance professional expertise and maintain competitive edge in today’s market.
Channel Times: How unique you are in differentiating yourself with any other surveillance product?
Sanjeev Gulati: We are a Taiwanese brand launched in 2000, which has now registered itself among the leading players in the global IP surveillance industry. Its host of comprehensive solutions include, network cameras, video servers, network video recorders, PoE solutions, and video management software. Furthermore, in alignment with the growing popularity of IOT, VIVOTEK intends to be the watch guard in the IOT, riding on it wide range of technological capabilities in image and audio.
Channel Times: What kind of post-sale support do you offer?
Sanjeev Gulati: We believe in a full-fledged post-sale support. The brand ensures every last mile support expectation is met. The process of security solutions deployment doesn’t end with just deployment of products. And we also invest on the leading Customer Relationship Management platform, Salesforce to track the RMA issues and communicate with our customers based on on-line platform. Post the placement, the entire commissioning is verified and then a user level training is also conducted. Only after the training, the entire facility is handed over to the in-house team.
Channel Times: How is your distribution structure for channel partners in India?
Sanjeev Gulati: The distribution structure is designed in 3 levels, viz. Bronze, Silver and Gold, and offers various exclusive benefits to all our partners.
Channel Times: How easy is your data storage? What are the options you provide for data backup?
Sanjeev Gulati: We offer a total IP surveillance solutions including network cameras, network recorders, and to video management software. For customers who choose our solutions are able to enjoy the seamless integration from devices to devices. In IP surveillance, the data usually storage in network video recorders. Most of the network recorders are equipped with RAID configuration provides further data security in the rare event of a hard drive failure.
We also unveiled our new the latest release of its video management software, VAST 2. It reveals a brand new intuitive user interface and boasts an extended range of user-centered functionalities, including auto setup, advanced search, and custom layout as well as additional add-on functions for fail over protection, transportation, and transaction solutions. The failover protection is a system which transfers video recording to secondary sites in the event of any system outage, network error, or other malfunction and ensures that video recordings are never interrupted.