Video surveillance is a rare
opportunity VARs need to consider
right now.
The market presents that unique combination of an emerging, in-demand
technology more and more end users are unable to go without
and a necessary skill set for implementation that networking
VARs are best positioned to deliver.
Moreover, unlike a traditional technology refresh cycle, network
video surveillance is a completely incremental opportunity for
most VARs, creating a profitable way for them to generate more
sales with the resources and expertise they already possess.
What’s required, according to the experts in Tech Data’s Video
Surveillance Specialized Business Unit (SBU), is developing an
eye for cameras.
“The IP-based security market presents many opportunities to
networking VARs who take the time to learn how to install and
position video surveillance cameras,” says Steve Nedik, a product
sales champion with Tech Data’s Video Surveillance SBU. “It’s a
huge opportunity and a wide-open market.”
“The IP-based security market presents many opportunities to
networking VARs who take the time to learn how to install and
position video surveillance cameras,” says Steve Nedik, a product
sales champion with Tech Data’s Video Surveillance SBU. “It’s a
huge opportunity and a wide-open market.”
Networking VARs adding video surveillance to their solutions
offering are finding abundant opportunities, including selling
IP video surveillance solutions to first-time buyers; converting
analog systems to IP-based solutions; capitalizing on various
ancillary services such as consulting, systems design and
maintenance; and, best of all, cross-selling networking and data
center hardware, most notably routers, switches, storage, servers
and other infrastructure.
Nedik adds that networking VARs can get up to speed pretty
quickly with the basics of video surveillance, and that the Video
Surveillance SBU has the expertise to help VARs at every step in
the learning process.
It’s essential for networking VARs to realize
they already know 80 percent of what’s
involved in video surveillance, says Paolo
Amato, senior product sales champion with
Tech Data’s Video Surveillance SBU.
“Networking VARs know all about adding
devices, software and storage solutions to
networks,” says Amato. “They just have to
learn the basics of surveillance, such as camera
placement, lenses and mounting options.”
Tech Data’s impressive portfolio of video
surveillance products includes solutions
from market leaders Axis Communications,
Panasonic, Pelco, Sony and Toshiba.
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Why You Should Sell Video Surveillance
Whether you’re considering video
surveillance because your customers
are starting to ask you about it, or you
simply want to add a new revenue
stream to your business, you’ve got
good reason to feel optimistic about
your prospects in this emerging market.
You Already Know The Technology
You already understand networking
solutions such as switching, routing,
wireless and PoE. Tech Data’s team
of experts in the Video Surveillance
SBU will help you configure a system,
and help with camera placement and
other security considerations.
For the most part, security integrators
only know analog cameras and wired
solutions. They do not know IT. Take
advantage of any hesitancy on the
part of traditional security integrators
to adopt the networking skills
necessary to win in the new IP-based
world of security.
Grow Sales With Existing Customers
As the market moves from analog to
digital cameras, the responsibility for
surveillance systems is shifting from
companies’ security staffs to their IT
staffs—people you already know.
Earn Generous Margins
You can expect to make 10 to 20
percent margins on hardware alone,
impressive by any standards.
Cameras Are Just The Beginning
Don’t think of video surveillance
as just cameras. There are many
components of a surveillance solution,
including storage, servers, video
management software and accessories
like lenses, mounts, enclosures and
power supplies.
Let us know how we can help you
build your video surveillance practice.
Contact authority@techdata.com .
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Waning Demand For
Analog Solutions
The explosive growth of IP-based cameras
is a major trend in the video surveillance
market that VARs need to note, says
Miguel Lazatin, senior marketing manager
at Sony Security Systems Division.
“Organizations are migrating from
analog video to IP-based network video
because they want high-resolution video
systems that are easy to scale and very cost
effective,” says Lazatin.
Not only that, but the technology is getting
more sophisticated.
“The ability of IP surveillance systems
to do content analysis, coupled with the
incredible ease of installation and use of IP,
is accelerating the switch from CCTV to IP
network systems,” says Tech Data’s Nedik.
Analytics and surveillance intelligence are
not just for big-budget government projects
anymore, he says.
“Sony’s DEPA on-camera chip assigns
the appropriate processing tasks to the
individual component allowing for almost
instantaneous identification of anomalies,”
says Nedik. Such anomalies include the
appearance or disappearance of people or
objects; objects staying in a selected area
beyond a specified time period; people
or objects passing a virtual line drawn in
a scene; and even objects like dumpsters
exceeding a specified capacity triggering an
alert for action.
Why IP Beats Analog
“There are three basic reasons why
organizations buy IP-based video surveillance
instead of analog, or replace analog with IP,”
says Fredrik Nilsson, general manager at Axis
Communications Inc. “The image quality
of the cameras is much better, IP systems
provide greater scalability and, finally, the
technology is far more cost effective.”
Nilsson says Axis’ megapixel technology
enables its network cameras to provide
higher resolution of video images than
analog CCTV, and the HDTV options
available in their megapixel cameras provide
the same level of quality that people
experience on their flatscreen TVs at home.
“Our cameras see more details and wider
coverage, a key consideration in video
surveillance applications,” says Nilsson.
“With an HDTV or megapixel camera, the
resolution is at least three times better than
an analog CCTV camera.”
IP-based systems also are distinguished
by their superior scalability to analog
installations, says Nilsson.
“These systems enable many network cameras
and video encoders, as well as other types
of applications to share the same wired or
wireless network for communicating data,”
he says. “Any number of network video
products can be added to the system without
significant or costly changes to the network
infrastructure. This is not the case with an
analog system.”
In an analog video system, a dedicated coaxial
cable must run directly from each camera to a
viewing and recording station. Separate audio
cables also must be used if audio is required.
IP-based solutions can be placed and
networked from virtually any location, and
the system can be as open or as closed as
desired. In addition, digital video streams
can be routed around the world using a
variety of interoperable infrastructures.
A further differentiating feature of IP-based
surveillance systems is that they typically
have a lower total cost of ownership than
traditional analog CCTV systems.
An IP network infrastructure is often already
in place and used for other applications
within an organization, so a network video
application can piggyback off the existing
infrastructure, says Sony’s Lazatin.
Management and equipment costs also
are lower since back-end applications and
storage run on industry-standard servers,
not on proprietary hardware such as a DVR
in the case of an analog CCTV system.
Another big benefit for IP-based systems
comes from Power over Ethernet (PoE)
technology, which cannot be used in
an analog video system. PoE enables
networked devices to receive power
through the same Ethernet cable that
transports data—in this case, video and
sometimes audio. PoE provides substantial
savings in installation costs and can
increase the reliability of the system.
Success Across Vertical Markets
Fueling much of the adoption of IP video
surveillance is increasing deployments in
various verticals, adds Lazatin, pointing
to successes in education, transportation,
municipal surveillance, sports stadiums,
casinos and airports.
Lazatin’s thoughts are echoed by Axis’
Nilsson, who adds that healthcare,
commercial offices and schools are “fairly
low-hanging fruit” for VARs selling video
surveillance solutions.
Schools and small retail spaces are
the prime opportunities for Empire
Computing & Consulting, a VAR in
Daytona Beach, FL.
“We’ve had good success selling video
surveillance solutions to both markets,”
says Gloria Burke, director of new
business development at Empire
Computing & Consulting. “For a few
thousand dollars, a school can buy enough
cameras to monitor lockers, restrooms,
offices and classrooms.
“Small retail spaces are snapping up
cameras to protect their cash registers,”
she adds. “For less than a $1,000, a retailer
can buy a security device that basically
takes care of itself.”
Break Into Video Surveillance
For VARs ready to tackle the video
surveillance market, the experts in
Tech Data’s Video Surveillance SBU are
ready to help every step of the way. The
team offers access to dedicated sales and
technical specialists and a broad portfolio
of solutions, including IP cameras, digital
video recorders, software, monitoring
systems, enclosures, lenses, mounts
and other accessories. In addition, the
SBU is backed by Tech Data’s extensive
networking resources, ensuring VARs
have access to all the resources they
need to deploy complete IP-based video
surveillance solutions.
To learn more about Tech Data’s
video surveillance solutions, contact
authority@techdata.com .
