The Dos and Don’ts of Physical Security

To learn more about the advances being made in the realm of physical security solutions and how channel partners can profit from the sale and implementation of cloud-based physical security, The VAR Guy spoke with several physical security vendors as well as resellers to learn the dos and don’ts of surveillance.

DO: Understand the technology if you wish to be successful—one of the most common errors made by channel partners looking to resell physical security solutions is a lack of understanding of the technology behind the surveillance, said Vince Ricco, Axis Communications. If you want to get and keep customers, it's essential to know the ins and outs of your cameras, including lens type, aperture and range in addition to the bits and bytes flowing through the data center. Without an intimate knowledge of the machinery within the cameras, solution providers can come off as uneducated or uninformed, which leads to lack of customer respect.

DON’T: Assume that all IP-based cameras are the same as traditional closed circuit TVs—the advances in cloud technology allow modern surveillance cameras to operate like never before, streaming video footage to a private or hybrid network and even alerting users in real time to potential incidents via SMS alerts. More importantly, cameras themselves have improved by leaps and bounds, allowing physical security vendors to sell devices with infrared, motion detection and other fancy gadgets for a fraction of the cost as several years ago.

“We have a lot of IT VARs who are getting into the physical surveillance and physical access world,” said Dean Drako, president and CEO at Eagle Eye Networks. “They do really good on the IT side … where they come up short is they are not so good at understanding how cameras work at night, and how cameras should be pointed, and how cameras work outdoors. But we are definitely seeing a huge pickup of folks in the IT world pickling up the physical video surveillance stuff because of the broader applicability of it.”

DO: Know your way around a digital camera: Like any camera system, IP cameras may look simple, but there are a lot of things you should know before professing your expertise or attempting to sell a specific solution to an unwary customer.

DON’T: Be fooled into thinking the only good solutions on the market are the most expensive. While there are incredible surveillance solutions that run for thousands of dollars, it’s important to know your customers’ wants and needs before trying to sell them a solution. You might make less of a margin, but you will gain the loyalty of your customers.

DO: Observe the environment before placing a camera—You may have just sold a customer your most expensive IP camera, but high resolution and motion detection aren’t worth much if you position the camera behind an obstruction or in a location with blind spots. How you set up the camera is equally as important as what kind of camera you purchase, so be on the lookout for sun flare, weather hazards and bug life that potentially can block or hinder your view of the playing field.

DON’T: Expect the first time you place a camera in a customer environment to be 100 percent perfect. Oftentimes correct camera placement takes multiple tries, especially for channel partners who are new to the concept of avoiding blind spots, light flares and other environmental issues that can hamper visibility.

DO: Your research before selling physical surveillance to businesses. There are hundreds of different options out there, so be sure to have a deep understanding of each of your products before selling them to customers.

DON'T: Assume your customers are dummies. More often than not, they will have a good idea of what they need, but will require a channel partner to help guide them the rest of the way through the setup and management process. Make your relationship a conversation and don't be afraid to take suggestions and criticism.