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The Word on the Street
BUYING NEW TECHNOLOGY CAN BE RISKY BUSINESS, BUT THE RISKS CAN BE
MINIMIZED!
As an engineer by education, I am the first one to get excited about
new technology. This last year has seen tremendous advancement in new
security products and concepts. This next year promises to offer the
same. But there is a risk in being one of the first customers to install
a new product. There is also a risk in having that new product installed
by a new dealer that has little or no installation track record with the
new product!
WHY PUT YOUR REPUTATION AT RISK?
If you are a Facility Manager or a Security Manager, the last thing
you will want to do is to place your reputation on the line for a new
product that promises to do wonderful things, only to fail because it
was not properly tested before being deployed. Caution:
New product "Software" can turn out to be "Vaporware"!
It may (or may not) surprise you, but most all security equipment &
system vendors will rush their product development so as to be able to
display that new product at the next ASIS or ISC Trade Shows, even if
they are not quite ready for the market. Just because you saw it
at a Trade Show doesn't mean it has been sufficiently tested and is
actually "Market Ready!"
SOME DO'S AND DON'TS REGARDING NEW PRODUCTS!
1. Don't be the first!
Unless you are willing take on the risk of being a "beta" test site,
always wait until the manufacturer can show you a substantial list of
satisfied customers that have had the new product installed and fully
functional in their own facilities!
2. Do make sure the manufacturer has the resources and track
record to support the new product!
I am reminded of statistics that indicate that nearly 7 out of every 10
new security manufacturers will fail in the first 3 years. Most of these
firms will fail because they lacked the investment capital and resources
to fully develop, test, and market their products. Unless you are
willing to take the risk, I would stay with proven products or with new
products from established companies with the resources to back their new
product.
3. Do check installation references very thoroughly!
If possible, talk directly with the end user that is currently using the
new product or concept in their own facility. Ask them about the
installation. Find out if there is local support and service for the
product.
4. Do seek the advice of your local security professional!
Your local security professional or installer has a vested interest in
keeping you happy. Ask what they know about the product. If they don't
have the information, have them ask other professionals in the industry
that may know.
5. Do make sure the new product is software compatible with your
existing system!
Only purchase products that have a "off-the-shelf" software interface
written & tested that allows the new product to be integrated with your
existing security system software. Unless you are willing to pay for
your own software development effort, you should wait until such an
interface has been generated and tested by the manufacturer!
[The above article is provided by Gary
Clark of E-Security]
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Specifier's Corner
ARE YOU INCLUDING A SOFTWARE SUPPORT AGREEMENT (SSA) IN YOUR RFP?
There was a time several years ago when the Access Control and CCTV
video management companies actually included free software revision
services for the life of their product models. Now your client
has to pay for that software support agreement (SSA) service! If
you are preparing a proposal or RFP for a new system or for an expansion
of an existing system, you need to remember to include provisions for
the SSA!
What exactly is an SSA? SSA's have become a major
source of revenue for the Manufacturers to support their software
products, and from the standpoint of the customer, SSA's can be both a
help and an headache! The best way to think of an SSA is to consider it
to be "Factory Warranty for Software." If the software encounters a
glitch, under the terms of the SSA your installing dealer can call the
factory and they will have their tech support research and resolve the
problem. Without a SSA, your customer and the installing dealer
may not be able to talk with factory tech support about the software
problem, even if it's a new system installation.
Also remember, the SSA is for factory software support only
and may not cover onsite work by a local installer to
correct the software problems. That portion will need to be
covered under the installing dealer's warranty! SSA's do benefit the
customer in that they keep their system software current year after
year, as long as the SSA in in effect. But many SSA's are expensive,
creating a real headache for your customer, especially if you have not
included that expense in the new proposal or RPF project. It is usually
easier to build the cost of an SSA into the overall project costs than
to have a Security Manager going "hat in hand" to ask for additional
funds for that SSA later! SSA's are usually offered in 1,2, or 3 year
terms. If you are specifying a SSA, you need to also specify the term
that best fits the needs of your customer. The SSA is also based on the
quantity & type of equipment being controlled by the software. If the
system being installed is new, then the SSA requirement is fairly
straight forward, but if you are working on an expansion of an existing
system that already has an SSA, then you need to do some research into
the length of time remaining on the existing SSA and the quantity of
equipment currently covered under the existing SSA. Once you compare
what the customer has against the additional quantity of equipment to be
installed, you then need to include the new SSA requirement in the new
proposal as part of the overall system expansion specification.
A word of caution regarding SSA's: Typically a Security
Manufacturer issues a SSA through only one "designated" installing
dealer supporting that particular customer. If the installer of the
expansion system is not the "original system installer," there can be
warranty issues arise between the two installing dealers since SSA
factory tech support is only available through the "designated" SSA
installer. Season's Greetings and Best Wishes for
the New Year!  Gary Clark,
Technical Advisor
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Compared to conventional VGA cameras having a 640 x 480 pixel resolution, the 4 megapixels
(2288 x 1712) CMOS newly employed in the SANYO VCC-HD4000 achieves a resolution
approximately 9 times that of a conventional camera. This makes it possible to
cover 9 times the monitoring area, the image quality being the same. In
addition, image capture of detailed parts are clearer when these images are
enlarged, provided shooting angles are the same.
