A Conversation with Frank DeFina
Anyone who visited Samsung's booth at ISC West 2010 saw noticeable evidence of the company's plans to take a more aggressive position in the U.S. security market. Has the recent consolidation of the Samsung Electronics and Samsung Techwin product lines into a “new Samsung” set the stage for the emergence of the latest major player in the U.S. security market? For insights into the future of the new Samsung Techwin America, we interviewed Frank DeFina, a former Panasonic executive who is Samsung’s new senior vice president of sales and marketing in North America.
Q. We saw the promotional materials all over this year's ISC West 2010 show—can you please elaborate on Samsung's 2010 vision?
A. Simply put, the Samsung 2010 vision is a new business initiative we created to establish and position Samsung as a comprehensive supplier of security system solutions<\m>not just video surveillance systems but also access control, intrusion detection and alarm systems we are now developing for integration with our imaging technologies. This technology offering will be built around our line of video surveillance solutions, specifically in the IP video and networking arena.
There is a lot of untapped potential for Samsung in the U.S. market, and we see security as a power zone for Samsung. Our 2010 vision business initiative will help make this happen by expanding our solutions offering, enhancing our reseller and partner programs, and further solidifying and extending our relationships with end users. To accomplish all these goals, we intend to deliver the best performance and value proposition in the industry. Our strength in video surveillance technology is a given, and we share the vision as to where integrated system technologies are headed. We are developing core innovations that will drive the security industry moving forward without leaving our existing customers behind, as evidenced by our most recent analog video introductions.
We also are integrating numerous technologies into broad-based seamless solutions. Now it's simply a matter of making more people aware of the innovation and resources available to them.
Q. How is this different from your competitors' integrated solutions?
A. Few companies offer the vast number of products related to the security market that Samsung offers. We made a big showing at ISC West 2010 to make this statement and outfitted our display with an extensive range of products, including analog video, IP video systems products, cameras and digital video recorders, plus our evolving access control, intrusion and alarm systems. Our products aren't just assembled from off-the-shelf components; they’re the result of extensive research to ensure they deliver what the market needs today and tomorrow.
Samsung's technology leadership really does make a difference<\m>just ask anyone who received a demo of our latest video surveillance solutions at ISC West.
Our new megapixel cameras provide the industry with a more cost-effective means of migrating to HD-quality video, and our new H.264 solutions provide a value proposition that makes them very attractive for virtually any level of application. Additionally, we recognize the need to support the transition from analog to networked systems, which is demonstrated with our analog cameras featuring advanced digital signal processing. The combination of high performance, quality and affordability that Samsung provides across such a wide range of video surveillance products will change the landscape of the industry.
Q. What new technologies are contributing to the change in how integrated system solutions are designed and built?
A. Samsung plans to launch 170 new products this year. We’ve expanded our video surveillance offering to more easily bridge existing analog system devices with new IP video network-based systems that talk to each other and offer interoperability between system platforms. We are on the cutting edge of IP-based system products and technologies, such as megapixel imaging with H.264 compression.
Our new 1.3 megapixel IP cameras feature Samsung’s unique WiseNet digital signal processing, our new DVRs feature H.264 compression and our new analog cameras feature Samsung’s innovative new W5 chipset. These products reflect Samsung's core values: a passion for performance and efficiency unlike any other major player in the professional security space. We look to the future to anticipate market needs and demands so we can best help our customers implement new technologies and future-proof their investment in electronic systems.
Q. How will your distribution and reseller channel change with Samsung’s 2010 vision initiative?
A. An emphasis on people is another core value for Samsung, and we know that our company's success depends on the success of our distribution and integration partners, along with our relationships with customers. We are looking to increase Samsung’s presence by cultivating productive, mutually beneficial relationships with a broader base of partners and customers at every level.
Expanding these relationships is critical to extending the scope and effectiveness of Samsung's position in the U.S. market. We also will continue our strategic relationship with GVI Security as Samsung's master distributor. We are in the process of implementing new programs to best support and facilitate system integrators, architects and engineers, and resellers to ensure Samsung's security systems technology has the best opportunity to be considered at the initial stages of projects.
We have the right people on board along with the technical capabilities to accomplish these program objectives. The recent merger of Samsung Techwin and Samsung Electronics has unified and expanded the resources Samsung is dedicating to the professional security systems market. We look forward to moving forward with a stronger organization that’s highly focused and offers a new level of integrated security system solutions.
Frank DeFina is the senior vice president of sales and marketing in North America for Samsung.