The Impact of Strategic Technology Partnerships

The Impact of Strategic Technology Partnerships

It may sound counterintuitive, but transparency is vital in the security industry. While many solutions block, divert and alert to imminent threats, at its core, security is rooted in the critical clarity between what the end-user needs and what the provider can offer.

Identify the Needs First
That should be the roadmap: identify the needs first and let that drive innovation. The evolutionary crossroads we have seen in the security realm is when a customer presents a complex requirement requiring additional expertise. Do we allocate resources to producing something ourselves? Do we seek outside assistance to solve it with a collaborative approach? While the former may be a bold idea, the latter is proving far more successful in today's ever-evolving security landscape.

Installations in numerous worldwide organizations, Gallagher has been involved in access control, perimeter and intrusion detection for 85 years. They are constantly evolving to meet and exceed the needs of their customers, including the one they brought to Traka. Traka understands the value of like-minded collaboration to address security solutions as well as a partnership with Gallagher.

The result was a comprehensive system for the customer that combined Gallagher's expertise in high-assurance credential card access and Traka's secure key and equipment management solutions. The extensive integration between systems allowed the customer to assign appropriate access while protecting against unauthorized usage quickly.

The Requested Solution
That was the initial customer's perspective – thanks to the partnership, they got the requested solution. But that is just one audience to consider when looking at the value of integration.

After an initial collaboration, each company has established a footprint in the others' landscape, and the opportunity for cross-promotion and lead generation is clear. The integration demonstrates to potential clients that both businesses are partnering to address the most urgent security concerns. Customers know that even if they have a problem outside of a business's core strengths, the company will look to forming partnerships to resolve it.

Internally, both businesses share the same sentiment. Any supplier acknowledging, they cannot eliminate every security problem alone is humble. Yet, in a manner, by reiterating, "We know we do X well," it reinforces the brand identity. You display initiative, teamwork and creativity to your employees and consumers while bolstering the firm's basic principles by combining expertise with an equally enthusiastic partner to handle more difficulties than either company could. Such camaraderie among employees fosters a positive workplace culture and conveys a more vital message to your clients.

Integration also has an impact on competition. Suppose you continue to evolve and align with providers in your space. In that case, you can grow your customer base and position yourself as the solution-seeker of choice while putting pressure on competitors. They limit their potential to solve ongoing threats if they do not follow your lead in collaborative efforts.

This is Note a Battle
It is important to note, though, this is not a battle between organizations; it is a battle against the security threats themselves. That is the final audience to consider with integrations. Like-minded companies leveraging their collective expertise to solve the most critical needs send a clear message; they are innovating to stay one step ahead.

Every company needs to assess its security measures regularly, and Gallagher's National Technical Manager Blake Smith provided a crucial response to the question, "How secure is your security?" Sometimes, a single business can give a solution; we in the security industry strive to do this daily. Nonetheless, there are situations when cooperation is required, as in the case of Traka and Gallagher. Consider that other providers were examining examples of such alliances.

In such a case, manufacturers could better guarantee a more significant proportion of clients are confident their security systems are as secure as possible.

This article originally appeared in the May / June 2023 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Craig Newell serves as the vice president of sales and business development for Traka Americas.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.