8.7.24 – SSI – Tara Dunning
Adopting a security-as-a-service model changes both the business model and the relationship integrators have with their customers.
Today’s security cameras can not only monitor security threats, but they can also give companies a more complete picture of their business performance.
The visual intelligence they capture can deliver valuable insights into the customer experience, employee safety, operational performance and much more.
But just as expectations are evolving for how to use security cameras, they’re also evolving for how to deploy, maintain and upgrade the technology.
Companies that want to stay on top of the fast-changing, transformative capabilities of security cameras need integrators to be more than installation and integration experts. They need integrators to be partners that can help them use security technology to achieve meaningful business outcomes.
And they need partners that can help them evolve how they use the technology, scale up deployments and stay on top of the latest technological advances.
Integrators can take on this bigger role by adopting a security-as-a-service business model. Security as a service provides a way for integrators to stay on top of customers’ technology needs and enjoy the financial benefits of recurring revenue from subscription-based services.
But making the leap to being a security-as-a-service provider requires integrators to rethink nearly every aspect of how they do business.
Security as a Service: A Paradigm Shift
Adopting a security-as-a-service model fundamentally changes both the business model and the relationship integrators have with their customers. Integrators that shift to this business model can leverage recurring revenue, and – if done correctly – can turn transactional customer relationships into more valuable, long-term partnerships.
However, this also means that integrators may need to change how they approach projects, and they may need to expand outside their traditional skillsets or customer base.
A retailer, for example, may want to better track certain elements of customer visits, like foot traffic, how long customers spend in the store, or how long they wait in the checkout lines. This information can help them make more informed decisions for activities like staffing and in-store trade promotion.
Meanwhile, a manufacturer could have completely different needs. They may want to monitor equipment to detect abnormal behavior as part of proactive maintenance or enhance their safety program by identifying safety risks such as blocked fire exits or improper equipment use.
Both use cases fall outside the traditional security realm. But thanks to cameras with integrated sensors and other industry advancements, security integrators can solve these challenges for customers and potentially grow their business.
Security as a Service Changes Customer Conversations
To deliver the tailored solution that’s right for each customer, integrators will need to start each project by sitting down with customers to identify their challenges and desired outcomes.
This conversation won’t just be with the usual decision makers that security integrators are familiar with, like security and IT leaders. It could also include C-suite leaders or representatives from other stakeholder groups, like sales, marketing or operations. Because of this, integrators will need to understand how to speak to those groups and address their needs.
Additionally, the solution that an integrator selects and deploys for each customer will need to serve several purposes.
- It should be easy to implement and maintain.
- It should be scalable, so it can grow or shrink as needed based on the customer’s demands.
- It should be future ready, so technologies can be added or upgraded with minimal effort or disruption.
- And it should be built with an outcome in mind, so a customer can access the visual intelligence they need while having peace of mind that measures are in place to protect it from unauthorized viewers.
Help Along the Way
Pivoting to a security-as-a-service business model changes what’s expected from integrators.
They’ll need to be consultants for customers regarding how the changing technology landscape can transform not only security but also other business functions. They’ll need to be flexible to deliver technologies how customers want them, whether it’s in the cloud, on-premises or at the edge.
And they’ll need to ensure their staff are equipped with the right skillsets to not only install technologies but also configure them for uses beyond security and maintain them over the long haul.
But integrators shouldn’t have to do all this alone. They should be able to turn to the partners they work with to help them on this new journey.
Rather than staying on top of all the latest technologies hitting the marketplace, for example, integrators should be able to depend on their distributors to help. And if integrators don’t have the reach to deliver customers’ projects that may be outside their geographic region, they should be able to leverage the support and expertise of a distributor with a global presence to help them scale.
Integrators should also expect a distributor to be able to help manage and ease technology deployments. That could include utilizing their distributor with non-core tasks like kitting and staging. This can help integrators stay focused on meeting the goals and expectations of the various stakeholders they’re working with.
A New Way to See Security
Integrators will need to reorient their people and their business to support a security-as-a-service business model. The integrators that are willing to think differently about security technology and the possibilities that it presents will be the ones that are best positioned to create innovative applications and better outcomes for their customers.
Tara Dunning is the vice president of sales, global security and network infrastructure for Wesco.