What effect does it have on independently owned dealers who use these products to build their business when a corporately owned manufacturer provides extra support, inside pricing and or incentives to its own internal contracting entity? Is it good, bad or same old?
Maybe this is a good survey to run as a seperate post by John.
Canon now owns Milestone...TBD
Honeywell is huge. They have distribution, manufacturing and contracting at various levels. ADI, Ademco, Northern Computers, Infographix, Notifier, Nexwatch, Maxpro > they have their own monitoring central stations with a national account selling team while keeping a lower profile contracting for building control and energy management systems.
Schneider is diversified in the electrical industry plus owns security manufacturers, Pelco and Andover with contracting by Schneider Electric, formerly TAC or Andover TAC.
Tyco's M&A business was big over the last 10 years so I have lost track on what they own but it is a lot! American Dynamics/Kantech/Software House/DSC/Exacq with contracting by ADT residental and small business, Tyco Integrated Systems, Sensormatic's retail EAS group.... the list is long!!
UTC - owns Lenel, Casi (gone), Edwards, Kidde, GE Security, Fiber Options and IFS - has a low profile installation and service business with companies named Counterforce, KM Video and Chubb Edwards.
I have seen within the last months Exacq promote internally to the Tyco I/S sales team by discounting channel license cost in an attempt to improve sales at the end of a quarter. I doubt dealers who are losing to TYCO I/S by using Exacq feel that this is fair business practice albeit unknown to them.