How Does IPVM Select Products / Brands For Testing? (2022)

Someone asked in chat:

Regarding product testing, do you select brands randomly or is it a service that you offer to all manufacturers?

We do not offer any testing service to manufacturers nor can manufacturers pay, directly, not indirectly, to be tested or not to be tested (some manufacturers prefer us not to test them especially if they know they have unreported public problems).

We select based on (1) claims that are atypical or new and (2) companies that integrators and end users are more interested in. For example, we are more likely to test Avigilon than ACTi or Verkada than Vivotek, simply based on overall interest from industry people. But if ACTi or Vivotek releases a product with claims that few or no other companies do, we will prioritize testing those products (to see if they really deliver).

Related to this, we prioritize testing of startups, especially if they have received significant investor funding, since it is important to know how good or bad those products are as it will significantly impact our overall competitive analysis of those companies.