Psst.... FLIR Marketing Failure

JH
John Honovich
Nov 19, 2015
IPVM

Remember when FLIR was a high end big dollar thermal camera manufacturer. Those were the good ol' days.

Now we have this:

Matt, you getting lessons from Coco @ Longse?

So you call up the 888 number and you get the Lorex switchboard with generic options. Not Matt, not anything about a Black Friday sale, not even FLIR. Strange.

U
Undisclosed #1
Nov 19, 2015

I really don't understand FLIR's optical camera business.

It's like Ferrari also OEMing Kia's and selling them on the same lot. Plus also making a 4-cylinder version of a 488.

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U
Undisclosed #2
Nov 19, 2015
IPVMU Certified

Agreed. The whole Digimerge/Lorex acquisition was non-complimentary at best, brand corrosive at worst. And then to turn around and push the crap out of Dahua crap, what is that all about?

Now that's not to say they shouldn't be in the space, but NOT selling appliances. A solid VMS that could pull both from the higher end and the mid-end would be a more worthy and cheaper candidate for acquisition.

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JH
John Honovich
Nov 19, 2015
IPVM

Since I was the one started the FLIR criticisms, I do have to give them credit for managing the FLIR / Lorex transition. From everything I see it worked. Quite a lot of dealers think much more highly of Lorex now that it is a Flir branded product. Plus, Flir has remained committed to the low end of the market and promoting these offerings.

U
Undisclosed #2
Nov 19, 2015
IPVMU Certified

I would agree they made it work, and the price may well have been right. But still, there is a palpable lack of synergy in the acquisition.

And can Lorex really be boosted in brand value without some sort of a hit to Flir's?

And they still, don't really have a VMS to speak of, no? They have no middle.

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #4
Dec 01, 2015

Und2 can see the future ;)

Avatar
Ethan Ace
Nov 19, 2015

It seems strange to write off the FLIR/Dahua stuff as "crap." We haven't tested every model obviously, but have used the low end and I've heard enough positive things from people I trust who have used Dahua's mid range to believe that it works fairly well. The recorders have been solid in our tests, even if not exceptional.

Also, don't confuse the expense of thermal cameras, traditionally $4000+ (now less in many cases), with a need for complexity. It's easy to think that because an $8000 thermal camera is the right choice for a certain scene that a $300 visible camera has no place there and you need an enterprise level VMS. But in the past I talked to several customers who had a budget for thermal but pretty much just needed basic recording and viewing. Not every thermal application is asking for analytics and advanced integrations.

U
Undisclosed #2
Nov 19, 2015
IPVMU Certified

Sorry, crap in the sense of the brand, not necesarily in the product. (Besides, I love Dahua)

Would you consider Lorex / DM a higher market product? My point was only with Lorex/DM already sponging off the FLIR's cachet, OEMing Dahua doesn't due much to help.

U
Undisclosed #2
Dec 01, 2015
IPVMU Certified

A solid VMS that could pull both from the higher end and the mid-end would be a more worthy and cheaper candidate for acquisition.

Related: FLIR to Acquire DVTel

MM
Michael Miller
Nov 19, 2015

Well it looks like this "Sale" is for the handheld Thermal cameras. Not the security cameras as the girl on the phone said she would have to transfer me over to the security division. Though she did say they have a deal for the Flir FX cameras. Wasted email and waste of my time.

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U
Undisclosed #2
Nov 19, 2015
IPVMU Certified

Well it looks like this "Sale" is for the handheld Thermal cameras.

I'm not sure you can save $2,000 on a Lorex system without getting a check back...;)

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JH
John Honovich
Nov 27, 2015
IPVM

More FLIR / Lorex deals:

U
Undisclosed #3
Nov 27, 2015

They also have 10 other discount coupons on coupons(dot)com!

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