SIA: Speco - "Incredible Company", "Very Innovative"

JH
John Honovich
•Nov 19, 2018
IPVM

Integrators, if you don't think Speco is an 'incredible company', and 'very innovative', here is SIA's chairman to correct you:

That is an excerpt from Speco's 'Speco Takes ISC East' 2018 video.

Years ago, Speco's 'innovation' was importing and relabeling early. In the past few years, Speco has struggled as Asian manufacturers have cut out middlemen like Speco, with Speco recently OEMing from Dahua. 

Does SIA's chairman really think Speco is 'innovative'? Who can tell? This is the same organization who has played dumb about whether relabeling Dahua and Hikvision products will be subject to the ban.

(2)
(3)
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
•Nov 19, 2018

I was actually at the awards ceremony in NYC last week for their event.  This was actually my first exposure to SIA in any capacity and was not quite sure what they did.  I held off any judgments beforehand as I actually wanted to see what they were about.  I can honestly say I was extremely disappointed.  The entire ceremony was basically a popularity contest and I did not see any validity to the awards given out.  It is quite frankly a shame as this organization has the potential to be so much more if they would follow the model you (IPVM) have created in testing products without bias.

They had people whom I spoke with who would ask me who I worked for and then when I asked them what they did, said they worked for SIA.  I thought that was interesting and then asked them what they did on a daily basis (obviously in a way as to not offend them) and they literally could not respond.  I even asked if they actually lobbied for our industry in Washington for issues that concerned our industry and they literally said they do not do that.  Which I thought was weird since they have absolutely been doing just that for Hikvision/Dahua bans.  This organization should be something more than just a bought for publication, even if it were negative towards my own organization.  I have to say I was extremely disappointed and I am hoping they can actually change their ways to be positive influence in our industry.

One last note is the charitable aspect of the organization was the only component I saw that was really positive.  They do collect a lot of money for that organization and that was the silver lining in the entire evening.

(2)
(3)
JH
John Honovich
•Nov 19, 2018
IPVM
In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

I can honestly say I was extremely disappointed. The entire ceremony was basically a popularity contest and I did not see any validity to the awards given out. It is quite frankly a shame as this organization has the potential to be so much more if they would follow the model you (IPVM) have created in testing products without bias.

In fairness, it is about adjusting expectations. From what I have seen, and I have more closely interacted and followed SIA this year, their prime directive is not to offend anyone.

SIA and IPVM are structured differently.

The management at SIA serves at the discretion of their board of directors, who are primarily large companies. They piss off ADT, Axis, Hikvision, etc., they could lose their jobs, even if they said something perfectly factual and truthful.

IPVM serves at the discretion of IPVM. If we piss off ADT, Axis, Hikvision, well that's another day at the office.

I mainly posted this because praising Speco as 'innovative' is such a perfect encapsulation of what's wrong this industry. I did not find it surprising though.

(2)
(3)
U
Undisclosed #2
•Nov 19, 2018

SIA has become such a joke. A group of nobodies doing nothing.

In Speco's defense, didn't they "innovate" the concept of mounting a DVR board in an alarm panel enclosure? That was sheer genius!

(5)
New discussion

Ask questions and get answers to your physical security questions from IPVM team members and fellow subscribers.

Newest discussions