Chasing revenue growth, physical security companies have achieved gains by forcing customers to buy a widening range of products and services instead of producing items that work with their competitors’ offerings. However, the strategy may be short-sighted if it frustrates major customers.
An influential end-user, Domino’s VP of Safety and Loss Prevention Nicole McDargh, recently told IPVM about why she values interoperability and how the lack of it can leave a lasting negative impression that makes her less likely to do business with the company.
This is the third in a series of reports featuring McDargh, including Why Integrators "Need To Do Better," Train More, Says Fortune 1000 Security End User and How Smaller Integrators Can Win Over Larger Ones, Explains Fortune 1000 End User
In this report, we examine her comments from the interview in the context of the industry’s approach to interoperability.
Executive *******
* ****** ********, ******’* ******** ** more **** ** ******* ****** *** world *** *** **** **** **,*** locations (************* **% *** ********* ****** and *% *** *******-*****), ** **** as ****** *** ************ *******. ******* oversees ****** *** ******** *** *** of *** *******’* *********-***** ****** *** makes **** ********* *************** *** ***********.
* ******* ** *** ******** ******** industry **** **** ** ***** ** experience, ******* *** **** ************ *** business ********* ****** ** **** ************* and ***********. ** ** ***-****, *** told **** *** **** *** **** values ***** **** ** *** ****-**-***** technologies *** **** ******* *** **** them **** ********** ********.
***** **** ******** ****-********** ******** *** increasing *****, ************* ****** **** ********** interoperability, *** **** ****. *** ******* insights ** **** ********* *** *** used ** *** ****** **** ***** for ****************.
* ****** ** *** ****** ******** interoperable ** **** ***-***** **** *******, who *** * **** ****** *** what ******** **** **** *** *** company *** ***** **** *** *** more *********, **** ******* ** ** business **** ********* ** *** ******.
**********
***** ******* *** *** **** ******** companies **** *** ***** **** *************, several ********* ************* ******** ******** ** expand ************ *** **** * ****** ecosystem ********, *.*., (****** *******, *******, etc.) ***** **** ***** ********* *** interoperable / **** *.*., (****, *********, Genetec, ***.) ******,******* ** * ******* (****) - Meraki, *******, *** *******.
******* *** ******* ***** ******** ** IPVM ***** ***********, ************ *********** **** ** "** ******"****** ******* *********** *** ******************* **** ****** ****.
Sales **. ******** **********
******* ****** ** **** **** *** does *** ******* *** ********** *** praising ** ************ ********. *******, **** asked, *** ******** ******* ***** ********* she *** *** ********** **** *********** with *** ****** **** **** **** challenging.
** *******, *** **** **** ********* may ***** *****-**** ***** **** **** the **** **********, ***** ***** ** problematic *** **** ** *** ******. She ********* **** *** **** ************* “congratulating [**********] ** * **** **** done, ***** ***** * *** ** sales, ******* ****** ******* ** *****, ‘Did ** ******** ******* *** ***** of ****** ******* *****?'”
*** *********:
*****, **** **** *** *****, *** man,there *** * *** ** ******* *** ***** **** ***'* ***** ** ** **** **** *** ****. If I get this, I can't get that. If I want to use this, I can't use it with that, because this camera will only work with this system.
*** * *** **** ***** *** technical ***********.I'm ******* ***** *** ***-********** ***********, the ones that [companies] specifically build in as manufacturers or as software developers, or as service providers, so that [they] hook [*****] ******* [**] **** **** ***'* ** ******** ****. [If manufacturers] keep them on the hook for three years, great for sales, but is it in the long term, the right thing to do? [Emphasis Added.]
Description ** **************** **********
************ *** *** **** ****** ******** that *** ******** ********, ******* ******** the ********* ************:
** *** ************* ****, ***'** ******* you're ***** ** **** ****** *.I ****** **** * ****** ** **** *********** ** **** ****. Let's say I chose to go with a particular brand for cameras. And I chose to go with a particular brand for servers. I ***** **** *********** ** **** ***** ******* * ****** *** ****-**-***** ******* ****** ** ******, and I wanted the best-in-class server within my budget. Turns out, they weren't from the same company. [Emphasis Added.]
******** *** ****** **** ******* * “game,” ** ****** ** **** ****** which ******** ***’* ******** ********. *** situation ** ****** **** ** *** of *** ******** “*** *******,” *** said.
**’* *** **** *'* ******** **** dinosaur *****, *****, ***** * ***** understand ...***** *** ****** **** *** in *** ******.Let’s **** *** *** ************ *** ******* ************ ** *** *** *** ** ***** *******, because they are in competition….when I see little things like that, it infuriates me. [Emphasis Added.]
“Good *************”
******* **** “**** *************” **** ****** products *** ** ********** **** *******, regardless ** *** ***** ****, **** if **** *** ***** ******. *** said:
***** *** **** ************* **** ** that. *** *******,I *** *** ** * ****** **** *** ***** **** *** * *** **** ** **, *** ****'** **** * *** ** **** ** ****. If I want to add some analytics to other systems that work on everything else, but this one particular analytics has been blocked from this particular camera, why why you do that? Everything else works. [Emphasis Added.]
Avigilon ****** **** *****
*** ******** **** ****** **** ***** on “****************” *** ******* *** ******** subsidiary ********. *** ******* *** ********** its ************ **** ******’*** * ********* ***************** *** ********** *****’* *** ** its **** ****** *** ****** *******. She **** ****:
* *** **** *** *** *'** standardized ** ***** ** *** * find **** ** ** **** ****-********. For *** ****** ***** *******, *'** standardized ** ********.I **** **** ** ** **** ** ********* **** ****-**-***** ** ********* **********.
**** **** **** ******* *****. *** if ***** ******* ***** ***** *****'* meet **** *** ****,it’s **** **** ** **** *** ****. [******** *****.]
******** **** ***** ** “****” ** get ***** ******* ** ***** *** products, ****** **** ********* **** **** offer ******** *** *********** ***** *****.
* ******, * ****** ***** *** easy ** ***. *** ** ****** don't **** ** ** *** $*,*** to **** * ***** ** ***** to ** **** ** *** **. [For **** *********] *'* ******* ****** for * *** *** **** ******, but *** * **** ** *** an ********** ******* ********** *** ** get ** ****** ******* ** **.
* ****** ******** *** **** ‘***, can *** *** **** *******? *** you ******* **** ********? *** **** sent * ***** ** ****** **** here *** **** ***** *** **** with ** ****. * ***** ****'** trying ** ** *** ***** *****. I ******* ****** ***** *******. ****'** not ****** ** *** *** ***** add-ons.
Vertical ***********, **** ** *****-***** *******
********* ****** *** “******** ***********,” *** not ****** ******** ******** **** **** well ******** **** ***** **** ** third-party ******** ********* **** **** ******* and ******** *********. ******* **** *** third-party ******** ********* *** ****** ** the ********** ** *** ********* *** not ******* *** ******* ** * “lack ** ***********.”
*** ****:
**'* ******** ** ** ** **** how **** **** ** *********** ***** is. ** *** ** ** **** more ******** ** **'** **** ** take *** ***** **** **** *** backend ***** ****'* ****** ******** **** the ***** *** ***** **** ****** powerfulinstead ** ********* ****** ** ** ******** ***********..[***] ****** ** ** **** ** ********** **********.
****, *** **** ***'** ******** *** going ** ** ** **** ** Company * ** ************ ** *** are ** ******** *** ******. ** build *** ****** *** **** **** Company *'* ************ ** *** ****. But *******,you ***** **** *** *** *** ** ****** *** *** ** ****** ** *** ******* ** ******** ** ****** * ****** ******* *** ********* *** ********.
Again, ** *** ************, ***'** ***** ** *** * **** *** ****** ****** *****. Wonderful. And once you can design that beautiful [product or solution] go to market with that. But in the meantime, wouldn't it be amazing if we actually had all of these parts that work together?
**** ** *** ***, ** *** last *** ***** **a *** **** ** *****-***** ******** ** ** **** ** *** ***** ** ********* ******* [** **** ********] or access control to talk to the cameras. [Emphasis Added.]
Allowing *** ******* *******
******* **** *********** *** ******* *****, and ******* ****** **** ** **** and *** **************** ** ******** ** that ******* *** ** ********** ****-****, even ** **** ******** **** ** be ******* ***. *** ******** *** easy ******* *** ** ******** ** customer ********, *** ****.
* *** ****** ** **** **** with ***, *** ******** ******. * might ** ***** ********* **** **** hardware, *** ***** * ***'* ****** it *******. **you ****** ** ** ****** ** **** ********* ** ******, * ***'* ***** **** ****'* ** *** ****** ** '** *** ***** *****.' *** **** * *** ** ****** ****, *'* *********** *** and I'm not coming back to you. I'm ***** ** **** **********. And by the way, every time I get on a stage I am probably going to badmouth you. [Emphasis Added.]
Great insights!
The main devil's advocate or context I would provide is that the tactic of "hooking their clients so they can't go anywhere else" is an explicit financial strategic decision by investors, e.g. Verkada's Executive Chairman:
An experienced end user like McDargh has lived through multiple generations of technology and knows the downsides of getting hooked or trapped. A lot of end users with less experience do not.
This is an important reminder to security professionals.
The idea to make everyone interoperable is not the right route to take, interoperability should be addressed in many ways depending of the type of clients and markets; and lets not forget that Security is a solution tailored to the environment, threat, etc. In my opinion security is not a consumable it is a solution. Look at the Federal market they tried to standardize the Access Control with the mandate of HSPD-12 many years ago and they are just getting this initiative accomplished after many changes in trying to get access control interoperable, and still not yet completed.
Another challenge to make security interoperable is the continuous advance in technology, and yet to see more like quantum mechanics after all is settle with AI. Crime is another challenge, where we see more and more crime in the streets, where youngsters are getting involved in it, since social media helps them be more informed.
Security is mostly suitable for small medium size businesses, since they are nimbler and can adapt to changes rapidly.
