Hikvision Responds to Ezviz Direct Sales + Changes Marketing

By: John Honovich, Published on Dec 02, 2015

Hikvision has responded to IPVM's concerns about their new direct sales company Ezviz, has also changed their marketing and sent a letter to their dealers.

In this note, we examine their response, the dealer letter, and break down their changes.

********* *** ********* ** IPVM's ******** ***** ******** ****** ***** ******* Ezviz, *** **** ******* ***** marketing *** **** * letter ** ***** *******.

** **** ****, ** examine ***** ********, *** dealer ******, *** ***** down ***** *******.

[***************]

*******

**********, ********* *** * dedicated *** **** *** Ezviz '********** ********' ********* retail ****** *** *********. That *** **** *******.

************, ********* *** **** referring ** ***** * - ** ******* ******* as '******** *******', *** they **** ******* ** to *** **** *********** 'DIY ***** ****'.

*** ******* *** *** kits ** "* ******** DIY **** ******** ********', though ***** **** **** 8 *** ** ******* systems, *** **** ** continue ** ******* ******** use on *** ***** ********:

Hikvision *********

****** ***, ******* ******* of ***** / ********* responded **** *** ********* statement, ****** ** ****:

"***** ***. ** * subsidiary ** ********* *** Inc. *** ******* ***** with ********* ***** ******** Unit (***** ********* ********) to ****** *** ******* its ******** ** ***’ own ****** ****** *********** of *********’* ********** ****. EZVIZ **** ** ******** does *** ******* ** any *** **** *********’* product ********* ** ***** America *** **** ** share ***’ ***** ** marketing ********. ***** ******** are ****** ******** *** consumers.

***** ******* ********* ** geared ******* *** ******** electronics ******, **** ******** being * ***** ******* in *** ****** ******* portfolio. **** ****** *** initial ******** ********** ** EZVIZ ** ***** ******* provide ********* ** *** consumers’ ******** *** **** style *****, *** ******** coming ** ** *** pipeline **** ***** ********* far ****** *** ******* portfolio.

***** **** *** ******* in *** ********** ******** market. ** ******** ** the ******** ****** ** IoT."

** ******** ** ****** them *** **** ******* the ********** ** ********* and ***** *** *, 8, *** ** ****** kits ***** ** *********** with *********'* ******* *********. They *********:

"** **** ***** ********, the ****** ** ******** management *** *** **** for ***** ********** ** Hikvision *** **********, *** EZIVZ *** ******** ** all *******. 

*** ***, ********* **** not **** **** **** North *******. *** ******** are ************** *** *** markets **** ****** ** serve."

Hidden *********

***** *********'* ********, ** is ****** ***** ********* plans ** ******** ****** itself **** *****'* ********* / *************. *********, **** is * ******* **** as ********* ***** ***** pains ** ****** ******** that **** *** *** "world's #* ***** ************ equipment ********", ***** ***** typically **** ******* * new, ******* ***** **** Ezviz. **** ****, ** continue ** ******* **** benefits ********* ** ********** dealer ********* ** ****, their **** ************* ***** record *** ***** ******* government **********.

Ezviz *** ** ********* ********

** *** ** *** middle ** ******* ***$*** ***** * ******* Ezviz ***. **** ** *********** clear is **** ** ** commercial ********* **** ********* colors / *****. *** HD *** ***** **** the **** ***, *** 4500 ****** ***, *** DVR ** ** *********** the ****, ** ****** ONVIF *** **** ***** Hikvision ********** *****, ***. On *** **** **** for *****, ** ******** a ******* *** / all *** ********** ****** to *** *** ** integrator.

*******

**** ********* ******* ***** marketing ***** **** **** are, ** *** **** least *********, ***** *** offending ***** ******* *** the ******* ******** ******* the ******* ********, ***** even ** *** **** first ***** ******* ** their ********** ******** *** competes **** *** *** market **** **** ** their ******* *** **** so **** **.

UPDATE: ********* ****** ** *******

**** ** * ****** **** Hikvision ** ***** *******:

******** *, ****

** *** ****** ****** Partners:

********* ** ********* ** helping **** ********** ******* by ********* ***
********** ******** *** ************ support. ********, ** **** the **** ***** **
***** **** ********* ****, from *****-***** ** **********, in ********* ***** ********
******. ** ****** ** introduce *** ** *** new ****** *******, ***** Inc., ***
******* **** *** ******** will *** ******* **** success ** *** ******** marketplace.

***** ** * **** of *** ******** ********* products ******** *** *********** use. *****
** **********, ***** ***. launched *** ******* **** in *** ****** ****** on ******* **.
***** ********, ***** ******* cameras *** *********, *** designed ** ******* **
*** ******* ******* ******** of ****** (***) ******, joining ***** ************* **
*****, *****, *******, *****, and ****. *****’* ****** customers *** **********
********* ****** **** ********** users, ***** ** ********* in *** ******* ********,
*********, *** ******* ***********. Thehardware, ********, and operation
********* ** ***** ******** aredistinctly ********* from Hikvision products, which
** *** ** *********** differentiation ** *** *** product ********.

** *****, ***** *** Hikvision *** *** *********** brands **** ***** ** two
********* *******, *** **** through *** ********* ********, and *** ******** ** two
******** ******* **********. ******* video *** ** **** for * ******* ** purposes **
******** ****, **** ** work *** ** *** home, *********** ** ***** solutions **** **
************ *** *********** ******** is ********* ********** ** the ************ **
*** ***** *********. ********* is ********* ** ******* our ******* ***** ** the **** ******** ******** ********* *** ******* ****** ***** ** ***** *********.

** ***** **** ***** *****, ***** ***.*********.***. ** *** **** *** ********* **
********, ****** **** **** ** ******* ** ** ********.***@*********.***.

********* *** ***.
********* ****** ***.

[******** ***** ****]

**** *** ******* ** far, ** ********* *****, the ******** *** ******** for *** '*** ****** kits' ** **** ******* to ****** ********.

Comments (12)

Undisclosed #1

12/02/15 10:27pm

Was the statement signed Hikvision, or Albert Lin?

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 12/02/15 10:33pm

Technically it was Albert Lin, General Manager, Ezviz. I updated it above. It's tomato / tomato as they are, by their own admission, parts of one company.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to John Honovich | 12/02/15 11:21pm

Whatever the fallout with the channel ultimately will be, they could have sidestepped a good deal of ill will by "getting out in front" of this issue.

Even after your article it took them a week to respond with what we all knew they were going to say.

Well, almost. Having them pull back on some of the corporate marketing was unexpected and no doubt a little humling for GM Al Lin who is a little less 'All in' now.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 12/02/15 11:40pm

To be clear on the timing, before I released the first article, I gave Hikvision 2 days notice and request for comment. No comment was provided then.

Albert responded on Nov. 20th, 2 days after the article was published, I immediately asked the follow up questions, followed up 3 times but he did not respond until today.

My gut feel is that removing the marketing material is to make their partners less aggrevated but that they clearly have ambitions to sell direct to 'enterprise security' as well. I don't think that of Hikvision USA specifically, but Hikvision corporate I suspect has greater intentions.

Undisclosed Distributor #2

12/03/15 08:42am

in all fairness, products like the S1, which is already launched in Italty, has nothing to do with CCTV. I think in time as their portfolio grows the link to Hik CCTV will become less obvious.

here is the S1:

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #2 | 12/03/15 12:24pm

I agree sport cameras are not CCTV. However, if they also continue to sell 4, 8, and 16 channel 1080p video surveillance systems, then it will be hard to understand how it does not conflict with their existing business / dealers.

Undisclosed Distributor #2

12/06/15 12:34pm

i can see your point John, however there is already an offer on the table for DIY.

the only reason it will conflict business is that the quality could me better than current DIY products.

I can understand hikvision going into 'other' markets as the sportscam and DIY.

For real security products an installer can not be replaced i think

Brad Silvernail

12/06/15 03:05pm

John,

What are your thoughts on how this compares to Samsung. Samsung has a commercial security line and a DIY line. The DVR interface is nearly identical on both. As a systems integrator that focuses exclusively on commercial, I've been more than happy to refer residential customers to the DIY kits knowing the product quality will be decent.

In terms of Branding, they are both Samsung. In terms of channel, the DIY has it's own website and is sold web and retail.

Maybe they just don't have enough market share to matter?

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Brad Silvernail | 12/06/15 04:59pm

Brad, excellent point / question.

The main difference is that Hikvision is the 'king' of the low end. Yes, they obviously want to move up market but Hikvision's core market in the US right now are 16 and under installs, with their own recorders. Because of that, Hikvision's Ezviz offering directly competes with that (i.e., 4, 8 and 16 camera 1080p kits).

Samsung, by contrast, has much more of a presence in the medium to high end of the market, so the average Samsung customer (e.g, WiseNet III buyer) does not overlap with the DIY / Amazon buyer.

Related: Favorite SMB Video Surveillance Manufacturers

Undisclosed #1

In reply to John Honovich | 12/06/15 05:10pm

...the average Samsung customer (e.g, WiseNet III buyer) does not overlap with the DIY / Amazon buyer.

Indeed, couldn't you say that in some ways the opposite has happened with Techwin by recently creating the Wisenet lite offering?

What is the purpose of the Wisenet Lite line if not to give integrators a way to compete with the Hikua and DIY options out there?

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 12/06/15 05:18pm

Yes, I think Lite helps them compete downmarket and for more price sensitive scenarios in the high to mid market.

However, looking at what smaller dealers focusing on small projects use, Hikvision is the dominant force. As such, it has much bigger potential impact.

Undisclosed Integrator #3

12/14/15 09:31am

HI John

I dont believe it is Hikvision alone, in South Africa ZTE's surveillance company ZNV has launched and although have appointed distributors are marketing directly to the larger enterprises ,Hikvision has an immense footprint in South Africa and have an office here as well, although not dealing directly that I am aware of, but for how long? If a large financial institution or government organization goes to tender I guarantee they will be fishing, as no manufacturer will shy away from an order for thousands of cameras

To put it plainly the model is to penetrate the market through dealers gain market share, then pull in the rains and go direct and let the chips fall where they may and the dealer networks based on the market demand and low pricing have no choice but to fall in with the market

Where does this leave the other manufacturers will they not at some stage have to adopt a similar strategy to compete or face massive market share reductions to the Chinese brands

Where does this leave the SI in the future ?

Login to read this IPVM report.
Why do I need to log in?
IPVM conducts unique testing and research funded by member's payments enabling us to offer the most independent, accurate and in-depth information.

Related Reports

Milesight Company Profile on Jan 22, 2019
Milesight Technology, a Chinese company building an International branded business, says they are slowly building their presence through a series...
Huawei: Hikvision / Dahua "Strategy Is Just To Provide Cheap Cameras" on Jan 24, 2019
At the Intersec 2019 show in Dubai, IPVM spoke with the show's "exclusive artificial intelligence sponsor" Huawei who recently declared their...
Bloomberg Warns Of Huawei Hisilicon IP Camera Usage on Jan 30, 2019
Bloomberg has picked up IPVM's December exclusive - "Huawei Hisilicon Quietly Powering Tens of Millions of Western IoT Devices" and ran its own...
Dahua and Hikvision Products Illegally Sold To US Government GSA on May 06, 2019
Dahua and Hikvision products are being widely and illegally sold to the US government GSA. The sellers are falsely claiming these China products to...
Stanley Makes "Multi-Million Dollar Investment" Into Banned Hikvision Products on Aug 09, 2019
Just days from the US government ban going into effect, US mega-corporation Stanley has dramatically increased its imports of banned Hikvision...
US Government Ban of Dahua, Hikvision, Huawei Takes Effect Now on Aug 13, 2019
The 'prohibition on use or procurement' of Dahua, Hikvision and Huawei products and 'essential components' take effect today, August 13, 2019, one...
China Dahua To Replace Their Software With US Pepper on Aug 22, 2019
What does a US government banned company do to improve its security positioning in the US? Well, Dahua is unveiling a novel solution, partnering...
US Army Base To Buy Banned Honeywell Surveillance on Sep 17, 2019
The U.S. Army's Fort Gordon, home to their Cyber Center of Excellence, has issued a solicitation to purchase Honeywell products that are US...
Interlogix Shutting Down on Sep 20, 2019
Interlogix is shutting down, as UTC has confirmed to IPVM in a statement about their "plans to wind down" the once leading brand. Inside this...
Hikvision USA Fights LTS on Nov 04, 2019
Hikvision's USA subsidiary is fighting with LTS, having recently quietly dropped LTS as an authorized distributor amidst ongoing face-offs between...

Most Recent Industry Reports

Hazardous & Explosion Proof Access Control Tutorial on Feb 27, 2020
Controlling access to hazardous environments requires equipment meeting specific ratings that certify they will not start fires or will not...
Motorola / Avigilon Drops ISC West on Feb 26, 2020
Motorola Solutions has pulled out of ISC West 2020 effective immediately, because of coronavirus concerns, IPVM has learned. This is done amidst...
Cancel or Not? Industry Split Over ISC West on Feb 26, 2020
The industry is split, polarized, over whether ISC West 2020 should run or be canceled. New IPVM survey results of 400+ respondents show heated...
Coronavirus Hits Sony, Bosch Says Switch on Feb 26, 2020
Sony's fall in video surveillance has been severe over the past decade. Now, they may be done. In this note, we examine Bosch's new...
Video Surveillance Cameras 101 on Feb 25, 2020
Cameras come in many shapes, sizes and specifications. This 101 examines the basics of cameras and features used in 2020. In this report, we...
Favorite Video Analytic Manufacturers 2020 on Feb 25, 2020
Video analytics is now as hot as ever, driven by the excitement of advancing deep learning offers. But what are actually integrator's...
Latest London Police Facial Recognition Suffers Serious Issues on Feb 24, 2020
On February 20, IPVM visited another live face rec deployment by London police, but this time the system was thwarted by technical problems and...
Masks Cause Major Facial Recognition Problems on Feb 24, 2020
Coronavirus is spurring an increase in the use of medical masks, which new IPVM test results show cause major problems for facial recognition...
Every VMS Will Become a VSaaS on Feb 21, 2020
VMS is ending. Soon every VMS will be a VSaaS. Competitive dynamics will be redrawn. What does this mean? VMS Historically...
Video Surveillance 101 Course - Last Chance on Feb 20, 2020
This is the last chance to join IPVM's first Video Surveillance 101 course, designed to help those new to the industry to quickly understand the...

What IPVM Is

The world's leading authority on video surveillance, with 200,000+ visits monthly.

  • Articles on cameras, video analytics, VMS, and trends
  • Tests showing actual performance and problems
  • Courses in surveillance, access control, etc
  • Camera Calculator for designing systems

Dedicated To Independence

We're dedicated to staying independent and objective. We're the only industry source to refuse any and all advertisements, sponsorship, and consulting from manufacturers. Why?