Hikvision's Most Innovative Competitor - LTS

Author: John Honovich, Published on Aug 01, 2016

It should sound surprising.

After all, as our recent LTS test shows, LTS products are Hikvision with very little changes.

But LTS has an innovative business model, with an approach we have never seen any other surveillance company take.

Indeed, this provides LTS with a strong competitive position, despite the Hikvision rebranding. In this note, we explain the 5 key differences between LTS and Hikvision's go-to-market strategies, examining the pros and cons of this.

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Comments (31)

Undisclosed Integrator #1

08/01/16 02:24pm

We have been dealing with them for a couple of years now no problems at all.

Undisclosed Distributor #2

08/01/16 02:32pm

We have been dealing with them for over a year and we had no business problem.

There is however a support problem.

You should know that if you encounter any problem with a LTS product there is little to no support that you will get from them.

Michael Miller

08/01/16 02:43pm

I get at least one phone call, email or flyer a week from LTS. I am lucky to speak to my Hikvision rep once a quarter.

Undisclosed #5

In reply to Michael Miller | 08/01/16 04:36pm

I am lucky to speak to my Hikvision rep once a quarter.

I think your luck, and possibly your rep, may just be changing ;)

Thumbnail marty2016

Marty Calhoun

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed #5 | 08/01/16 06:19pm

Speak to your regional rep about that problem if you are really looking for a resolve

Undisclosed #5

In reply to Marty Calhoun | 08/02/16 07:48am

Speak to your regional rep about that problem if you are really looking for a resolve...

I really am. And I'll gladly speak to whomever will listen, if that's what it will take to make Mike's rep stop by more often :)

Undisclosed Integrator #3

08/01/16 03:13pm

IMO LTS is hilvision equipment just at a cheaper price point. But yes, the lts people are really good. Puts ADI staff to shame.

Undisclosed Integrator #4

08/01/16 04:18pm

I work with both. I prefer going to the actual manufacture instead of OEM but I have to say working with LTS is so smooth and easy. when I place an order I can trust that it'll be processed and shipped out the same day. It doesn't take effort to work with them. Working with distributors like ADI takes a lot of hand holding on my part to make sure orders are correct, are processed quickly, and delivered in a reasonable time. RMAs are very similar. So not only do the products cost more going through a "value added" distributor, it costs me more time to get orders completed.

The only issue I have with LTS is that some locations IMO have shady selling practices that are completely against their terms to purchase their products.

Undisclosed #5

08/02/16 02:05am

Hikvision's Most Innovative Competitor - LTS

As a company, you know you are doing well when your most innovative competitor sells nothing but your innovations. :)

Undisclosed Integrator #6

In reply to Undisclosed #5 | 08/03/16 12:21am

Which Hikvision product is innovative? "Cheap" is not innovation. No one looks at Walmart and says "now that is innovation... Next Apple in the making right there".

Successful? No doubt. Disruptive? Absolutely. Innovative? Not yet.

Undisclosed #5

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #6 | 08/03/16 12:28am

Maybe: Hikvision Darkfighter 1/2" Imager Camera Tested?

P.S. 'sells nothing but your innovations' claims poetic license in any event.

Undisclosed Integrator #1

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #6 | 08/03/16 12:54am

Nothing was said about Hikvision or LTS products being innovative. The title referred to their method of doing things with slight racist undertones.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #6 | 08/03/16 12:55am

"Cheap" is not innovation.

The term 'innovation' is used in various ways.

In the context of this post, I mean 'business model innovation'. LTS obviously is not technologically innovative, but their combination of go-to-market strategies is innovative for this market.

Likewise, even if you ignore Hikvision's technology, there's clearly an enormous business model innovation. They were able to get the world's largest communist party to fund them, enabling them to do everything they are doing today. What other video surveillance manufacturer has ever attempted that business model?

Undisclosed #5

In reply to John Honovich | 08/03/16 05:45am

Also pioneered by Hik, the ol' "U.S. based company" line, OEMed by LTS below:

Thumbnail dsc00412 2

Jonathan Lawry

Trecerdo, LLC | 08/05/16 12:27pm

The assertion that younger workers have "less external distractions" is unsupported by data.

Don't know about you, but I had way too many external distractions when I was younger!

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Jonathan Lawry | 08/05/16 12:30pm

The assertion that younger workers have "less external distractions" is unsupported by data.

Please share your data.

If you look at banking, consulting, law firms, etc., the people who work the most hours are those straight out of college.

Thumbnail dsc00412 2

Jonathan Lawry

Trecerdo, LLC | In reply to John Honovich | 08/05/16 12:39pm

I only have a sample set of one, sadly.

Certainly younger workers work the most hours, but this is not necessarily correlated to a lack of "external distractions".

In my 20's, I worked 70-80 hours a week. However, those hours might have been more productive if I had fewer "external distractions", some of whom would show up at the office unannounced and cause a scene in front of my boss.

Undisclosed #5

In reply to Jonathan Lawry | 08/05/16 05:41pm

Perhaps

On the positive side, because they are young, they tend to be more gung-ho and with less external distractions commitments as older employees.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #5 | 08/05/16 05:44pm

I agree commitments is better word choice than distractions, I was implying children / family obligations.

Thumbnail paa 2015

keith maxwell

Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC | 11/21/16 11:37pm

Biggest Reason for me LTS over Hikvision LTS warranty smacks the snot out of Hikvision. 3 Year over the counter exchange, no questions asked in the extremely rare instance there is a problem. cement LTS repairs nothing you cannot even get a replacement board. I tried for a customers LTS SDI recorder. I use LTS for TVI and entry level IP going to other brands for higher end. You can also upgrade LTS firmware to Hikvision on the comparable models. To me its interchangeable.

Michael Miller

In reply to keith maxwell | 11/21/16 11:52pm

You can also upgrade LTS firmware to Hikvision on the comparable models. To me its interchangeable.

When was the last time your tried this?

Undisclosed Distributor #7

In reply to Michael Miller | 12/07/16 08:24pm

Not anymore even by TFTP!

Thumbnail paa 2015

keith maxwell

Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC | 11/21/16 11:59pm

A few moths back. I have not had the need to recently.

Another nice feature with LTS is they ship till 6pm for next day delivery. In a pinch its nice, also simple blind drop shopping when working out of town..

Michael Miller

In reply to keith maxwell | 11/22/16 12:08am

What is your go to manufacture for "higher end" customers?

Thumbnail paa 2015

keith maxwell

Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC | 11/22/16 12:21am

I like the geovision products as a step up by no means highend. No annual licensing fees. My current customer base doesn't have many "Hi End Customers" !

My verticle markets have become multi family housing, Low income housing, Industrial, and Manufacturing. None of which are looking for 4k or higher resolution.

I do almost zero retail and residential.

Thumbnail img 1014

David Johnson

11/22/16 02:10pm

I've had only positive experiences with LTS. They also seem to have the latest Hik gear (branded as LTS) before it's available from ADI. Very quick response to orders.

Undisclosed Distributor #7

12/07/16 08:22pm

We used to sell LTS and Hikvision, Hik threatened to stop dealing with LTS if they did not drop us as distributors as we were selling alot of LTS. One issue we found with LTS was that firmware issues were not sorted until 2 -4 months after Hiks own models were sorted.

Thumbnail paa 2015

keith maxwell

Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC | 02/01/17 06:00am

John how did I get labeled with saying LTS is hikvusions most innovative competitor. I dont see where I posted those words. Cheap and innovative do not eork in the same sentence last time I checked. How can a brand be more innovative than its OEM? Kinda of like CNN around here? Better performsnce than Hikvision for the same money all day. About as innovative as a graphite pencil. Just to clear the air.

Undisclosed #5

In reply to keith maxwell | 02/01/17 09:30am

John how did I get labeled...

Where did you get labeled?

Thumbnail paa 2015

keith maxwell

Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC | 02/01/17 11:24am

Thumbnail paa 2015

keith maxwell

Northeast Remote Surveillance and alarm, LLC | 02/01/17 11:26am

Yeah maybe I overeacted a little I guess google loves me but wtf>

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