Vendor certification for resellers emphasised

In the security industry, it is essential for resellers to undergo training and obtain certification from vendors to ensure that a security solution or product is correctly specified and installed, maintained and operated, says mobile and remote closed-circuit television specialist Graphic Images Technologies (GIT) executive Laurence Smith.

“Not all resellers are equal, and end-user companies (and even consumers) can be adversely affected by an incorrect recommendation, specification or installation, as well as support and maintenance.”

Owing to this, Smith mentions that if a reseller does not obtain vendor or product certification, they will not be authorised to sell certain products without having received training. This means that the business effectively precludes itself from certain markets.
He points out that there is also the possibility that a security professional could bring down an entire site by making an error in configuration if a comprehensive understanding of the product is lacking.

“If a security professional has proper training and certification, the end-user benefits greatly. A professional knows what he is doing and it is likely that the implemented solution will be used to its best capabilities by means of the current technologies available,” he asserts.

Further, Smith mentions that training provided by vendors can change the way a system operates, effectively giving the end-user the full benefit of the product and allowing the business to leverage its investment fully. Undergoing vendor training and certification also impacts on resellers’ reputations and ability to secure repeat business, as the reseller can meet customer requirements.

“Without certification and training, there’s the risk that a security business could develop a reputation as a ‘fly-by-nighter’. “Also, security reseller professionals are able to operate the products . . . more efficiently . . . making the systems integrator more efficient at what he or she is offering their customer,” he says.

The company indicates that resellers might choose not to invest in vendor or product certification, as it costs money to attend training and obtain certification.

“Smaller businesses often prefer to spend this time generating sales and securing business, while larger companies do not want to spend the time required to motivate and chase approvals for training budgets,” Smith notes.

GIT explains that, with proper certification, the reseller is more familiar with the system it is selling. This means that the customer is fully equipped to use the product to its full capacity.

“Security resellers need to stop looking at vendor certification as an expense, and consider it an investment in skills that will open doors to new markets and new customers,” Smith advises.

Industry Trends

There is a significant move towards ingress- protection-based camera solutions. The benefits include ease of deployment and improved video quality, as many vendors are now manufacturing ULTRA HD 4K cameras with a pixel resolution of 8.3 megapixels. There has also been a trend to consider live video recording from moving vehicles for applications such as cash in transit and delivery vehicles.

“Using live video has assisted companies in managing their fleets and is used not only for security purposes. Having the ability to watch live video from a vehicle enables the fleet manager to actively monitor operations, helping them to ensure that drivers and staff follow operating procedures properly,” concludes Smith.