The build process for Samsung’s stand at IFSEC 2011 started last Wednesday. At one minute beyond midnight, to be precise, with a team of contractors brought in to construct the company’s biggest-ever area for the show.
All of the security kit being displayed by the Korean electronics giant is being set up and tested across this weekend by members of Samsung Techwin’s technical team, and this time around there’s a really neat addition to the throng.
“We’re going to be using one of the gantry’s as a base for time-lapse video camera,” said James Smith, European marketing manager at Samsung Techwin Europe. “We’re going to video all of the activity on our stand throughout the whole four days of IFSEC so that we have a complete record. The playback will be really interesting to see.”
Samsung’s stand in Hall 5 is, in fact, over 40% larger than last year’s inclusion and, according to Smith, will provide an ideal platform to effectively demonstrate the company’s “full range of security solutions”.
Indeed, the very latest line-ups of IP and network products will sit cheek-by-jowl with other equally important technologies rendered from Samsung’s CCTV, access control and intruder detection portfolios.
“Many of these products incorporate technologies unique to Samsung, Brian,” outlined Smith. “The readers of SMT Online will be interested to know that we’re providing end users with hands-on demonstrations in relation to how they can best exploit these exciting and innovative technologies to achieve the best possible return on their investment.”
Samsung’s security technologies cover a wide range of verticals, too, including transport, retail, the commercial arena, public space, Critical National Infrastructure and the residential sector to name but a few.
Why choose to exhibit at IFSEC?
Samsung chooses IFSEC as a base from which to promote its wares for one very simple reason, it seems.
“The show’s a massively important element of our marketing communications activity,” explained Smith. “There are few other arenas in which we can connect with such a good mix of security practitioners, be they integrators and installers, consultants or end users.”
As far as Smith and Samsung are concerned, the vertical market shows springing up on the horizon these days “can be a mixed bag” in this regard. “As a company we like to be seen to do business at IFSEC. At the end of the day it’s a fabulous arena for demonstrating new products, technologies and solutions to security people from all over the globe and from many different market sectors.”
Not surprisingly, perhaps, a key focus for the company this time around will be IP and networking products, but the overriding concept is an holistic one focused on the philosophy of Total Security Management and an end-to-end platform for users framed on site by a substantial video wall.
“The concept for the stand will be the Samsung City,” opined Smith, “with the objective being to show how all Samsung product ranges can work in complete harmony to provide a totally integrated solution.”
Total Security Management software
With that concept firmly in mind, Samsung will be unveiling its new, all-powerful TSM-2000 Total Security Management software which enables the integration, monitoring and control of a diverse range of security systems via a single unified Graphical User Interface (or GUI if you like acronyms).
“TSM-2000 offers considerably more than just a very efficient and convenient method of monitoring and controlling security systems, though,” urged Smith. “It’s packed full of features to make true integration possible, even for those end users who have smaller system requirements.”
Apparently, elements such as ANPR and video analytics can all be brought into the mix, while 3D mapping is part of the equation, too. “We can do so much more with integrated systems now,” chipped in Smith.
The Total Security Management software also boasts an advanced alarm handling system which forwards information onto appropriate levels of security personnel and management, depending upon the designated importance of an incident.
“Put simply, Brian, we have the ability to positively impact on people’s lives, both at home and in the workplace, by providing seamless and fully-scalable security solutions which will not disrupt an individual or an organisation’s day-to-day activities, but rather add real value to them.”
For the ‘tech enthusiasts’ among you, you’ll be pleased to know that STAR – the Samsung Techwin Autonomous Robot – will be featured and no doubt dazzle everyone.
“Samsung City (D130, Hall 5) will give us the opportunity to demonstrate the full extent of our capabilities and show our customers how Samsung can help them to realise additional benefits from their surveillance and security system.”
Thoughts on the current business climate
As a marketing specialist you’d fully expect Smith to track the various market reports and growth figures emanating not just from the security sector itself, but also from the wider business and economic community. And he does.
“There are lots of figures being quoted just now about how well various elements of the security sector are performing,” he told me. “We’re tracking well above the market growth rates I’ve read about, but I would say we’ve put in a lot of hard work to make that situation a reality.”
One new venture of late has been the establishment of a dedicated project team – headed up by John Sayer – that’s focused around the TSM system and, in particular, the specification of larger projects (many of them targeted at IP-based solutions).
“There’s plenty of new project work out there,” said Smith in bullish fashion, “and this new venture will help us to secure it.”
Samsung’s preparation for the next IFSEC typically begin just a few weeks after the last one has closed its doors to the public (although, with a a wry smile on his face, Smith admitted that they “never quite start early enough”).
The core show team is headed up by Gina Ha, the product marketing manager within Smith’s team based at Chertsey in Surrey. “Gina’s the person responsible for ‘delivering IFSEC’,” said Smith. “There’s a team of around 15 people involved, including product managers such as Peter Ainsworth, too, so it’s very much a big team effort.”
Immediate post-show period
The great desire for Samsung as a company is to talk to practitioners and impart the Samsung message. Equally important, though, is what happens in the immediate post-IFSEC period.
“Last year, the show proved to be so beneficial,” enthused Smith. “We generated lots of leads and they have to be followed-up immediately. It’s sometimes hard to track progress due to the fact that we sell through distributors, but we know that figures are on the rise. How? We’re growing in turnover, product range and people.”
With Smith happy to tell me that Samsung “firmly believes in IFSEC”, it was time for a leading question… ‘What do you feel, if anything, UBM Live’s Security Portfolio can do to enhance the IFSEC offering still further?’
Having paused for a moment’s consideration, Smith said: “Well, we’re in a situation now where the market is constantly evolving. Every few years it seems to reinvent itself. I do think IFSEC does a grand job of monitoring the trends. For me, it’s all about the show having a relevant audience. That’s key to us coming back each year. Monitor and take care of that and you’ll not have many problems to deal with, I’m sure.”
Samsung at IFSEC 2011
Hall 5 Stand D130
