Page 42 - Security Today, May/June 2023

INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL The Impact of Strategic Technology Partnerships It may sound counterintuitive, but transparency is vital in the security industry. While many solutions block, divert and alert to imminent threats, at its core, security is rooted in the critical clarity between what the end-user needs and what the provider can offer. IDENTIFY THE NEEDS FIRST That should be the roadmap: identify the needs first and let that drive innovation. The evolutionary crossroads we have seen in the security realm is when a customer presents a complex requirement requir- ing additional expertise. Do we allocate resources to producing something our- selves? Do we seek outside assistance to solve it with a collaborative approach? While the former may be a bold idea, the latter is proving far more successful in to- day’s ever-evolving security landscape. Installations in numerous worldwide is clear. The integration demonstrates to your lead in collaborative efforts. With Craig Newell organizations, Gallagher has been in- potential clients that both businesses are volved in access control, perimeter and partnering to address the most urgent intrusion detection for 85 years. They are security concerns. Customers know that constantly evolving to meet and exceed even if they have a problem outside of a the needs of their customers, including the business’s core strengths, the company will one they brought to Traka. Traka under- look to forming partnerships to resolve it. stands the value of like-minded collabora- Internally, both businesses share the tion to address security solutions as well same sentiment. Any supplier acknowl- as a partnership with Gallagher. edging, they cannot eliminate every se- The result was a comprehensive system curity problem alone is humble. Yet, in a for the customer that combined Gallagh- manner, by reiterating, “We know we do er’s expertise in high-assurance credential X well,” it reinforces the brand identity. card access and Traka’s secure key and You display initiative, teamwork and cre- equipment management solutions. The ativity to your employees and consumers extensive integration between systems al- while bolstering the firm’s basic principles lowed the customer to assign appropriate by combining expertise with an equally access while protecting against unauthor- enthusiastic partner to handle more dif- ized usage quickly. ficulties than either company could. Such SpeedKingz/Shutterstock.com It is important to note, though, this is not a battle between organizations; it is a bat- tle against the security threats themselves. That is the final audience to consider with integrations. Like-minded companies lever- aging their collective expertise to solve the most critical needs send a clear message; they are innovating to stay one step ahead. Every company needs to assess its se- curity measures regularly, and Gallagher’s National Technical Manager Blake Smith provided a crucial response to the question, “How secure is your security?” Sometimes, a single business can give a solution; we in the security industry strive to do this daily. Nonetheless, there are situations when co- operation is required, as in the case of Traka and Gallagher. Consider that other providers were examining examples of such alliances. In such a case, manufacturers could better guarantee a more significant pro- portion of clients are confident their se- curity systems are as secure as possible. Craig Newell serves as the vice president of sales and business development for Traka Americas. THE REQUESTED SOLUTION That was the initial customer’s perspec- tive – thanks to the partnership, they got the requested solution. But that is just one audience to consider when looking at the value of integration. After an initial collaboration, each company has established a footprint in the others’ landscape, and the opportunity for cross-promotion and lead generation camaraderie among employees fosters a positive workplace culture and conveys a more vital message to your clients. Integration also has an impact on com- petition. Suppose you continue to evolve and align with providers in your space. In that case, you can grow your customer baseandpositionyourselfasthesolution- seeker of choice while putting pressure on competitors. They limit their potential to solve ongoing threats if they do not follow 42 MAY/JUNE 2023 | SECURITY TODAY THIS IS NOT A BATTLE