PSI MAGAZINE COLUMN: SEPTEMBER 2015

This month Simon Banks talks to Steve Riley, RISCO Group’s Commercial Director for the UK & Ireland. RISCO is a proven leader in the global security solutions market, manufacturing and marketing end-to-end solutions for the professional security market.

You have a long history within the industry, what drove your decision to join RISCO?

It was a very easy decision to join RISCO. The innovation and roadmap was and continues to be very exciting.This is an unprecedented era for the professional security industry and for the first time brands such as Google are demonstrating an interest in our market. There is an increased demand for value added services and our advanced range of award-winning cloud based security solutions allows installers to meet these requirements and protect and grow their business.

What features are currently most in demand by end-users and do they have higher expectations for their security systems?

The buzzword at the moment is ‘Smart’ and we have pioneered the use of Smartphone apps, cloud connected panels and video verification. As I mentioned previously, super-brands have already entered the ‘Smart Home’ market and as an industry we need to take action and protect ourselves. By listening to what’s happening outside of the industry and learning from the mistakes made by independent retailers we can work together to make ‘Smart Technology’ work for us. The prize for doing this is significant – as the IoT (Internet of Things) delivers huge value for the customer and replaces the grudge purchase mentality we often see today.

How are you helping installers to meet these demands and grow into new verticals?

New markets have opened up and the landscape is now much bigger than people moving house and those recently affected by burglary. Installers need solutions that help them add new revenue streams, protect their existing ones against abuse and also to offer more value to the end-user. Everything a professional security installer needs to compete in this new ‘Smart’ era is available to them today and it’s all powered by the RISCO Cloud. We are aiming to help them transform into a true service provider with tiered levels of paid for services for their customers.

What areas of growth do you expect to see in the next 5 years? 

We are already seeing a lot more integration between security technology and other home systems with the development of the IoT. The market for apps and remote management is not slowing down. The next generation is very much about connectivity and applications that put more power in the hands of the end-user and offer real opportunities for the security installer. The use of security systems for non-security purposes is also primed for growth – we have already seen the use of footfall monitoring in retail premises for example. We’re in a time where it’s important that the installer widens their offering. As more value added analytics and features come to market, non-security applications will only become more important for installers.

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