THE BOTTOM LINE JULY 2019

IoT growth and competing verticals are threatening the entry levels of our sector, how does the professional industry take control of this?  

I think the answer is in the question – ‘how does the professional industry take control of this?’. In our view, security engineering is a valuable and vital profession. It requires specialist skills and knowledge to safeguard people and their property in a reliable and effective manner, all backed up with trusted and certified suppliers working to international standards.

Professional installation companies are ideally placed to take advantage of the new opportunities IoT presents. Installers are trusted advisors, who already have credibility in protecting people. They are security experts, who understand the technology and are experienced at delivering bespoke solutions. They have local knowledge, are always on call, and are a long-term partner that end-users can trust to offer systems that will continue to offer value in the future.

Together, the whole industry needs to take a leadership role in communicating these values and benefits to a wider audience.

Where does Texecom position itself within the ecosystem of major hubs such as Alexa, Google, Sky and BT?  

We recognise the importance of security systems offering value every day and defeating the so-called ‘grudge purchase’ mentality. Ultimately end users will want to operate their systems how they want to, not how the industry tells them to. Our role is to provide end users the choices and experiences they are looking for, while maintaining an uncompromising level of security and protection.

IoT and connectivity should be used to complement and enhance the user experience, but professionally designed systems must continue to work robustly when everything else fails. As the recent Google/Nest outage reminds us, security platforms cannot be wholly reliant on systems outside of the premises. Getting locked out of your house or not being able to use your heating system because the Nest network is down isn’t acceptable in the professional space.

Our strategy has been to integrate with trusted partners, allowing flexibility for users while ensuring that our core security ecosystem is robust and secure.

How does your product roadmap align with the changing profile of the Installer?  

Technology trends only move in one direction, and we have a responsibility to support the professional engineering community along this path. Texecom has, and is continuing to develop, a range of digital services that add value across the entire intruder alarm ecosystem, from using, installing and managing a portfolio of alarms, through to learning and educating the next generation of alarm engineers.

Our Texecom Connect App puts end users in control of their alarm system. TexecomPro is an app that puts technical information and support where installers need it, at their fingertips. The Texecom Cloud service allows alarm companies to manage their alarm portfolio, and our newly launched Texecom Academy will provide training on all aspects of intruder alarms.

What else are Texecom doing to support the industry?

We are proud to be the official technology partner for the Engineers of Tomorrow (EoT) competition, as well as a lead sponsor for WorldSkills – a new national competition for security apprentices working in conjunction with EoT. We will continue to support colleges in upskilling the next generation of intruder alarm engineers.

In addition, we continue to focus on developing new products and services to benefit professional installers and the variety of end user markets they serve.

YOU SAID IT!

“I’m your biggest fan. I think you’re a great company and I love all your products and the way everything is heading!”

David Conyers – Facebook - 9th April