Budgets, Buy-in Hot Topics at 2015 Diebold Security Symposium

Diebold hosts 75 end users to discuss cybersecurity, cloud surveillance and inter-departmental communication.

It might have been stormy outside, but inside the Waldorf Astoria Beach Club in Boca Raton, Fla., this week there was a calm demeanor as end user security managers from various vertical markets met to share challenges and opportunities during the 2015 Diebold Security Symposium.

The event gathered 75 top end users to review some of the technology initiatives Diebold is moving ahead with to solve end users’ security needs. Among the hot topics of discussion were cybersecurity, cloud-based video surveillance and access control. But beyond the technology talk, end users were able to share advice on how to effectively communicate within their own organizations to overcome budget obstacles and overall buy-in for a security ‘master plan’ for their facilities.

Diebold executive vice president Tony Byerly kicked off the meeting by giving attendees an update on the company’s latest round of financial achievements, which includes 11 consecutive quarters of growth in total orders for the company’s electronic security division. That same division also has had revenue growth for nine of the last 10 quarters. Byerly said the company has a 15 percent marketshare in the electronic security systems integration business, while its sister division has a 55 percent marketshare in the ATM business alone.

“We aim to have a services-led, software-enabled focus… we will differentiate on software by leveraging how we enabled end user to access data,” he said. The company is using its SecureStat reporting system as a platform for 885 users representing 38,000 customer sites to give its clients secure, mobile accessible reporting for actionable insight into data.

Jeremy Brecher, Diebold’s vice president of technology, moderated several panel discussions covering cybersecurity and cloud surveillance. He noted, “Clearly you need awareness of cybersecurity. It is not something you can shrug off.” Other tech subjects discussed ranged from NFC and Bluetooth to Smart Home.

Getting Budgets, Buy-in
One of the most valuable takeways from the three-day event was that attendees were able to commiserate over ways to get buy-in for security needs from their superiors. One idea that was floated is to create a “master plan” for your organization that covers everything from carpet color to staffing. Of course, security is also a key element of that plan. Regulatory abidance is also an important concern to be addressed in the plan, which is an area Diebold can assist in.

“Building a security plan will not happen overnight,” said Pierre Bourgeix of SecureState, a global consulting company that presented at the symposium on methods to break down barriers between security staff and other departments. “This is a step-by-step process.” That “process” includes disaster recovery, business continuity, and emergency response, not just security technology. Bourgeix and his associate Matt Neely recommended a series of starter questions be developed by security managers to ask their entire organization to help “break down the silos” between departments. “It’s OK if you can’t answer all the questions,” said Neely.

According to the group, communication with their IT manager is the biggest challenge, especially as technology such as cloud-based surveillance and access control encroach more in the IT space.

The event concluded with a dinner cruise aboard the 175-foot Lady Windridge along the intracoastal waterway.

 

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!

About the Author

Contact:

Jason Knott is Chief Content Officer for Emerald Expositions Connected Brands. Jason has covered low-voltage electronics as an editor since 1990, serving as editor and publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He joined CE Pro in 2000 and serves as Editor-in-Chief of that brand. He served as chairman of the Security Industry Association’s Education Committee from 2000-2004 and sat on the board of that association from 1998-2002. He is also a former board member of the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. He has been a member of the CEDIA Business Working Group since 2010. Jason graduated from the University of Southern California. Have a suggestion or a topic you want to read more about? Email Jason at [email protected]

Security Is Our Business, Too

For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.

A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.

Subscribe Today!

Get Our Newsletters