Hikvision Huddles Press to Talk Biz, PR, Tech & Cyber at ISC West
The global video surveillance leader kicked off ISC West with a small media roundtable to clarify its stance in a number of key industry areas.
(left to right) Hikvision North America's Director of Global Public Affairs Michael Gutierrez, President Jeffrey He and Director of Cybersecurity Chuck Davis speak at a private press conference held during ISC West.
LAS VEGAS — Hikvision got a jump on this year’s ISC West by holding a private, roundtable-style press conference adjacent to the show floor just as the expo was getting under way April 10. It featured several of the company’s North American executives and a handful of invited electronic security industry publication editors.
Four of Hikvision’s representatives updated the media about the video surveillance equipment leader’s business, initiatives and products, and a couple of short videos were also shared. Here is a recap . . .
Eric Chen, general manager, Hikvision USA and Hikvision Canada, said despite some market challenges the company experienced solid growth in the United States, rising 18.8% to hit $7.4 billion in 2018.
Other notable figures he shared included the company’s 16,000 engineers and 400 employees dedicated to North American operations. Chen also pointed out that the global firm was expanding manufacturing into India.
He noted the company’s philosophical shift to emphasize solutions and vertical markets rather than products, with the ISC West theme of “Focused on your success.” Chen mentioned the positive results of a recent customer satisfaction survey and the launching of a new customer rewards program.
Regarding cybersecurity, he said, “As the No. 1 video surveillance manufacturer we are under tight scrutiny where it comes to cybersecurity, and rightly so. We have taken many steps to heighten cybersecurity throughout our offerings.”
Doug Gray, senior product marketing manager, Hikvision North America, noted how the manufacturer’s exhibit booth has been redesigned to show off other types of products being brought to market as well as its technology partners.
Access control, intercoms and turnstiles are among the firm’s expanding portfolio. Among the hot technologies Hikvision is presently pursuing are facial recognition, artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning at lower prices, and color imaging in nighttime scenes.
Some of the fastest growing markets those technologies are being applied to are education, retail, commercial real estate, gaming and transportation. Some of the specific products and tech he touted were the 32MP PanoVu Series 180° panoramic dome camera; AcuSense technology that classifies objects into human, vehicle and other categories to reduce false alarms; ColorVu to render clear color images in near darkness; and HikCentral, a full-featured, AI-empowered surveillance platform (VMS). These offerings were among those shown off in Hikvision’s new booth outfitted with multiple video walls.
Chuck Davis, director of cybersecurity, Hikvision North America, said the video vendor extensively engages third-party penetration testing to harden their products against breaches and hacks. He noted that he believes the company is still the only one in the industry to have opened a code transparency center.
In addition, Hikvision has a dedicated cybersecurity line to address any issues or inquiries, and also offers a host of whitepapers and cyber-related tools. He further discussed the vendor’s drive to fully observe privacy regulations and be responsive to those concerns.
Lastly, he talked about the company’s involvement in the Security Industry Association (SIA) cybersecurity committee and becoming a member of the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST). “As a company, Hikvision is trying to be as open and transparent as possible,” he said.
Jeffrey He, vice president, Hikvision, and president, Hikvision USA and Hikvision Canada, opened and closed the proceedings. Without going into too much detail, the executive acknowledged numerous challenges the Chinese manufacturer had recently faced, particularly economic and political.
However, he was pleased with how they were being dealt with and the firm’s ongoing success. During the closing question-and-answer segment, He responded to the intensified attention Hikvision had received regarding its Chinese government ownership and cybersecurity. “We have to adhere to the highest standards to offset the concerns and accusations,” He said. “We have to demonstrate how we can be trusted so people will say, ‘They’re not such bad guys.’”
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About the Author
Scott Goldfine
Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].
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