Panasonic UK is headed in a new direction with regard to the way it designs, markets, and sells its security products, according to the recently appointed Group Manager for CCVE, Steve Proctor. Proctor, with over 30 years’ experience in the security industry including most recently 10 years at the American communications specialist NVT, said that the old distribution paradigm of relying solely on your distributors to shift product for you is dead. He admitted that Panasonic’s recent experience with distribution, including the closure of CCTV Center and severing its relationship with Norbain, had left a few observers questioning its commitment to the security market.

However, no one should doubt that security is an important sector to Panasonic, he said, nothing could be further from the truth as witness the thinking that has gone into its revamped approach.

Business, he said, has changed radically in just the past three to four years, and in this new business world, understanding your customers’ needs in depth and selling complete and integrated systems is the way to build brand and cement customer loyalty.

To that end, Panasonic is focusing on selling integrated systems with capabilities such as CCTV, fire detection, access control, video analytics, and cloud-based storage.

This will be reflected in how Panasonic presents itself at IFSEC 2014 in London. Proctor said that the company’s stand, slightly larger than in previous years, will be a showcase for its integration capabilities. […]