Videcon Appoints Dave Tate as New Sales Director

Videcon are pleased to announce the appointment of Dave Tate as Sales Director alongside a continuously growing sales team. Dave brings with him a wealth of experience in sales and leadership coupled with over twenty years’ experience in the security industry.

“I am delighted to join Videcon at such a pivotal stage in the company's innovation and expansion“ said Dave,“and I hope to bring some fresh and new ideas along with a culture of ‘Customer First, Second Nature“ as the foundation of our focus”.

Dave joins Videcon from his role as National Sales Leader at ADI where he was responsible for the implementation of the sales strategy and ensuring the sales teams were fully aligned with all non-sales departments. In turn, driving cross functional collaboration and improving service delivery and customer experience.

Utilising his knowledge and experience for his new role as Sales Director at Videcon, Dave has taken on responsibility of leading the sales team and strategy, introducing more efficient sales processes, and the continuous monitoring and evolving of the product portfolio across the CCTV, fire, intruder and access divisions.

“I realised that this was an opportunity for me that I could not ignore” said Dave when speaking about his new role at Videcon “their willingness to invest where needed, their commitment to the customers, their ambitious goals and their agility and flexibility when faced with difficult situations, like those we have all seen over the past 24 months. It is for these reasons I am delighted to be onboard and am looking forward with great optimism to the journey ahead.”

Managing Director, Matt Rushall said “I am very excited to introduce Dave to our fantastic team. Dave’s experience in our industry is impressive but this was not the main reason for adding Dave to the board. Even more important is that Dave has a natural fit with our culture and is fully on board with our ethos of everything we do being about looking after our customers.

I am absolutely confident that with Dave’s support and guidance our Security sales team will go from strength to strength. I see the recruitment of Dave as a real statement of intent, underlining our ambition to continue growing strongly and being excellent at what we do. The other Directors and myself look forward to working with Dave and offer him a very warm welcome!

Established in 1995 and with branches across the UK, Videcon is a leading UK distributor of CCTV, fire, intruder, access control and other associated security products. Supplying only the highest quality products and five-star customer support and technical know-how, Videcon provides a complete solution for professional security installers.

To get in touch, contact us on 01924 528000 or at sales@videcon.co.uk 

National Defence Authority Act: The Effects, the Benefits, and the Future of Security

In our ever-changing global economic climate, organisations of all shapes and sizes have prioritised security solutions to ensure their assets are protected – especially for Governments whose assets can hold great significance in terms of sensitivity and overall national security. That’s why governments have established a need to show significant diligence when it comes to selecting the security organisations that they choose to work with. From the overall running and administration of these security organisations to the components that make up the equipment itself - governments need consider everything that can pose a potential threat.

The United States’ National Defence Authority Act (NDAA) has proven to be a hot topic within the industry since its formation in 2019, especially here in the UK.As the impact of the ruling begins to make its way over the Atlantic, it poses a significant change to the industry and how suppliers will operate going forward to ensure that they adhere to the new laws.

What is the National Defence Authority Act?

The NDAA was first implemented in 2019, with Section 889 of the act coming into fruition this year. The legislature was brought in to help prohibit the use of selected video surveillance, telecommunication services, equipment, and components that are manufactured by certain vendors with the overall goal to quash the threat posed to national cyber security. There have been several companies that have been identified by the US government as organisations to avoid – including the likes of Hikvision, Dahua, Huawei, and their subsidiary HiSilicon who are all major players in the security industry on a global scale. This list of companies isn’t exclusive, and more could be added to it. Section 889 of the NDAA specifies that no government organisation should install equipment that has been created and supplied by one of the blacklisted organisations and from working with contracted companies that are using equipment from those same manufacturers.

How Does the NDAA Affect Organisations in the UK?

Though the NDAA is a law that has been implemented by the US government, it potentially has serious implications for companies from across all sectors here in the UK and further afield. As both the US government and US businesses are closely aligned with global operations, the regulations outlined in the NDAA will have a greater impact than expected. Businesses based in the UK who are working for US based companies or are in the process of expanding their service to work on a global scale will be affected, as organisations and their operations become increasingly intertwined. These changes set out by the NDAA could be especially important for UK businesses who, after Brexit, are looking away from Europe and over the Atlantic for their new business opportunities.

When looking to invest in new security or telecoms equipment, UK-based companies with the USA in their sights should seriously consider avoiding equipment by blacklisted companies. Section 889 of the NDAA states that US government organisations are banned from working with companies using equipment from blacklisted organisations like Hikvision or Huawei. This means that any companies based in the UK using this technology, unless changed, may find it difficult to create or maintain connections with US businesses. It is also likely that those with connections already or are owned by a US organisation may be forced to adhere to procedures set out by sec 889, which could come a quite a cost if it means changing security set ups at short notice.

What are the Benefits of Using NDAA-Compliant Equipment?

At Videcon, we have been quick to react to the implementation of section 889, recognising the benefits of being able to give companies the option of using NDAA compliant equipment. Videcon are committed to ensuring their entire range of technology is complaint with the NDAA. As well as our own British brand, Concept Pro, we have also partnered with global security manufacturer Uniview, who have been providing compliant equipment that doesn’t use HiSilicon components since 2017.

Beyond building potential partnerships with US-based organisations, there are many benefits that come from utilising NDAA-compliant equipment – it can also provide your customers here in the UK with assurances that none of their data can be accessed, copied, or tampered with – giving them peace of mind and helping you to adhere with GDPR regulations.

Whilst generally complying with the US government and its partners is a substantial argument to avoid the ‘blacklist’ companies in Section 889, the regulations do come from genuine concerns about how data is accessed through technology. GDPR is in place to protect consumer data, and the security industry is under constant scrutiny for the way data is processed. With this in mind, we have invested in key technologies and solutions that help security professions protect data and comply with GDPR and NDAA regulations.

How does the Future Look for the Security Industry with NDAA-Compliant Technology?

The rules and restrictions that have been set out by section 889 and the National Defence Authority Act may only be the start of a security industry that is more restrictive in the technology and components that they can create and distribute – with the global economic climate everchanging and the stakes ever higher. Following the controversial decision by the UK government to continue contracts with Huawei, and having seen the impact of the section 889 in the UK, it certainly can’t be out of the realm of possibility that we could see a similar law implemented by our own government and across Europe. This possibility is even higher now in the UK as the necessity to solidify working relationships with the US following Brexit taking priority as well as our national security.

No matter your industry, it’s incredibly important to have a grasp and an understanding of the ever-changing laws around our data security and to make sure you have the correct security equipment in place to protect your business and your working prospects for the future.

For information on our Videcon range of NDAA-compliant CCTV products, you can simply give us a call on 01924 528000 or at sales@videcon.co.uk 

This article appeared in the November issue of Professional Security Magazine 

To celebrate the launch of 'ColourSmart' - our 24/7 colour CCTV camera from Concept Pro we invited local graffiti artist, Hyro to our HQ to create a one-of-a-kind mural. 

“The inspiration behind the artwork was the new camera by Concept Pro" said artist Hyro, "the mural depicts ColourSmart mixed with security and elements of CCTV". 

 

Working with Bolton based 'Total Productions', we were able to capture the piece being created from start to finish - which included the full colour imagery still clear and crisp into the early hours of the morning. 

Offering crystal clear images day and night, the new 5MP fixed lens turret is a stand out addition to the Concept Pro range. Combining deep learning technology, ColourSmart can drastically reduce false alarms compared to traditional motion detection due to being able to distinguish people and vehicles from other moving objects - therefore alerts are only sent for events that matter most.

It was a delight to welcome Hyro to our offices to create this fantastic piece of art to celebrate the launch of our new range of 24/7 full colour cameras” said our Managing Director, Matt Rushall

“The pandemic has been a tough time for everyone, so when we had the idea to have a mural at our head office to commemorate the launch of the ColourSmart – we didn’t think twice about bringing in a local artist to help boost the sector and showcase the talent that we have within our region.”

“Like everyone, the last year has been difficult and as an artist it has been difficult to find work" Hyro explains "but it’s great to see companies like Videcon supporting local artists and facilitating me to be able to do the thing I’m most passionate about. I enjoyed it and I’m glad how it turned out”.

The work with Hyro is the latest in a number of our local collaborations over the last 12 months and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working with businesses, schools, and care homes throughout Yorkshire and beyond, we provided technology that helped limit the spread of Coronavirus, including; face-mask detection and temperature detection.

Going forward, we aim to support young people in the region by introducing a new apprenticeship scheme. The scheme, which begins in June next month offers young people a chance to gain experience in all aspects of the business covering; Sales, Finance, Marketing, Technical Support, Customer Services, and Operations.

 Hyro working on the ColourSmart mural at our headquarters in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire.

Shot by Leo Collier-Bett of Efendi Films. 

The National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) is a hot topic right now, especially in the European parliament. But what exactly is it and why should it matter to you?

Firstly, what is the NDAA?

The National Defence Authorisation Act, is US Government Legislature designed to prohibit the use of video surveillance, telecommunications services, equipment and components manufactured by specific vendors in order to quell threats posed to Cyber Security and in turn, security and surveillance. 

HiSilicon is a subsidiary of one of the vendors, Huawei, and are a major supplier of components across the whole CCTV industry for IP Cameras, Network Video Recorders and Digital Video Recorders

How do I know if I am installing NDAA compliant cameras?

A good place to start is by reading IPVM's Guide To The NDAA Video Surveillance Ban / Blacklists which provides a list of manufacturers affected by the ban.

How will the NDAA affect me?

Section 889 of the National Defense Authorisation Act doesn’t just prevent government organisations from deploying cameras manufactured by the blacklisted companies. It also bans them from conducting business with any organisation that is using them. This has serious implications for UK & European companies conducting business in a global landscape where organisations and operations are increasingly connected. UK & European based companies who are contemplating buying video surveillance products from one of the Section 889 listed manufacturers may find they come into difficulties It is also likely companies either connected to or with ownership in the US may enforce the procedures directed by section 889.

Furthermore, by choosing NDAA compliant cameras, your customers can be assured that their confidential data cannot be accessed, copied or tampered with - which is so important for GDPR!

NDAA compliant products at Videcon

Videcon are committed to cyber security and meeting the ever-changing requirements of the security industry. Our flagship Great British CCTV brand, Concept Pro, is developed in the UK and manufactured using South Korean technology and we remain committed to ensuring there is a complete range of NDAA compliant products, without HiSilicon components, in the Concept Pro range. 

We have also partnered with Uniview to provide a complete range of NDAA compliant CCTV products to our customers looking for an alternative solution, 

For more information, speak to our sales team on 01924 528000

We are now recruiting 3 apprentices to become the future stars of our business.

Are you:

• Ambitious with a can-do attitude
• Ready to work for a company that is growing and LOVES to promote from within
• Aged between 16 and 24
• Within commuting distance of WF16 0PN

And that’s it! No experience or particular previous skills needed - we recruit for attitude and train for skill!

You will join an apprenticeship program that will see you rotate around several different 4 to 6 month secondments covering Sales, Finance, Marketing, Technical Support, Customer Services and Operations.

You will also get a formal apprenticeship qualification and if all goes well, a route to a permanent job.

Come and join a winning team and the Videcon Family and be a star.

Email your interest to
careers@videcon.co.uk

When Ajax entered the market, they immediately set about disrupting it.

Building it from scratch, they combined previously non-existent technology with a functional and sleek design. Fully programmable via your Smart phone, tablet or desktop computer and featuring the Ajax jeweller wireless technology.  It allows devices to connect from up to

2000 metres away, increases battery life for up to 7 years, encrypts data, and transmits alarms from detectors to the hub within 0.15 seconds.

Since launch, Ajax has securely established itself as the smart number one choice for ambitious and modern home owners and those working in smaller spaces.  For the first time ever, an alarm system has become a fashion statement.

All accessible by sleek control panels and smartphone devices, the range includes:

• Indoor Security
• Outdoor Security
• Fire Detection
• Flood Prevention
• Panic alarms

Any installer wishing to advance their business by offering the latest tech and smart modern solutions, is considering Ajax.  But a great product alone will not suffice.  With a network of 4 showrooms, online ordering with a cut off as late as 5.30pm for next day delivery, technical experts on hand and reliable stock availability, Videcon is the natural distribution partner for Ajax.

Matt Rushall, MD of Videcon commented “The Ajax range is amazing.  The combination of design and tech means that for the first time people actually care about their alarm systems as accessories and are enthusiastically searching out installers who can fit them.  We will support those installers within our community who want to grow their businesses on the back of Ajax.  We’ll do this by offering the same high level of service which has seen Ajax seek us out as their partner of choice.  It’s not rocket science; the installer community want quick delivery, reliable supply, great prices and ease of ordering.

That’s what we give them.”

Steve Norman of Ajax said of the partnership “Videcon are expert added value distributors with a reputation for honesty and ethical practices.

Very much in the mould of Ajax, they combine a forward thinking vision with in-depth knowledge of the local markets and product range.  Their whole purpose is to assist their communities to deliver best in class solutions. They do this with an outstanding service model which we know installers will love.”

Concept Pro's Deep Learning Plus can now be fully integrated with existing analytic platforms!

Integration with IMMIX, the industry-leading monitoring software, makes Deep Learning Plus an even more attractive to prospect to installers, monitoring stations and end users alike

Please get in touch to find out more: 01924 528000 or sales@videcon.co.uk

Videcon Ltd, Unit 1 Concept Bus. Park, Smithies Lane, Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, WF16 0PN Sales : +44(0)1924 528000 | Technical: +44(0)1924 528004 | Customer Service: +44(0)1924 528006 Videcon South, Unit 5, Bridge Gate Centre, Martinfield, Welwyn, Garden City, AL7 1JG Office: (01707) 932 555 | Sales : +44(0)1924 528000 | Customer Service: +44(0)1924 528006

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