Roy's Monthly Gossip

Welcome to March

by Mark Rowe

Welcome to March. It’s nearly Easter! Let’s get straight into the gossip and let me start by apologising.

Not for something I wrote, but for what I didn’t, because I missed Frankie Bellavia out last month in all the noise. It was a busy month to be fair. Francesco (Frankie to his friends) has moved from Midwich and started with Security Dynamics as the sales and marketing director. What’s happening at Midwich? now I can’t tell you but you may be aware that Frankie was at Postfield Systems who were also distributors but who were acquired and Frankie soon found himself running their CCTV department or division, whatever you want to call it. However Frankie has moved on to pastures new having known Rakesh Chandna, Security Dynamics’ MD for some time. In fact in my MVD days they were just down the road from us in Perivale, right behind the Hoover building, where I crashed my car into! Now that’s another story; all I can say about that is the manager of the now Tesco store came out and told me it was not a drive through! What can I tell you about Frankie you don’t know? He once fell off his ladder while cutting his hedge falling straight through his garden gazebo? He has some very large dogs? You want to know what’s a gazebo? OK, never mind.

Access move

Also on the move is James Wheeler who is leaving Lenel and moving to ASSA so I’m told. James joined UTC or Lenel in 2008 as a field sales guy and did really well there working his way up to the regional director running UK and Ireland but added to that strangely was Bermuda? He started in our industry back in the millennium working for BPT.

Avigilon acquired

You will have heard about Motorola buying Avigilon and there are lots to read about it. At the market research firm IHS Markit analyst Jon Cropley has prepared an analysis, as I suppose someone of his job title would. For years rumours about Avigilon being acquired have been circulating. Many expected a competitor to acquire it. Instead, Motorola, a company with limited involvement in the video surveillance market, has stepped in. Their focus on public safety projects is likely to have been a major motivation. Video surveillance equipment revenue has been growing faster in the city sector than in the rest of the market. IHS forecasts this will continue and estimates that Avigilon was the eighth largest supplier of surveillance kit in 2016 with over 2pc of a global market.

Chief exec

Magicard, the manufacturers of secure ID card printers, have appointed Ian Cliffe as Chief Executive. The firm reports that over the past 18 months since an MBO backed by private equity group LDC, the investment has been significant and the company is now poised for further expansion. Ian, pictured, brings a track record in business transformation and financial and commercial experience. Ian was part of the Motorola (small world!?) leadership that carved out and integrated its Enterprise division into Zebra Technologies in 2014. In recent times, Ian was COO and then CEO of Dialogue Group where he led its sale and integration into mobile services provider CLX Communications.

Clipper cash

You may remember that the Heathrow ST17 event raised money for London’s Air Ambulance. I took a look at it last year with some from ASIS UK and can testify to the good work it does, and the need for your donations, as it’s a charity. Carl Palmer, executive chairman of guard firm CIS Security, has passed £11,000 in funds raised for the ‘copter as he (and crew) sail in the Clipper Race Around the World Challenge. In fact if you find the end of winter dark and the wind and weather generally getting you down I recommend you take a look on the CIS website at Carl’s diary. He last wrote of heading for China and of it being unbearably hot off the Australian coast and the sailors battling sea sickness and mental and physical fatigue. As for what having a ‘wet-wipe bath’ means I don’t want to dwell on it.

Other news

Hanwha Techwin Europe has a pan-European marketing and training alliance with ADI Global Distribution. What exactly does that mean? Hemant Trivedi, Regional Director for ADI said: “This represents a major investment in time for both UK based ADI Global Distribution and Hanwha Techwin personnel. It has proved time well spent as many of our sales and technical staff are now Hanwha Techwin accredited trainers and able to provide expert advice on the best combination of Wisenet cameras and recording devices for specific projects.” And talking of Hemant it seems he won a very prestigious award at ADI’s annual ‘kick-off’ meeting last month, the first time a non-American has won such an award. Congrats bud, you deserve it. Apparently his love for McDonalds came out at the same time! I can’t think where they got that from! At the same event I understand Mark Massie also received an award for EMEA leader of the year. Bet there was lots of celebrating that night.

Training course

Last but not least, at Tdsi, account manager Daniel Clark has graduated from the Dale Carnegie Sales Training course and was made star performer. Good for you, you never stop learning you know.

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