An Executive Move to Samsung Techwin: Interview with Jonas Andersson

Jonas Andersson is Senior Vice President for product planning and strategic marketing for the security solutions division of Samsung Techwin. He joined the company in January 2013 having worked for the previous 18 years for Axis Communications in a number of senior roles, including Director of Video Product Management and Video Solutions and for the last five years, Business Development Director. He was also Chairman of the ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) Steering Committee between November 2008 and December 2012. He discussed his move here for the readers of GIT-SECURITY.com.

GIT-SECURITY.com: There will be many in the security and IT industries who will be surprised that you have left Axis, which is such a high-profile and successful company. Can you tell us why you decided to do so?

Jonas Andersson: It was not a decision that I made lightly as I enjoyed my time at Axis Communications and it was great to be able to contribute to the success of a highly respected team which has achieved so much. The opportunity to continue to progress my career in a senior product planning and strategic marketing role for Samsung Techwin proved to be irresistible. This was because I welcomed the responsibility that comes with the role, but also because in the process of considering whether to join the company, I was inspired by the levels of enthusiasm of the people I met, all of whom were determined to ensure that Samsung Techwin could take up the number one market leadership position.

There are a number of manufacturers who, knowing your track record, would have been very keen to recruit your services. What was it that attracted you to join Samsung Techwin?

Jonas Andersson: The opportunity to work alongside and offer leadership to a highly talented product development team, and to have the responsibility of driving the process of creating and driving future product strategies was clearly one of the main reasons why I wanted to take up this new role at Samsung Techwin. The security solutions division is clearly determined to mirror the success of the consumer and industrial divisions of the Samsung Group. It is extremely exciting and motivating to have the opportunity to play a key role in helping the company deliver its ambitious yet achievable growth target.

How do you see the security solutions division changing over the coming months?

Jonas Andersson: It is a little too early to reveal any ideas on long term strategy. What is clear is that Samsung Techwin continues to enjoy a significant share of the traditional analogue-based security solutions market and in many European countries it is the number one analogue brand. We are however now poised to achieve the same level of success with an impressive end-to-end IP network solutions range which includes NVRs, license-free viewing and recording software, and an impressive line-up of high-definition megapixel cameras. Working closely with independent software vendors is part of our Smart Security philosophy, which is about making it easy for customers who are looking for a gradual transition from an existing analogue system to a full IP network-based surveillance solution. Axxon, Aimetis, Digifort, Griffid, Ipronet, Exacq, Genetec, ISS, Milestone, Mirasys, ONssi and Seetec are among the list of video management software developers that we have been working with because of their ability to offer ‘open' software specifically designed to facilitate the integration of equipment and systems from different manufacturers.

How long will Samsung Techwin continue to offer analogue based products?

Jonas Andersson: There is still a strong demand for analogue based solutions and this is reflected in our product portfolio, which provides customers with the flexibility to choose the best solution for the job in hand. In fact, the recent development of 960H recording technology has enabled us to launch a new range of DVRs which, when added to an analogue system, can provide an instant and dramatic improvement in the display and recording resolution of images captured by industry standard analogue cameras. I would expect to see this method of upgrading an existing analogue system to be very popular among end-users who do not yet to have sufficient reason to change to a Video over IP system. Whilst we will continue to provide support for projects where an analogue solution is still required, there is no doubt that the longer term future is all about offering integrated security products and systems which take full advantage of the benefits afforded by IP network-based solutions.

Over the last two years Samsung Techwin has introduced over 200 new products. Do you envisage that your product portfolio will continue to grow at the same rate over the next year or so?

Jonas Andersson: Many of the products recently introduced have in fact been part of our IP network range and have proved to be a great success. There will, however, be a lower number of new products launched over the coming months. Having said that, we will not of course hesitate to introduce updated products as and when new technology becomes available or when we identify a gap in the market. A good example of this is the recent introduction of the seven new models in our ‘affordable' LiteNet HD network camera series. Until now, the relatively high price of HD cameras has prohibited their use for the vast majority of projects and feedback from the marketplace told us that customers were reluctant to pay for features that they may never need. We have therefore produced the LiteNet cameras and domes specifically to overcome this issue in that they incorporate most of the important features associated with HD technology, but at an affordable price level.

You were previously the Chairman of the ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) Steering Committee. How is your passion for achieving the objectives of ONVIF likely to impact on Samsung Techwin's future product marketing strategy?

Jonas Andersson: ONVIF is an open industry forum for the development of a global standard for the interface of network video products. It is committed to the adoption of network video in the security market and the ONVIF standard is intended to ensure interoperability between network video products regardless of the manufacturer. Samsung Techwin has always shared ONVIF's vision and many of our products are compliant with the current standards. The company has in fact been a full member of ONVIF since June 2009 and as such has had the opportunity to actively participate in the development of the standard. Users are increasingly looking to gain maximum benefit from their investment in security. This means a requirement for an integrated solution where different systems are able to interact with each other and be controlled and monitored via a single display screen. With this in mind, Samsung Techwin has an ongoing program to integrate with leading ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) that offer ‘open' software specifically designed to facilitate the integration of equipment and systems of different origin. This provides customers with the flexibility to choose the perfect combination of security products to match their specific requirements. No two businesses or organizations will have the same operational requirements, and different market sectors, such as education, transport, healthcare, military, local government, etc. will face varying levels of threats to their people, property and assets. Samsung Techwin is however now ideally placed to provide the correct solution for virtually any application, regardless of the size or complexity of the project or the environmental conditions.

You are clearly confident that Samsung Techwin can continue to grow at what seems an exponential rate.

Jonas Andersson: Yes and this is based on a belief that we will be able to continue to develop video surveillance and access control products that are able to meet the current and future needs of security professionals. Our products utilize innovative technologies, many of which are unique to Samsung Techwin, and can deliver benefits and outstanding value to those involved in combating criminal and terrorist activity, whilst offering time and cost-saving advantages to installers and system integrators. As an added benefit, the same products and technologies can offer operational advantages for a wide range of other applications. For example, health and safety compliance, process control and improving the efficiency of assembly lines are just a few of the ways in which video surveillance systems are being effectively used by the manufacturing industry, whilst within the retail market sector high-definition cameras equipped with video analytics can provide store management and merchandisers with invaluable information about customer behavior.