Interview with Lucas Lee, the New Managing Director for Samsung Techwin Europe

At the beginning of 2010 Samsung Techwin took over responsibility for the supply and support for both Samsung Techwin and Samsung Electronics electronic security product ranges. During 2010 Samsung worked hard to make the internal merger a success. GIT-SECURITY.com had the opportunity to ask Lucas Lee, the new Managing Director for Samsung Techwin Europe, about the progress they have made and their plans for the future.

GIT-SECURITY.com: Mr. Lee, you have already worked within Samsung Techwin‘s professional security division before you were appointed as Managing Director of Samsung Techwin Europe Ltd. How was your start and how do you evaluate Samsung's position in the security industry?

Lucas Lee: I have actually been working for Samsung Techwin for over 15 years, and prior to the Security Solutions division being set up in 2008 I was working for the consumer camera business. Before this time security equipment was a product line we were involved in, but it was at a very modest scale compared to what we see today. When the security solutions division was formed I was made responsible for overseas sales and marketing, that is everything outside of Korea. Our focus was to become a full solutions provider and we focussed on using our R&D and manufacturing expertise to broaden our product portfolio into new areas such as DVRs, speed domes and iPOLiS network products - all of which were very well received in the market place. Then, more recently following the transfer of Samsung Electronics security business to that of Samsung Techwin, we have introduced Access Control, Door Entry and Intruder Detection products allowing us realise our goal of delivering complete security solutions. In terms of our position in the market place I believe we are unrivalled in being able to deliver what the customer wants using the most advanced technology, which offers enhanced benefits over what our competitors can offer and better overall value. We listen very carefully to our customers and have the expertise to bring solutions to market very quickly - we are constantly improving and setting the benchmark for others to follow.

I can imagine that 2010 was a very busy year for Samsung. What has been achieved after the announcement of the internal merger and the plans for a combined product push last year?

Lucas Lee: Yes, a lot happened during 2010. Our security solutions team more than doubled in size globally and we introduced around 170 new products into a "single Samsung" portfolio following the transfer. As I mentioned earlier, we also introduced new business areas such as Access Control where we hadn't had an offering before so there has been a lot of work behind the scenes in ensuring we have the right people and processes to support that kind of technology. I am pleased to say that we are already seeing major successes and as a single Samsung we have the resource and focus to achieve our goal of becoming the number one security brand.

With good success Samsung was putting a lot of R&D efforts into the development of analogue products in the past. Will that continue or will you shift your focus more to IP products in the future?

Lucas Lee: We are driven by the demands of our customers and, whilst keeping a leading position in analogue by focusing more on vertical applications, IP clearly offers a big opportunity for us. We can definitely say that 2011 will be the year of the network in terms of our product development. With Samsung having world leading expertise in both networks and security, we are well placed to ensure our next generation IP security solutions offer exactly what are customers want.

Last year at your Vision Day conference and the big trade fairs you were presenting Samsungs new access control products to the market. Will you continue to broaden your offering for this segment?

Lucas Lee: Absolutely yes. We have a full roadmap for our range of access control products this year as we look to bolster our offering. Access control plays an important part in our plans in developing total security solutions and the integration between video and access control in particular is something that we believe will be one of our major successes this year. We have successfully recruited Access Control specialists in product management, technical and sales to support our activity too.

Excellent products have always been a good basis for business, but customers tend to ask for more e.g. Full service packages, technical support, 24/7 service, etc. How do you cope with these demands?

Lucas Lee: We have always believed that we cannot be successful by providing only the best products and solutions alone, but we need to back it up with the best support packages too. We have had in place for some time a full three-year warranty across our product portfolio, pan-European service centres with a five-day repair turnaround promise in the event that something does go wrong and we are currently bolstering our technical support teams across Europe to ensure that the vast majority of our customers will have a local language contact to speak to about specific technical issues. We are also looking at new ways to service customers. Being a global business we can benefit from the resources we have across the world and we are currently building integrated global technical support systems to provide 24-hour coverage.

To sum up, what can we expect from Samsung in 2011?

Lucas Lee: I think better service, even better products and world-class solutions that not only improve the safety and security of people, but also deliver other business benefits. We will also be looking to add to our team, including the recruitment of quality assurance staff and additional Business Development Managers throughout Europe to ensure our products and solutions are brought to the attention of the widest possible audience. This year Samsung will place a cornerstone in its security business to become a leading total security solutions provider utilizing the benefits of business integration, leading digital technology and our strong brand power. It will definitely be an exciting year for us!