Interview with Peter Hawksworth, CEO of Security Products from Siemens

As you can read in our cover story on page 10 in GIT SECURITY 6, Vanderbilt Industries last month entered into an agreement to acquire Siemens' Security Products (SP) business. As part of the Siemens Building Technologies Division, the business segment Security Products focuses on the development of cutting-edge access control and intrusion detection products and systems plus video surveillance products. Security Products from Siemens has gone through a major restructuring recently and has as a result centralized a good part of their business in Sollna, Sweden. In parallel Security  Products has invested largely in new product lines for access control and intrusion detection and has presented the results at Security Essen. Heiko Baumgartner had the opportunity to discuss with Peter Hawksworth, CEO of Security Products from Siemens, the new product lines and developments in the market. The interview was done just before the acquisition by Vanderbuilt Industries was announced.

GIT SECURITY.com: How is business going for the Security Products group?

Peter Hawksworth: We are happy with the latest developments. During our transition phase we have kept all major clients and have gained more than 100 new customers. We have managed the turn-around at Security Products and  it is a profitable business again. Now with our new lean structure organization we have accelerated the development of new products and we are proud to show our new portfolio here in Essen and at future shows.

Integration and solutions for vertical markets are two hot topics here in Essen. How do you manage this challenge as a product supplier?

Peter Hawksworth: One of our biggest assets to fulfill these requirements from the market is the close contact we have with the end-users of our products. With our lean structure it is easier to develop new product lines in close cooperation with them now. One recent example is the cooperation we have with a bank. We discussed in detail with them the technical platforms they use, we analysed their specific needs and what integration work was necessary, and have then adopted our findings in the development of our new intrusion detection products. From our customers we have heard that security is of utmost importance, but our access control products and systems also need to be designed to provide a high level of convenience. As a result, we do everything to make our products not only robust As you can read in our cover story on page 10, Vanderbilt  Industries last month entered into an agreement to acquire Siemens' Security Products (SP) business. As part of the Siemens Building Technologies Division, the business segment Security Products focuses on the development of cutting-edge access control and intrusion detection products and systems plus video surveillance products. Security Products from Siemens has gone through a major restructuring recently and has as a result centralized a good part of their business in Sollna, Sweden. In parallel Security Products has invested largely in new product lines for access control and intrusion detection and has presented the results at Security Essen. Heiko Baumgartner had the opportunity to discuss with Peter Hawksworth, CEO of Security Products from Siemens, the new product lines and developments in the market. The interview was done just before the acquisition by Vanderbuilt Industries was announced. and reliable, but also very easy to install, use and maintain.
 
When we met last time, your plan was to accelerate the development in the access control and intrusion detection markets. It looks like you have made progress on this?

Peter Hawksworth: Yes, we have added a webbased  access control for small and medium-sized businesses to our access control products portfolio. Making its debut at Security Essen, our Aliro access control system is suitable for small to medium sized commercial applications such as retail outlets, health centres or offices. It incorporates a flat system architecture with easy to use Internet based software and intuitive mobile applications. Offering a flexible yet robust access control solution, it enables system management from almost any device with Internet access and, as well as distributed applications, supports up to 512 doors, 10,000 users and 100,000 access cards. The system works with the new range of card readers announced earlier this year. These robust, attractive MiFare card readers feature an integral LED based screen that facilitates cardholder interaction by displaying messages based on a user's individual credentials.

What is new on the detection side?

Peter Hawksworth: We are introducing two new Magic dual motion detectors, which offer reliable detection of intruders and high false alarm immunity. Their performance is based on an improved version of the Siemens Matchtec algorithm, which combines passive infrared and microwave  channels to make extraordinarily accurate decisions on motion within their detection zone. We believe this will be our key differentiator in the intruder market. Both utilize our new reflex mirror (double mirror) technology which means that the overall depth of the unit is much less than competitor models. The result are small and very attractive detectors that will suit any installation. As mentioned before, the Magic detector is an example of how we listen to our clients. They have commented that having products that perform well is no longer enough. End-users are also concerned about what the device looks like and this is a topic in which we have invested time and effort. You mentioned already how flexible products need to be to meet customer requirements.

How flexible are you when it comes to the various regulations in the different European countries?

Peter Hawksworth: We need to customize our products not only for vertical markets but often also for every single country. Our popular SPC intruder alarm system range is a good example. It has recently received approvals in line with the Swiss SES EMA, French NF and Belgian TO-14 (INCERT) standards, as well as EN50131 and EN50136 standards. This confirms that the products are suitable for use in applications where end users and their insurers require compliance with these standards. This makes the range a particularly attractive choice for installers and distributors that operate in more than one country, as they no longer need to order separate products for each market.