Editor's note: The following article is sponsored advertising content from HPE OEM Solutions.
Vista has over 25 years of experience in the CCTV industry and belongs to the UK’s most successful distributor of IP video and CCTV solutions, Norbain, with customers throughout the UK and into 77 countries across five continents. Vista differentiates its products primarily based on quality, reliability, and support, counting on the HPE OEM program to deliver flexible servers backed by HPE services. This partnership ensures that customers can count on Vista and HPE to reliably support their business objectives.
With a strong focus on service and a commitment to providing the best solutions available in the market, Vista continuously evaluates the latest technologies and delivers innovative solutions backed by world-class logistics.
The company develops value-added video management software and needs reliable server platforms that can be tailored to meet customer requirements, and dependable support that can be delivered worldwide.
With those requirements in mind, Vista selected the Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) OEM program to provide the platforms and services needed to support its software solutions.
According to Gary Rowden, Divisional Director - Product Management and Business Development for Vista, “We needed servers that could leverage the value of our Qulu software and provide customers with reliable platforms for important functions, such as CCTV security monitoring. HPE has delivered a seamless integration experience for us, and our OEM partnership is helping us scale our business and support our customers more effectively.”
Selecting the right partners
Norbain had an existing strategic partnership with Avnet Embedded, an HPE OEM distribution partner. Avnet Embedded provides advice and technical support on every step of the journey from product concept to production.
“We’ve been working with Avnet Embedded for over 10 years, and they help us develop faster, more robust, and more secure solutions for our clients,” says Rowden. “Avnet Embedded also provides us with the logistical services we need to deliver our products on schedule. But as our products started becoming more powerful and intelligent, we needed smarter servers and global support so we began evaluating server vendors.”
After initially considering a number of other providers, Norbain selected the HPE OEM program. “We concluded that HPE has a much better model for supporting product distribution,” states Rowden. “HPE was better equipped to provide the flexible platforms and logistical support we need to efficiently provide our customers with innovative solutions.”
Because Vista operates in the fast paced Security marketplace, reliable on-time delivery and after-sales support is crucial. “HPE provides the reliable delivery times we need so we can load our software and distribute integrated solutions to our customers,” says Rowden. “HPE also provide us with the product quality and reliability levels that customers demand.”
For example, Vista offers security video recording solutions. “On the CCTV side, one of the most important aspects is not just the quality of the images being recorded but the robustness and longevity of the recording,” explains Rowden. “If a customer pays good money for a security system and has a problem with recording or accessing the video it puts the entire purpose of our solution into jeopardy. An important aspect of our messaging is that we not only get the product right up front, but we can also quickly resolve any problems. The HPE OEM program provides us with reliable servers that minimize customer problems and help us increase the value of our Vista solutions.”
While most of Vista’s business is in the UK, the company is increasingly distributing its solutions worldwide. “We try to deliver a consistent experience to all of our customers, so relying on HPE servers that can be shipped worldwide allows us to avoid extensive customizations of our solutions,” states Rowden. “Our OEM relationship with HPE not only allows us to protect our brand value in the UK, it also differentiates our solutions internationally. Our customers find comfort in knowing that our applications are being delivered on HPE servers that are backed by HPE support.”
Solutions based on HPE platforms are backed by HPE Foundation Care Services. “No matter where in the world a customer is located, they can reach HPE to address any hardware issues,” explains Rowden. “This provides customers with more comfort in selecting our solutions and helps us build our brand value through the quality and availability of our after-sales support.”
Building innovative solutions
Vista leverages the HPE OEM program to support the development of innovative offerings for its customers. “Our integrators appreciate that our applications are bundled on HPE servers because they in turn can sell the value of HPE hardware and services to their customers,” says Rowden. “There are many low-cost solutions in our market, so the ability to differentiate ourselves is essential to our success. When a customer knows that a solution that we provide is powered by HPE, they realize the total cost of ownership advantages of selecting solutions from Vista or our integration partners.”
The partnerships that Norbain has established with HPE and Avnet Embedded are helping both Vista and Norbain drive business growth. He concludes, “While Avnet Embedded helps us build better products and deliver faster results, the HPE OEM program helps us deliver quality, reliability, and support that helps us differentiate our solutions from lower-costs offerings in the market.”
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