Insights from AMAG
AMAG Technology Inc. moved seamlessly into its 40th year and continued to capitalize on its well-heeled Symmetry™ access control-based integrated security systems platform with the introduction of new solutions partners and new products at its 9th Annual Security Engineering Symposium in Miami this week.
AMAG had some of the cream of the crop of security consultants of the industry in attendance and it was evident that it continues to give the product, service and reliability these customers demand for the demanding vertical markets they serve—ranging from government and transportation to healthcare, education, utilities and more. And the attendees were certainly not bemoaning the recession, but talking about how much business they have and how much AMAG helps them be successful with products that have been designed to migrate easily as technology changes.
President and CEO Bob Sawyer detailed the accomplishments of AMAG, which is part of global company GS4, as well as voice of the customer initiatives and intensive R&D and product development. “We are a technology company and we do not plan our development in the dark,” said Sawyer. “Great ideas are born with this exchange of information between AMAG and our partners,” he said. “Our products use the existing infrastructure as buyers migrate to new systems. We invest heavily in R&D and will introduce the Symmetry Video Visualizer next quarter and a new Intrusion product shortly as well, so we will have a fully functional intrusion, access control and video product,” he told attendees during the opening session.
Matt Barnette, vice president of Sales and Marketing, kicked off the event with a spoof on Tiger Woods, complete with a golf-club wielding ‘wife’ who in fact was Jody Ross, director of Business Development. While the mood was light, the sessions were technical and detailed new additions to the well-specified Symmetry™ product portfolio, which includes access control, video management, alarm management, intrusion, identity management, smart cards, intercom control, guard tours, building management integration, logical access and XML open integration module.
SD&I talked one on one with Barnette, who also celebrated his birthday at the event. “The way integrators sell product has changed with technology,” Barnette said. “There’s a big shift away from hardware to more software programming. And as such the way dealers do business has changed. Now the security integrator is selling to the IT service person of a company, so how they go to market with product has changed. At the end of the day, they have to provide service,” he said.
AMAG Technology partners at the event—showing a fully integrated solution, included Axis Communications; DAP Technologies, Hawkeye, HID, Ingersoll Rand, Innometriks, Intransa, NEC, Salto, Stentofon and Winsted. – Deborah L. O’Mara
