It would be easy to see why Rick Caruthers might seem like his head is in the clouds recently, but then there is certainly good reason for it.
In December of last year the Board of Directors of Digital Systems Corporation, the parent company of Galaxy Control Systems, appointed Caruthers to the position of President at Galaxy Control Systems, succeeding longtime executive Robert Laughlin. For someone who had been dedicated to the sustained success of Galaxy for more than 17 years, assuming the top spot was a natural progression that both he and Laughlin welcomed.
However, the most visible manifestation of cloud watching for Caruthers and the Galaxy technology team is its broadening base of cloud-service solutions that offer real-time monitoring and access control systems that can be controlled through PC, tablets and mobile app options, which have created expanded profit centers for its dealers and flexible security strategies for its end-user clients.
“Well, the big thing, obviously, is the change of guard at Galaxy. That's something that we had had in place as a succession plan for several years, so we made that change. That move freed us up to make some internal changes as well. We’re building up the knowledge base at Galaxy and I've got to shift some of that responsibility to other areas,” Caruthers says. “We've been blessed with a lot of long-term customers and a lot of long-term people inside, but you know, they're (our clients and dealers) facing roadmaps that are 10 years or 15 years out, and I've got to start building the team around what's going to be next on the technology front. So that's where we're at, and the last couple of years we've really evolved our cloud technology. We came out two years ago and we introduced the cloud solution at ISC West. We tripled sales in 2017 to 2018, then we quadrupled sales in '18.”
Now Caruthers admits that Galaxy is on a pace to do more than 10 times that figure in 2019.
Riding That Cloud
“It's going to be extremely crazy. We've built an entire team around it (the cloud) where we've got a full customer support team along with the engineering staff and development,” explains Caruthers, who points out that beginning in January, Galaxy constructed a robust cloud development team. “We had to have people dedicated to making this real, and then we had our traditional on-premise development team as well. Our new goal is to merge the two together and make one unified team and technology platform.”
He says the solution is an all web-based system on the front end that will provide the dealer with several configurations. “Dealers are going to be able to go to the customer and say, ‘Where do you want your data? Do you want your server in-house or would you prefer your server in the cloud?"’
The Galaxy Control Systems portfolio is centered on the company’s powerful System Galaxy v11.02 and Cloud Concierge access control platforms, which accommodate the latest reader technologies and technology trends, as well as holistic VMS integration. The versatile offering provides resellers and users with the unique ability to implement the access control solution that best fits their specific needs and budget according to Caruthers, adding that this RMR opportunity will help supplant the lost revenue many dealers are suffering as they see traditional monitoring business fade with the advent of Ring and other wireless home and commercial protection solutions like SimpliSafe.
“These types of technology options are crushing dealer RMR opportunities. So, we unveiled a cloud-based badging solution at ISC West we think the dealers and end users will really like,” Caruthers says. “Our badging-hosted software is in the cloud now, so all the customer has to do is put a badge printer on site and they can create their badges through the cloud, and then print them anywhere in the world. The dealers are charging an RMR-fee for badges. The dealer can also say that if you don’t want to handle badging in-house, let us be your printer. The dealer can now set up a print server and become a print farm for all their customers taking away all the worry that comes with large-batch badging.”
New Badging Solution Leads the Way
Galaxy is already servicing many of its smaller clients with the badging option, eliminating all the back-office work that comes with photo capturing, data collection, printing and credential management. The cloud migration strategies Galaxy is touting for mid-sized to enterprise-class access control systems is also being driven by its growing array of Internet-based and mobile app technologies. Its LaunchPoint, PersonPoint and DoorPoint access control suites have been customer driven admits Caruthers, saying clients like Baylor Health Systems have taken Galaxy down its current technology path.
“We started out with 20 readers (at Baylor Health) and they are currently at more than 8,400 readers, and they are continuing to grow. They just bought another health system that will add another 2,000 Galaxy readers,” says Caruthers, who expects to see Baylor Health at more than 10,000 access control readers before the close of 2021. “Some of our corporate customers drug us this way and I think some of our corporate customers are kind of pushing us toward this cloud offering and how to strengthen our present cloud solution. We really thought the cloud was going to be more for our smaller systems, mom and pop shops, but it's the opposite. I’ve got a 300-reader community college in New York that's moving over as we speak.”
Cloud Acceptance
The fact that the stigma of compromised security related to cloud solutions dissipates as more success stories like those of Galaxy clients are shared has been a huge selling point for its array of cloud suites, according to Caruthers. He also cites the ubiquitous deployment of mobile smartphones in almost every environment and online products like Office 365 as factors. Having earned the status as a trusted technology advisor in the DOD space hasn’t hurt the Galaxy message either adds Caruthers.
“Dragging the same technology that we’ve supplied the DOD over the years and that rides on their top-secret networks makes a big difference when we have the conversation with commercial clients. They see what level of security they will be getting in our cloud solution,” says Caruthers. “That is an absolute confidence-builder for sure.”
About the Author:
Steve Lasky is the Editorial Director of Endeavor’s SecurityInfoWatch Security Media, which includes print publications Security Technology Executive, Security Business, Locksmith Ledger Int’l, and the world’s most trafficked security web portal SecurityInfoWatch.com. He is a 32-year veteran of the security industry and a 27-year member of ASIS.
