Zicom thrives in Challenging Times

 Manas Padhye,
Sr.Manager - Product Development, Zicom

There is no denying the fact that security is of paramount importance to everyone. Needless to say, Security and Surveillance is the most happening thing in the business world. Security spending is being earmarked in everyone's financial budget. One of the leading forces in the Security and Surveillance space is Zicom Electronic Security Systems Ltd.  VARIndia spoke to Manas Padhye, Sr. Manager - Product Development, to get his insights on the latest developments on the company's front. 

What is the role of product development in Zicom product strategy?

The development of a new product or a service begins with an idea. There are several stages that follow like idea screening, business analysis, concept development, prototyping and testing - in-house as well as market, implementation, pricing, commercialization, etc. Each of these activities works hand in hand with overall organization's product and market strategy. We can say that while the overall guidelines for product development are set by the organizational strategy, the details related to the above are to be chalked out by the product development team. This requires an insight into various aspects such as the latest technology, market trends, costing, legal/compliance issues, etc.

Which product categories do you have and which category is the most challenging? 

Broadly speaking, the products can be classified as home products and commercial products. We can also have a classification based on the product line such as IDS or CCTV, Access Control, Fire Alarm system. Each one poses different challenges. The ever-changing market and customer's requirements add to it. Many commercial installations dictate reliability and ruggedness in extreme environments. In most cases, the smallest amount of malfunctioning is unacceptable. The home alarm systems call for a quick turnaround time, or quick response from the i-Alert team along with very easy user interface for even a layman to be able to easily use it. 

Tell us something about the latest trends in electronic security products?

The advancements and trends that we see in the overall electronic market apply to the electronic security systems as well. We will be seeing more and more products moving towards IP-enabled - even for the home products. Then, there will be a range of products taking advantage of the speed and mobility of the 3G technology. We can see home and office automation to be integrated with the security systems. Overall, we can also expect a growth in the necessity and affordability of electronics security products.

What are your future plans?

Considering the advancements in technology that we experience today, it is inevitable for us to upgrade our knowledge base and apply the same in an innovative way to our products and solutions. We are working on the GPRS and the 3G technology projects to reap the benefits of technology for the security industry. There are many requirements in the industry, in the video monitoring area which have so far not been addressed due to lack of connectivity or the reliability of the same. 

Technology Advances; Challenges Galore

Today, there is a big market for the electronics security products. While technology is advancing very fast, particularly applications of electronics and software, the customer is very alert and well informed. The time to go to the market is getting shorter and shorter. The whole product cycle needs to be quickened to understand technology and apply it all the same.

In order to ensure that its products meet customer's expectations, Zicom ensures a thorough testing and evaluation for any product before introducing it in the market. The company maintains high quality standards and only products passing quality tests are introduced. “For providing the solution, our expert team visits the site to perform a survey and recommend a solution after considering the identified as well as the unidentified needs of the customer. During installation and commissioning, no compromise is made and a thorough post-installation check is performed before handing over the system to the customer. In addition to this, we have a 24x7 i-Alert and an active tech-support to help address the customer's concerns,” says Manas.

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