Pacom ends exclusivity, goes the reseller route

SARASOTA, Fla. - Integrated security system provider Pacom Systems is building its network of resellers, two years after Mosler Inc. went out of business holding an exclusive agreement to provide Pacom products to the financial market in North America. Twenty companies are now part of the reseller network, including Canton, Ohio-based Diebold, which had an exclusive agreement with Pacom for the first 18 months after Mosler closed up shop. Diebold signed on in early November as part of the network of resellers. While the initial exclusivity agreement helped Diebold serve stranded Mosler customers, it was time for Pacom to move away from that exclusivity, said Vince Lupe, director of product management and planning for the electronic security and currency systems group at Diebold. “Because of what happened to Mosler, customers felt like they were locked in with one person,” said Lupe. “They felt like they got burned.” Scott Oliver, senior vice president of Pacom Systems, concurred. “The banks are a little gun-shy after thinking Mosler wouldn’t go out of business and they did,” he said. Oliver expects that building a reseller group will increase the company’s business significantly. In 2004, the company is looking to grow 200 percent in not just the finance market which uses its products, but others as well. Worldwide, more than 50,000 banks use Pacom Systems’ products. The company also provides software to bring multiple security products under a single graphical user interface. For Diebold, being able to offer customers an integrated software system was key, said Lupe. Some customers want to retain portions of their current security system, he said, and Pacom gives them that option. Not only does Pacom Systems plan to offer its products through security system integrators, but the company also intends to extend that to architects and engineers, alarm dealers, consultants and banks. Some Pacom Systems resellers so far include ACP Engineering, Crow Security, Eagle Security and ISR Solutions.