Axis looks to banking and government as growth verticals

CHELMSFORD, Mass.—Citing the opportunities in the financial and� government sectors, network camera provider Axis Communications is beefing up its business development team and has created new positions to oversee those sectors.

Education was the first vertical market to move from analog to IP systems, followed by retail. The next big vertical market opportunity is banking, according to Scott Dunn, Axis director of business development for North America. “Banking is a big, fertile space that's been so heavily analog for so long,” he said.

Axis has hired Stephen Joseph, who was previously with Tyco Integrated Security, to be Axis' first North American business development manager for banking and finance. John Merlino, previously with LENEL, has been named business development manager for government programs.

Dunn said there are many opportunities in banking for video systems to be “cross-functional” like they are in retail “because IP can be shared by multiple users � the video can be shared with the business operation [for business intelligence and] to create a better customer experience.”

In concert with analytics, IP video can notify the business operation if there's “a long line at the ATM or teller, or if a homeless person is sleeping in the ATM vestibule,” Dunn said.

Because most customers conduct their banking online or at ATM machines, the needs of banks have changed.

Axis Communications' “DNA in IT” is very important as cyber security becomes more of a concern for banking and government customers, Dunn said.

“Some competitors believe that because they can connect [their cameras] to the network that's good enough,” Dunn said. “But we've always taken great care to support standard IT protocol for [cyber] security in our products, authorization at the switch, IP address filtering, SSL encryptions.”

Cyber security is the foremost concern for federal government clients, he said.

As Axis did for the retail space, it has been developing specific products for the banking and government verticals.

In addition to educating end users and working with Axis' technical partners and sales force, Joseph and Merlino are charged with getting feedback from customers for future product enhancements.

Axis has made other changes in its business development organization. Robert Muehlbauer will manage the Axis Technology Partner Program and Architect and Engineer program teams. John Bartolac will manage vertical segment teams.