G4S Technology creates new service and maintenance division

OMAHA, Neb.—With the goal of increasing the percentage of revenue it derives from services from 25 to 40 percent, G4S Technology, a national systems integrator and project management company for electronic security systems and communication networks, has launched a new division.

“We created the service and maintenance division in Chicago; we're trying to leverage the resources we have in house,” Sam Belbina, newly named president of G4S Technology, told Security Systems News. “Jay Jorgenson is the director [of the division],” he added.

Belbina joined G4S Technology in February as EVP. He came to G4S from Schneider Electric where he oversaw sales of Pelco video and Schneider's integrated security solutions business in the United States.

He's worked closely with Robert Sommerfeld since joining the company in preparation for taking over for Sommerfeld, who has been appointed chairman of the board of G4S Technology.

The goal is to achieve the 40 percent service revenue “18 months from September 2013,” Belbina said. “If we execute on what we've developed as a strategy, and do what we've said, we'll be able to make [that goal].”

The strategy has multiple components. One component is leveraging G4S' call center and NOC in Burlington, Mass. “VSAAS is an area we're really focused on,” he said. Among G4S's target customers for hosted video are commercial tenants in New York and high- end retail. G4S has also instituted a linkage program that provides incentives for sales people to sell services and maintenance with any contract. A third component involves going after dormant accounts. “We have hundred and hundreds of customers that we no longer service. [We're offering additional] internal incentives to go and revive those relationships. It's a win-back initiative,” Belbina explained.

In addition to its security businesses (monitoring and installation), G4S Technology has a telecom division. The telecom business makes up about 40 percent of G4S Technology's revenues, but only about 10 percent of that 40 percent is security related, Belbina said. “We do wireless networks used for wireless video [and notably] used as part of the smart city initiative,” he said.

G4S Technology is part of G4S, which is the largest guard company in the world. Leveraging the guard business, where appropriate with security technology, is also integral to G4S Technology's plans.