Samsung brings mobility enabled robot to North America

NEW YORK, N.Y.—Samsung will be offering a new border-patrol product to certain integrators—a mobility enabled armored robotic vehicle [which has yet to be formally named]—starting in 2012.

“We're leveraging our robotic portfolio to solicit some key systems integrators,” Frank DeFina, Samsung SVP Sales told Security Systems News.

The product, which integrates with the full Samsung video product line, is currently available in Korea. This will be the first time it will be made available in North America. DeFina said he'll be inviting a small number “probably fewer than ten integrators” to participate in the program.

In addition, Samsung this week will unveil a training program, called SIPI, Samsung IP Institute, under the leadership of Ed Wassall, a PhD., who joined Samsung as director of IP product and business development this summer. SIPI will offer IP security technology training classes to integrators starting in 2012. “Certain basic IT classes will be offered online. Other advanced hands-on classes will be in person,” DeFina explained.

While to move from analog to IP is well underway, the need for more training is clear, DeFina said. “There is still a huge population of sales people who are untrained on IP,” DeFina said. “We know this because of the number of hotline calls we get from analog legacy sales people.”

Samsung also plans to offer BICSI-certified classes through SIPI. As further incentive to SIPI students, SIPI will offer a “consumer award component” where students earn “Samsung dollars” upon successful completion of training classes. Those dollars may be redeemed for Samsung consumer products. “They probably don't want a dome camera for their house, but they might like a large format LED or LCD TV,” DeFina said.

DeFina said that Samsung's move to distribution—it's working with ADI, Anixter, Scan Source and Tri-Ed Northern—is easing the supply chain process for manufacturer and integrator alike.

Finally, Samsung is continuing the process of vetting VMS partners. “We have six VMS partners listed on our site,” said Janet Fenner, Samsung marketing manager. “We list the specific products that work together, and we don't list them until they're been tested.”