With this new package of tools and resources, D-Link is looking to encourage traditional networking partners who have not yet got into surveillance to stop leaving money on the table, as well as encourage traditional physical security specialists to look at D-Link more broadly for their IP needs.

Networking vendor D-Link, which also makes switches, cameras, wireless, storage and software for the IP surveillance business, has boosted that practice with the introduction of a new suite of tools, resources and evaluation units available to its channel partners, as well as prospective customers.

The idea here is to strengthen D-Link’s visibility and presence in the IP surveillance space, to encourage more of their VARs to begin or deepen an IP surveillance practice, which still offers better margin for partners than highly commoditized switches, and to make D-Link a more attractive option for traditional physical security partners who need to adapt to the new IP reality to survive.

“We are doubling down on IP surveillance,” said Vance Kozik, director of product marketing for IP surveillance at D-Link. “Switches have been commoditized. Making all the pieces of IP surveillance allows us to provide a complete solution, and allows resellers to get all their parts from one vendor. Now that we have invented these tools, we want to get the information out there to as many partners or potential partners as possible.”

Kozik said that while they do have some IP surveillance specialists, and that they are also reaching out to physical security vendors who have traditionally bought their analog-based products through a completely different channel, most of their partners are traditional networking VARs who are less knowledgeable about the IP surveillance space.

“The majority are familiar with networking, and were leaving money on the table by not doing surveillance,” Kozik said. “That’s why our providing these tools, and our willingness to hold their hands on the first couple of deals, is so important. Cameras are very unique in their physical practices, where they get installed, and how much bandwidth and storage they take. That’s why we are reaching out here.”

Providing these kinds of resources for IP surveillance in a systematic way is a first for D-Link.

“We had some ad hoc stuff, but never to the level of quality as we put together for this suite of tools,” Kozik said.

The tools include a web-based bandwidth and storage calculator, an interactive floor planner to help determine where cameras should be placed for optimal video surveillance coverage, 30-day evaluation units for qualified end users and partners, and a free 36” x 24” IP Surveillance 101 poster.

“We surveyed partners before we decided what to offer, and determined that these were the things they most wanted,” Kozik said.

Kozik also indicated that they are reaching out to traditional physical security resellers, and encouraging their IP resellers to work with them.

“This is really a parallel universe, the analog universe, all the security people,” he said. “They know cameras very well but they don’t know networking, and don’t understand IP addresses or gateways. We chose to educate IT resellers on physical addresses, and recommended they get on board with the physical people. The physical people have their own distribution channels for cameras, and we sell mainly switches there now, but we think we can expand this market.”

Kozik compared IP surveillance to telephony, where two parallel universes existed for a while, but IP eventually took over, and said that the traditional physical security vendors need to adapt, and come on board with IP, or they will ultimately be out of business.

“Everything is going on the network now,” he said. “These physical security guys, to survive they will have to buy out an IP company or hire some IP guys out of school. There’s just no reason to keep going with traditional hardwiring. It’s the same as phones, where a convergence took place, and the guys who didn’t want to get on board with IP lost out.”