First Distribution partners with OpenEye for Africa

First Distribution, the leading pan-African distributor for cyber security, data centre, cloud, surveillance and IOT solutions, has signed an agreement to distribute OpenEye Web Services.

OpenEye is a cloud-based video surveillance as a service solution that streamlines operations and reduces the burden on IT, making it easier to manage and maintain video deployments and integrations of all sizes.

The cloud-managed solutions for video security, business intelligence and loss prevention are designed to remove the IT complexity from deploying remote monitoring solutions for control rooms.

The solution gives end-users real-time threat notifications on their property or facility, so they can respond immediately. It is particularly popular with users like retailers, property owners, farmers, banks and telecommunications operators looking to protect property or assets, including ATMs and communication infrastructure.

With its open cloud platform, professional recording hardware and cloud-managed solutions, OpenEye combines and analyses event data from videos, alarm systems, access control, sales transactions and internet of things (IOT) devices. These events can be transformed into actionable insights that enhance security and increase business profitability.

Over the last 20 years, OpenEye has partnered with some of the largest US organisations to solve their complex video management requirements. OpenEye Web Services (OWS) has significantly simplified their operations and reduced maintenance costs.

The solution is now being introduced into the South African market, so local businesses can also benefit from the latest technology the OpenEye cloud managed video platform has to offer.

Angelo Salvatore, Vice-President: International Business Development at OpenEye, comments “We are excited to partner with First Distribution on the African continent to bring the OpenEye product offering to the local market.

“First Distribution is an experienced IT hardware, software and cloud distributor that offers years of experience and a professional distribution network.”

Massive changes in the way people work and interact with technology are driving a new phase in the evolution of the security landscape, according to David Simpson, General Manager of First Distribution.

“We saw this change coming more than two years ago, which is when I tasked my team with a challenge – to find a cloud-based service that fits a number of very specific criteria.

“Firstly, it had to have a scalable model in terms of billing; secondly, it had to fit 100% into our channel go-to-market strategy; thirdly, it had to adhere to the best practices of cyber security and the POPI Act/GDPR law; fourthly, it had to be bandwidth-friendly; and, lastly, it had to adhere to our most important rule of delivering outstanding customer experience.

“Over the past 15 months, we have reviewed well over 30 different offerings from around the world,” Simpson says. “We chose OpenEye because it not only ticks our requirements in totality, but also gives our customers new opportunities to generate an annuity-based income that is scalable and not capital-intensive to deploy.”

Simpson explains that users access OpenEye 100% through the browser, and the solution has an innovative delivery mechanism for critical updates, enhancements, notifications, newly developed analytics and more.

“In addition, partners have access to additional revenue generators because it plugs into third-party systems such as point of sale, alarm systems and more. With these features, we believe that OpenEye will open opportunities to more than just tier one system integrators. OpenEye is simple to deploy so we believe all levels of integrators will have the opportunity to build their businesses.”

He adds that the solution also lends itself to large-scale operations like banking, school security, estate security and farm security, among others. “OpenEye is also a fantastic solution for remote monitoring service providers. In fact, it’s a perfect fit for any sector where security is needed in remote operations.”

First Distribution and its partners have already deployed OpenEye in six projects, ranging from remote farms to a small family-run chain of stores. “So we can see that the scale of opportunity for system integrators is endless,” Simpson says.

OpenEye offers a variety of advantages and benefits, including centralised surveillance and multi-site application, which is simple to deploy. The solution is easy to set up, maintain and run on an open platform.

The system runs on a cost-effective subscription model, and customers save more because existing IP cameras and PC hardware can be used. It is also optimised to run over low-speed internet connections, which is especially relevant in the South African context.

Intelligent and proactive analytics offer customers a solution that can be tailored for their specific needs.