SIA New Member Profile: Inteconnex
New Security Industry Association (SIA) member Inteconnex offers high-performance integrated enterprise security systems. The company is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with additional offices in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, and Loveland, Colorado.
SIA spoke with Marc Meyer, president and CEO of Inteconnex, about the company, the security industry and working with SIA.
Tell us the story of your company.
Marc Meyer: Inteconnex was founded in 2006 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At that time, we were focused on providing information technology systems to enterprise customers in Iowa and Nebraska. As the physical security industry began implementing IP technology-based systems, Inteconnex was able to demonstrate significant expertise in this area through our IT practice. Because we were able to apply our IT experience to the design and installation of physical security systems, we were able to differentiate from others in the industry that were struggling with IP technologies. In 2010, we implemented a strategy to focus all our future growth providing physical security systems to large enterprise customers. As a security systems integrator, we work with large enterprise customers in government, utilities, education and health care industries.
What solutions/services does your business offer in the security industry? And what makes your offerings or your company unique?
MM: As a security systems integrator, we specialize in the design, installation and service of video surveillance systems, access control, intrusion detection and alarm systems and wired and wireless networks.
What makes us unique is our team’s background and expertise in IT. Our technical staff come from backgrounds in computer technology and electronics, enabling us to design custom systems that meet the unique needs of our customers instead of an out-of-the-box solution. We are an Avigilon Elite Plus Partner, allowing us to provide premium systems and support to our clients.
What is something we might not know about your company – or something new you are doing in security?
MM: At Inteconnex, we have a team of 40+ individuals and are growing rapidly. We value promoting our employees internally and providing opportunities for the education and training they need to advance in their careers. For example, Inteconnex’s very first technician is now the director of project management. Another individual started as a project manager and is now the director of sales. Additionally, our operations manager started as an entry-level technician with no prior experience.
In terms of the industry, we are currently in the process of developing new managed service offerings, allowing us to provide consistent and proactive support for our customers. We’ve also been implementing more cloud-based video and access control systems, which are much easier for our customers to manage than traditional on-premises systems.
What do you think are the biggest opportunities in the security industry right now?
MM: The biggest opportunity we see is the power of artificial intelligence (AI) being used in analytics and Internet of Things devices. With the assistance of AI and machine learning, security systems can monitor activity and detect and respond to threats more effectively than humans. Not only does this create safer environments, but it also allows for greater operational efficiency for our customers who manage their own systems.
Another opportunity is the implementation of managed service processes commonly used in information technology environments. Expertise in cybersecurity and IT is becoming increasingly important for physical security providers to offer.
What are the biggest challenges facing your company and/or others in the security industry?
MM: An ongoing challenge that we face as a company is to continually adopt new technologies to enable the implementation of the most advanced systems and services. Implementation of AI in all aspects of our systems and business processes will continue to differentiate in a highly competitive market.
What do you enjoy most about being at your company – and in the security industry?
MM: Doing good by helping keep people and property safe. The opportunity to work within our communities to make them safer places to live, work and go to school is incredibly rewarding and motivating.
Another great aspect about the security industry is working with and seeing the technology evolve over time. It can be a challenge to stay ahead of, but it’s impressive to see how things have progressed since we started in this industry. Video quality, cloud-based systems and analytics have all made huge strides, making systems safer and more efficient – especially with the progress that AI has made in the last few years, allowing security systems to proactively address security events and take actions to mitigate threats.
What does SIA offer that is most important to you/your company? And what do you most hope to get out of your membership with SIA?
MM: SIA provides many opportunities for our company and our employees, but there are two things that we value most about our membership:
- To be on the forefront of the latest advancements in the security industry
- To give our employees the opportunity for workforce and professional development.
Being involved in the SIA community and leveraging the resources SIA provides will help strengthen our position as a leader in our local markets and give our employees tools to better serve our customers and grow in their careers.
How does your organization engage with SIA? What are your plans for involvement in the next year?
MM: We recently had two employees from our team attend the AcceleRISE conference in Denver, which provided them a great opportunity for professional development and to connect with their peers in the industry. In the coming year, our company plans to attend ISC West, get involved with the SIA Women in Security Forum and access SIA’s online library of training, certifications and other content.
The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association.
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