SIA New Member Profile: Gabriel

New Security Industry Association (SIA) member Gabriel uses smart technology to provide an affordable and intuitive emergency mass notification platform. The company’s product is deployed in multiple U.S. states and growing rapidly. Gabriel’s development team is based in Israel, and its commercial team is based in the United States.   

SIA spoke with Jim Watson, vice president of commercial development at Gabriel, about the company, the security industry and working with SIA.

Tell us the story of your company.

JW: Gabriel was founded by Yoni Sherizen, a young rabbi who was affected by a mass casualty event in Israel. He was frustrated that the shooter was able to target multiple businesses without any emergency alert or notification to the community. He decided to do something about it.

Yoni assembled a team of technologists, law enforcement personnel, military officers, educators and investors to create a platform that could save lives in active shooter events as well as other emergencies.The team developed Gabriel, an emergency response platform that includes a smart device for detection, a command dashboard to share information and a mobile app to alert those directly involved as well as the wider community.

What solutions/services does your business offer in the security industry? And what makes your offerings/company unique?

JW: Gabriel is a lightweight, easily deployable solution that protects soft targets such as schools, houses of worship, health care facilities, public spaces and corporate facilities out of reach of centralized security systems.

Our patented design combines a smart panic shield including video/audio/gunshot detection with a command dashboard featuring hot zone mapping/geofencing/robust communication and a mobile app for situational awareness and mass notification. This not only provides fast emergency alerts but also gives first responders eyes/ears/voice before entering a live situation.

What is something we might not know about your company – or something new you are doing in security?

JW: The mission of Gabriel is to protect communities and save lives. For those organizations that cannot afford protection, we have a Community Protection Initiative that provides a limited use of our platform at no charge.

What is your company’s vision, and what are your goals for the security industry?

JW: We believe that artificial intelligence, analytics and machine learning will allow us to provide enhanced security based on prevention. As such, we have a number of initiatives and collaborations with cutting edge technology companies. We believe that technology can help to mitigate the increase in mass shootings in the world today.

What do you think are the biggest opportunities in the security industry right now?

JW: Cloud-based solutions that minimize upfront costs while reducing labor in managing security systems.

What do you enjoy most about being at your company – and in the security industry?

JW: Gabriel is a very unique company, as our employees, investors and board members are passionate about our mission of mitigating risks and saving lives. As a mission-driven company, we work well as a team, which drives innovation and success.

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?

JW: The ability to meet and network with other professionals in the security space is important to us. SIA provides those opportunities as well as being a rich source of information about the industry.

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.