Today, we share with you part of a conversation we had with Maarten Topff, a senior access control engineer at Securitas—one of our trusted Belgian Channel Partners. Because successful security isn’t achieved by high-quality products alone—the quality and attention to detail must follow through to a system’s design, implementation, and maintenance. That’s why we built our international Channel Partner network.
"It’s Channel Partners like us who can give the greatest input on customers’ needs and wishes. AEOS is well thought-out for the people working with it and I’d like to see it continue that way."
Maarten Topff Securitas
How long have you worked with AEOS?
About six to seven years in total.
Have you worked with other access control solutions?
I’ve been trained and certified by Lenel and CCure. I’ve also had extensive training in Honeywell products through a customer, but found them very unwieldy and, in my opinion, outdated. They’re very difficult to learn and I suspect that if a customer isn’t used to working with them, they’d find it difficult.
What do you like about AEOS?
It’s very user-friendly – not only for our technicians but also for our customers. It doesn’t require weeks of training to use and understand the product – most people get up to speed with it quite quickly. Installing a controller, for example, takes no time at all. AEOS is very flexible and open but still offers the security needed. The visual aspect is also much more appealing than the outdated looks of other systems I know. And, in terms of hardware and support and so on, I think you guys excel.
What’s a standard working week like for you at Securitas?
I don’t have a standard week at the moment. That would be boring for me. If I’m not working on a project or intervention, or supporting a colleague, my days are filled with, for example, managing test environments or advising our sales and presales people at Securitas.
What’s your view of the Nedap support team?
They’re great. They’re always very open and honest and we really appreciate that. In particular, I have a very good relationship with Bart Vervueren – he really supports us with any questions we have or if we get stuck on a project, etc.
How do you view Nedap as a manufacturer?
We find people at Nedap are very approachable and happy to engage in discussions. We recently had a visit from some of the team to ask how integrations with AEOS could be improved. Nedap really listens to partners and customers – to their wishes and needs. It’s a real plus.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I’d like to see testing stepped up even further after new AEOS versions are released. I appreciate you already spend a lot of time and work on this, but the finessing is worth it. Above all, keep engaging, as you already do, with those who promote your products to customers. It’s Channel Partners like us who can give the greatest input on customers’ needs and wishes. AEOS is well thought-out for the people working with it and I’d like to see it continue that way.
Secure partnerships for success
We couldn’t agree more with Maarten’s sentiments about the invaluable feedback from our Channel Partners (like Securitas).
Channel Partners are the only companies authorised to sell, install and maintain our AEOS access control system. We invest in training and certifying our partners, as well as annual testing and recertifying. And we provide a wide variety of technical and commercial support. In doing so, we feel confident our partners are equipped to provide the level of service we expect, and AEOS is being installed and integrated well.
This frees us to focus on developing and manufacturing security products that meet customers’ changing needs. So they get the best of both worlds – advanced products and excellent integration. And, ultimately, Security for life that they can rely on and that allows them to make the most of each day.
Learn more about becoming a Nedap Channel Partner, and stay tuned for more conversations from “Inside the network!”
Maarten’s full interview can be seen here: