Nedap has once again been selected as a finalist in the GIT Security Awards – this time for our Technology Partner Programme. To drill down into what makes our Technology Partner Programme so special, we talked to our colleagues in the team – Wesley Keegstra, Maikel Coenen and Ruben Brinkman.
Driven by a focus on people first, then technology
Our Technology Partner Programme enables us to offer best-of-breed integrations for our access control system, AEOS – for example, visitor management, biometric identification, mobile access and much more. We asked Wesley why he thinks the Technology Partner Programme is a finalist in the GIT Awards.
He said he believes Nedap’s people-first approach is a key driver behind the programme’s success: “At Nedap, we focus on people first, then technology, and the Technology Partner Programme is a perfect reflection of this. It allows people freedom, flexibility and scalability because you, as a customer, are free to choose the combination of solutions that best fits your needs. It makes your access control of today, ready for your future.”
Fostering freedom in your security setup
Maikel supported this view when asked about the key benefits of the programme for AEOS users. He says: “With the Technology Partner Programme, we enable end users to adapt their access control system to their specific needs. They can choose the kind of technology they want to use and also which solution. And, because we collaborate with more than one partner per technology, end users are free to choose the best-of-breed solution they prefer. Not just when installing a new AEOS system, but also if they have an existing AEOS system – now or in the future.”
Quality is key – in every aspect of every integration
The quality of the technology partners that we work with is, of course, crucial. Wesley explains: “We have a clear goal of creating flexible, futureproof and scalable solutions and it’s very important for us that our technology partners help us to meet this goal. When it comes to selecting technology partners, we strive for quality over quantity. Not just in terms of the quality of each and every integration from a technical perspective, but also in terms of providing added value for our customers.”
A supportive, collaborative relationship with each partner
For technology partners who make the grade, they’re given plenty of support through a true partnership. Ruben says: “We provide an open platform, of course, but we don’t just leave partners to work with our API documentation. For us, our partnerships are really about doing it together. So we not only provide technical and development support but commercial support and guidance too.”
Innovation tapped from a wide variety of sources
The ideas for AEOS integrations tend to come from a range of places. Ruben says: “Often, requests come from end users. Although we’re seeing increasingly more technology partners approach us with suggestions. Probably because they have the same confidence in the best-of-breed approach as we have.”
Maikel adds: “We also screen the market constantly with our sales teams and channel partners to search for technology partners that expand our security ecosystem. We want to provide our global clients with global security technology solutions and be sure they have a broad scope to select from. And it follows that, because we have a wide variety of end users, our technology partners vary widely too.”
Responding to customer need with added value
When asked how long it takes for an integration to come to fruition, Wesley says he feels that: “…the time it takes is less relevant – the focus should be on the added value and quality it provides. How do we ensure this? Via our verification process, during which Nedap and the technology partner make sure the integration is up to scratch in terms of documentation, ease of installing, user-friendliness and features.”
Integrations are the future
When it comes to the future of access control integrations, Maikel says: “Integrations are becoming more and more important in the access control market. End users like the idea of an open platform without vendor lock-ins and the ability to expand or change in the future. A customer can start today with access control and an integrated video management solution, for example. And, in a few years, they can add another integration to fit their needs.
Ruben adds: “An important pillar of our technology partner programme is to help end users stay futureproof, and this remains important as new technologies arise. We’re seeing a growth of interest in biometric integrations, for example. Particularly facial recognition, which is probably in relation to the covid-19 pandemic and the fact this technology is really evolving. With our technology partner programme, we can help end users to determine exactly which best-of-breed solution suits their needs.”
Voting for our Technology Partner Programme in the GIT Security Awards takes just a couple of minutes, here. Thanks very much in advance for your support.
If you have any questions about our Technology Partner Programme, please get in touch.
