The Innovator - Thomas Napora

After his recent appointment as Vice President & General Manager EMEA, Thomas Napora talks to International Security Buyer Magazine about the evolution of the security industry, cloud-based access control systems, and the growth potential for ICT in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

You have recently been appointed to the position of Vice President & General Manager EMEA for Integrated Control Technology (ICT), what experience do you bring to the role???

While I’ve only been at ICT for a month, I bring 29 years of experience working with IT network, software, and physical security systems in EMEA. Previous roles in technical, sales, and general management give me a clear understanding of what security problems can be solved by the ICT portfolio. And, how to support the partner network to deliver the right solution to end-users.?

I’m a ‘builder’ who likes establishing long-term business relationships. Multilingual and internationally minded, I understand the diversity and specificity of a region which counts 118 countries. I’m here to build a team and implement a business strategy while being very hands-on in managing the day-to-day business.?

Will there be a new direction for ICT with you at the helm for EMEA??

Founded 20 years ago and?well established in North America and Australasia, ICT is ready to further develop in EMEA. While we have longstanding customers and many high-end projects, with boots on the ground now I can see so much business potential.?

The purpose of my role is to establish the foundations and expand the business in a structured and sustainable way. My aim is to build a solid infrastructure to provide local sales, technical, and logistical support. We’ll focus first on specific markets where we see the biggest potential, then expand across the whole region.?

How has the industry, and in particular access control, evolved over your time in the security market???

I’ve seen the transition from analogue only systems to hybrid or fully IP. While there is no argument about the many benefits and advancements this has brought, the shift to security systems on a network has led to the unavoidable threat of cybersecurity in the last decade. This affects not just large organisations and critical infrastructure, but any type of business and even individuals.??

The next evolution is cloud-based access solutions, which have grown exponentially in the last few years. The enhanced cybersecurity offered by ICT’s Protege X that launched this year is a key benefit that customers can get from subscription based PSaaS (Physical Security as as Service) models like this.??

With communication between devices becoming more important, I have also seen the growth of agility and interoperability. Standards such as OSDP for access control or ONVIF for video have been created to ensure security equipment can talk to one other so customers are no longer trapped with proprietary systems.?

The growth of video surveillance has led to an ever-increasing need for integration with access control. High-level integrations such as those ICT provides with their VMS partners, means you can link video footage directly to security events, and view and control cameras from within a single interface which can lead to critical time savings for security staff.??

It’s not just video integration that is needed, with tailored solutions now key to meeting customer demands. This is why I’m excited to help ICT products to work for installers across EMEA. Our Protege platform is a unified ecosystem which also offers integrations with?elevator, intercom, wireless locking solutions, biometrics systems and more. And the modular system architecture means installers can deliver custom requirements with ease.

You describe ICT’s Protege products as access control and intrusion detection ‘ecosystems’, what does this mean exactly?

Traditionally, buildings required separate systems for everything – access control, alarms, automation, video surveillance, HVAC, and more. ICT was founded 20 years ago to join these elements so they can all talk to each other. It’s not just bolting bits together; they are unified at a native level.

A user can badge their credential just once to gain access, disarm the alarm, and turn on lights and air conditioning. It’s all linked and controlled using Protege system.

With more than 40% of staff dedicated to research and development, what are the biggest trends and evolutions that ICT has seen pioneering the access control market?

The continued development of mobile credentials and increasing use of wireless locks are key trends we see in the security industry. These technologies have been closely linked to multifamily installations, but are becoming increasingly common across a wide range of verticals.

How are technologies like the cloud and the user experience creating a smarter and more seamless experience of access control?

Our recently launched Protege X cloud-based security offering creates a win-win scenario for all players. End-users are protected by increased cybersecurity, automatic security updates, and they can benefit immediately from new features releases. And any multi-site installations get unified user management from a centralised databas.

As an installer, it’s easy to grow your business with Protege X thanks to the recurring revenue from subscriptions. You’ll also save time on installation – the secure cloud connection means no organising port forwarding or VPNs for remote access. And online monitoring means less time spent onsite, allowing you to work more efficiently.

How does ICT move beyond the traditional physical access control systems?

The flexibility that’s built into our products means that customers across the world already use our systems for a wide range of uses. There’s an example in Canada where they use Protege GX for remote control, monitoring, and reporting of a highway de-icing system.

And, because our systems use open protocols, almost any kind of integration can be harnessed with our custom integration tools. With ICT hardware as the backbone, our APIs and tools like the Data Sync Service and Mobile SDK enable almost unlimited possibilities. We have customers with systems that manage sports clubs, and in the self-storage space who do this today.

An area of huge growth is the multifamily sector. Our SOAP API for Protege GX and Mobile SDK allow prop tech companies to provide enhanced functionality for their customers, while taking advantage of ICT’s expansive hardware. They provide access with mobile credentials, and wrap visitor and intercom functionality into a third-party app or software, then layer this with other services for residents or building managers.

It is the industry’s responsibility to make sure that installers are equipped with all the knowledge they need to recommend and install specific systems for businesses. How do you help raise the competence of your installers?

Technology and regulations move fast and can become complex to navigate or keep up with. Having worked for security manufacturers for many years, I believe it's our responsibility to educate customers - inform them about new technologies, pitfalls not to fall into, and make them aware of regulations, standards such as Grade 4, and compliance with the likes of GDPR.

ICT has a fantastic set of online training modules that are free of charge. This allows partners to understand not only our products, but also where the market and technology are. We also offer facilitated training for installers to gain Protege WX and Protege GX certification. One of my short-term goals is to increase the availability of this face-to-face training in EMEA.

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