“Step me through that would you?”

That moment in a Business Development meeting when the customer seems to having a conversation you need to catch up with!

It is great being in a Technical Sales role. I get to work with some great people of all personality types, and while we are not per se, in sales mode, we are getting out into our markets and engaging with people in all elements of the value chain.

Some time ago, I was at a very pleasant dinner meeting, and without the aid of a presentation, hand-out or pen and paper, let alone a complete set of AV services and animations. I talked the gathered through our solution; a high performance video, audio and KVM signal extension and switching solution that can run multiple security domains over a single device. As per most presentations, I used anecdotes to create the imagery that was lacking in hard copy format. 

One particular use case is a deployment we have into a training domain. An existing building whereby the customer managing the environment is very quickly able to use a single training room for one scenario of a particular security level, and then, by the time it has been cleared, use it for a completely different training scenario of a different domain.

Traditionally, training organisations are hardwired with specific cabling to run a particular domain, and the various security domains are air-gapped in the comms room, air-gapped through the distributed cabling to the desk top, and then, perhaps, air gapped as the systems are delivered via different network points; an IA night mare… or dream if you are consulting in! For this reason, Training establishments tend to use domain specific areas for training, ensuring a “physical” security layer, as well as air-gapping the transportation layer. So, what’s wrong with that? Security is the priority and so, flexibility and configurability take second place.

In some environments, the ICT Department can spend inordinate amounts of time “re-imaging” machines that sit on a set domain network, for the duration of the training, and this reduces the cost of infrastructure, but equally, does not enhance the flexibility of an environment.

Thinklogical can deliver multi-domain sources from the Comms Room/Data Centre, to the training environment over a single cabling architecture. Switching out the one scenario for a completely different one can be achieved at the speed of the firmware in the single device switching those different domains. So, back to the dinner…

“So, on a new build proposition,” said my dinner guest, “the building could be a lot smaller?”…

I was lost. How had he got to that conclusion? I tried to reverse consider what had been discussed, but clarity was not forthcoming.

“I’m sorry.” I said, “Can you run me through that?”

The fellow diner said that, because our solution runs multiple domains over a single cabling architecture, then there is not a need for domain specific areas comprising multiple rooms all hard wired for those specific domains… ok?

Instead, you can build an optimum number of rooms, and then provide the scenario specific to the training, at the required domain, and make the room physically secure for the class… ok.

Which means, the building doesn’t need as much real estate, the external perimeter can be appropriately smaller… I get that. 

Further, with a smaller building, there will be a lesser requirement for heating, ventilation and cooling, less management and security staff, fewer IT staff, less plumbing, fewer doors and access management systems, and generally a far lower cost build that is higher on the Green Agenda.

Light began to dawn, and I started to catch up.

Delivering value into a re-purposed building is good, and can support in creating a flexible, configurable training environment. However, in the new build scenario, the TL solution is at a negative cost point for the value it delivers in the build, let alone the through life costs.

Always good to have a conversation where you learn about your product from a visionary prospect!