BCDVideo finds success in video surveillance market thanks to rapid growth

BCDVideo is finding success at the intersection of IT and security, focusing on the video surveillance market. The Hewlett-Packard OEM partner has seen yearly revenue increases of 25 percent for the past three years. Rapid growth resulted in a desperate need for more space to expand.

Global HQ grand opening

Now a new 51,000-square-foot global headquarters in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a northwest Chicago suburb, will provide an abundance of room for the company to “stretch our legs,” says Jeff Burgess, CEO/President of BCDVideo. He cut the ribbon at a grand opening event for the corporate headquarters. “Our organic growth has been good, and this is another evolution for the company,” says Burgess. “It’s incredible what we did in such a tight space.”

The new facility includes the BCDVideo Innovation Center, where each system is configured and customised to order. The centre has 90 stations with simultaneous imaging capability for up to 332 video servers. Hardware and software components are combined uniquely to each customer order number, and systems are private-labelled for a variety of manufacturers and integrators, with branding affixed by BCDVideo.

BCDVideo history

BCDVideo has evolved from its roots in the IT market, where expectations of service are high. Ten years ago, when security industry veteran Tom Larson came on board as Director of Sales and Engineering, the company pivoted to focus on the video surveillance market, bringing that higher level of service to security integrators making the transition to IP systems.

“You have to build a better mousetrap, and ours is on the service side, because that’s what gets you repeat business,” says Burgess. “When we brought this to the video market in 2008, they weren’t used to that kind of service. It has always been our edge.” BCDVideo now has 50,000 systems running worldwide, he says.

Risk insurance for integrators

Among its innovative approaches, BCDVideo offered integrators “risk insurance” and took the guesswork out of configuring computer systems to accommodate a specified camera count. Instead of an integrator calculating (or “guesstimating”) the types of IT systems he would need for a certain camera count, BCDVideo does the calculations, configures the system and then guarantees that it will accommodate the system requirements.

“That was the decisive point for us with integrators,” says Burgess. BCDVideo does business with all the national integrators, and Burgess expects growth to continue, expanding business with each integrator, driven by Perry Levine, Director of Strategic Alliances. New sales will also result from stretching into other product areas. In addition to servers and storage, BCDVideo now provides networking and professional services, led by Darren Giacomini, Director of Networking.

Expanded Genetec relationship

BCDVideo has maintained a close working relationship with Genetec over the last three years, in effect providing hardware components that work in lockstep with Genetec’s software systems. Previously, larger solutions sold to Genetec customers were branded BCDVideo. Moving forward, branding everything Genetec will overcome any unintentional channel conflict, says Burgess. 

That Genetec relationship has expanded and BCDVideo produces all of Genetec’s branded hardware products, including the SV-16 and SV-32 as well as the larger solutions. Now Genetec can provide a “unified” hardware/software solution that is “bundled” with software licences and cybersecurity technology unique to Genetec-branded products. If the Genetec relationship continues to evolve, there is 9,000 square feet of empty space in the new facility that can accommodate any growth.

Burgess especially sees growth in the market for systems with under 40 cameras, which will build on BCDVideo’s success in the larger enterprise market.

What comes next? Burgess is careful to warn against complacency and emphasises the need for the company to “bring it every day.” He’s clearly looking to the future: His sons have joined the business – Alex Burgess is Manager of Supply Chain Operations and Max Burgess is Global Accounts Manager. “There’s nothing like coming to work and having two of your sons working with you,” he says. “It means a lot to me.”