Pelco by Schneider Electric CEO Sharad Shekhar to revive Pelco global video security business

Joining Pelco in late 2015, Sharad Shekhar is responsible for the entire global video business and is leading the charge to reinvigorate the Pelco brand with system integrators

Back in the day, you literally couldn’t speak with a security company about a video surveillance project without the Pelco name coming up. It had a loyal following and an extremely large installation base. Over the years, that changed and the fervour with which integrators referred to the brand seemed to wane. Sharad Shekhar, Chief Executive Officer of Pelco, wants to change that, as he explains in this exclusive interview.

Shekhar joined Pelco, a fully owned subsidiary of Schneider Electric, in October 2015. Based at Pelco headquarters in Clovis, California, Shekhar is responsible for the entire global video business. He has more than a decade of global business and technical knowledge, as well as a proven track record of increasing revenue growth and adaptability in highly competitive markets.

Extending pre- and post-sales support to systems integrators

SourceSecurity.com: Tell me about how Pelco plans to reinvigorate this iconic brand with systems integrators?

Shekhar: Pelco by Schneider Electric is well regarded for its world-class service and support network, and our partners thrive with the backing of our strategic business and marketing services. Pelco will continue to enable the success of systems integrators through the delivery of our innovative product lines that ensure customer satisfaction and open doors to new business opportunities.

Recently, Pelco has undergone significant transformation to streamline the development of these innovations, but we haven't forgotten that at the core, our products help enable integrators to support existing clients while helping new customers realise the full potential of the Pelco product line for their security needs. We have made significant organisational changes and process efficiency improvements that will help enable us to deliver world-class, pre- and post-sales support to our integrators and customers.

SourceSecurity.com: What is your background and how/why do you feel you are a good fit for this endeavour?

Shekhar: I joined Pelco from Cummins, another very technology-focused company, and more specifically, brought the experience of having worked in both the North American and Asia Pacific markets. I understand and possess the skills required in negotiations and to establish new efforts and develop technology, to oversee operations and to increase sales. I have significant experience in strategy, business development, alliances and joint ventures, sales, finance and operations management. I have also successfully led businesses through similar challenges as Pelco faces in the coming years in terms of bringing the right technology to market, building a strong product and alliance portfolio, and growing revenues and profits in an increasingly competitive landscape. Because of this, I can bring the same principles that were employed in other technology sectors to security and Pelco by Schneider Electric, because I understand the importance of producing reliable, flexible and cutting-edge solutions that keep the customer top-of-mind and meet the expectations they set forth. But it would be remiss for me not to mention that this is a team sport, and the team at Pelco is strong, and I fully intend to leverage the knowledge and expertise that we have in our organisation to deliver on our growth aspirations.

For video surveillance, integrators look for a high value for end users through a reduction in upfront hardware and camera costs, with more high-resolution imagery

Opportunities for systems integrators

SourceSecurity.com: What do you currently know about what systems integrators are looking for in the field as far as video surveillance solutions? What's important to them and their end-user customers?

Shekhar: Today's systems integrators are asked to push the envelope in regards to meeting customer needs for superior products while keeping ROI and scalability top-of-mind. For video surveillance, integrators look for a high value for end users through a reduction in upfront hardware and camera costs, with more high-resolution imagery. On the VMS side, they're looking for open architecture that allows integration with other major systems and an intuitive design that helps streamline deployment and administration. Customer feedback and demand helps Pelco address specific needs while designing security platforms that are scalable and flexible, as well as able to drive new levels of awareness for security and business intelligence. Our new technical support and customer engineering organisation will work more closely with our integrators and provide them the backing they need to be more responsive and “creative” in terms of how we respond to varying customer requirements and tailor our products quickly to their needs.

Implementing strategic security management policies

SourceSecurity.com: What else might we see in the near future?

Shekhar: Pelco has made significant investments in key vertical markets, including oil and gas, gaming and casinos, Safe Cities, and airports and seaports, and we will see significant focus on product and business development in these markets. We will look to further engage customers in these spaces by focusing not just on products, but on solutions that will solve security and operational challenges. Our new Advanced Technology and Engineering organisation will focus on conceptualising and incubating technologies that will provide differentiation and value to our integrators and end users in these critical verticals. We will also engage in significant corporate development activities for strategic partnerships on the technology and channel side to reach our objectives.

Video surveillance is only one part of a comprehensive security strategy, and moving forward, Pelco will help its partners think bigger by implementing strategic security policies and processes, and effective security personnel training and staffing. When these processes are combined with video surveillance and security management technologies, customers can develop a more holistic, proactive approach to security and emergency response. And that's what we hope to do more of in the future. Overall you will see Pelco as a much more open and engaging organisation as it relates to our relationships with our industry, suppliers, technology and channel partners.