SIA New Member Profile: Zenitel

Tell us the story of your company.

Stentor Radiofabrikk was founded in 1946 and manufactured radio communication systems for fishing boats, ships, and other vessels. Later, the company expanded its product range by including intercom systems and changed its brand name to Stentofon. Vingtor began as Vestfold Radio Elektro AS and also produced radio equipment. Today, the two product brands, Vingtor and Stentofon are one, as a part of the Zenitel Group, producing intelligent critical communication solutions. In 2006, we produced the first of many IP products, the AlphaCom systems.

We are happy to announce that going forward, as a global organization, we will present ourselves as Zenitel in all branding, products, and corporate communications. The time is right for us to streamline and simplify our brand identity, and we are thrilled to share this news with the SIA community. More information will soon be available about this exciting initiative and other important company news.

Tell us where your business is located.

Zenitel has a global presence with an extensive network of partners, distributors, and resellers. Zenitel’s North America operational headquarters are in Kansas City, Missouri, with a team of product distribution, sales, marketing, application engineering, technical support, and training professionals.

What solutions/services does your business offer in the security industry? And what makes your offerings/company unique?

At Zenitel, our focus is on providing intelligent critical communication solutions that allow you to hear, be heard, and be understood, every time. Audio adds significant value to any security solution, and we ensure that our audio and communication systems can be integrated and interface with other security platforms such as video, access control, and intrusion. The result is a unified and interactive security solution. Our primary system offering is within the Public Address, Intercom SIP and integration categories. Our key markets include Commercial Building Security, Public Safety, Transportation, Industrial Manufacturing, Energy, Healthcare, and Education. Zenitel created the industry scorecard for audio and answered the IT mandate by providing high availability, scalability, reliability, maintainability, and cyber-defensibility.

What’s something we might not know about your company – or something new you’re doing in security?

We recently launched the Zenitel TCIV+ (Turbine Compact Intercom Video) Station that provides users with a communication solution for any situation and allows for seamless integration with other security systems.  Features of our new Turbine TCIV+ video intercom station that places intelligence at the edge with:

•Powerful Audio Technology 

•HD Video  

•Faster Processing 

•Tough and Sophisticated Design

•Cybersecurity 

Additionally, a touchless sensor, available as an accessory, solves the challenges of contactless access amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, as it can activate intercom calls by gesture recognition, for example, with the swipe of a hand. 

Overall, the new TCIV+ combines IP video and IP audio and continues to drive the future of intelligent communication – powered and driven by Turbine technology.

What is your company’s vision, and what are your goals for the security industry?

Our vision is to be the world’s leading provider of intelligent critical communication solutions. We want to continue to help keep people safe, by enabling everyone to hear, be heard, and be understood – every time and everywhere.

What do you think are the biggest opportunities in the security industry right now?

The biggest opportunity within the security industry is to add audio to access control and video solutions to create a comprehensive and interactive security solution that reduces vulnerability to incidents, improves response time, provides a single point of control, and provides a virtual presence to remote locations for situational awareness and management. Humans instinctively respond to real-time voice and audio, and we look forward to the security industry embracing this opportunity.

What are your predictions for the security industry in the short and long term?

In the short term, we see the addition of more touchless solutions, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Long term, we will see audio become the new hub of the connected and intelligent school, facility, building, campus, and more. Access control and video will be controlled by audio, as audio provides interactivity in any situation. For example, through voice commands, security can tell the access control and video solution what to do and when to do it. The result is a system that offers actionable insight into risks and potential physical breaches.

What do you enjoy most about being at your company – and in the security industry?

We enjoy being a part of a security team’s role in identifying and implementing new methods and mitigation strategies that ultimately allow all enterprise business units to operate, be more efficient, and cost-effective. Second, the security industry comprises a group of passionate and talented individuals who are committed to making a difference in the quality of life and ensuring individual safety. Our team embraces those values and beliefs, as well, as safety and security are at the core of what we do.  

What does SIA offer that is most important to you/your company? And what do you most hope to get out of your membership with SIA?

We appreciate the many benefits that SIA membership provides, including a network of industry leaders, educational resources, legislative representation, industry research, and collaboration on important industry trends. We are committed to SIA’s continued growth and leadership in the security industry.

How does your organization engage with SIA? What are your plans for involvement in the next year?

Our North American President, Dan Rothrock, is chair of SIA’s new Audio & Intelligent Communications Working Group that was created to support the SIA vision and mission of being a catalyst for success within the global security industry by providing information, insight, and influence in the role of intelligent communications. Dan is excited about the discussions and open dialogue that will take place that will ultimately provide an enhanced understanding of the role of intelligible audio communications within a risk, resilience, and security program and will further drive the advancement of audio communications within the security industry.

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association.