Call Me Your Sherpa
Customer Success Engineering works the path from base camp technologies to pinnacle solutions
There can be a gap between innovative technologies and pragmatic solutions that solve real problems. Enter Customer Success Engineering (CSE), which sits at the nexus of engineering, sales and customer service. CSE is central to understanding customer pain points to convert them quickly into solutions — especially at a time when AI, IT, cybersecurity and physical security are converging. The nature of AI — with its inherent tradeoffs among quality, price, and speed — requires a practical assessment of how to achieve the desired outcomes. This is where Customer Success Engineering is instrumental in serving as a sherpa working the path to SOC modernization.
It’s my job to understand not only the technology but also its pragmatic application to customer needs. If there’s an opportunity to solve an important problem, then I talk to engineering to see how we do it. I translate new needs into user stories that guide the engineering implementation. A consultative support approach with a direct link to near-term product roadmaps is essential to converge on the best security solutions.
Real-time video search: the culmination of hybrid edge/cloud SaaS and AI breakthroughs
Over my 20 years in the tech industry — working in IT, surveillance and product development — I’ve witnessed the surveillance industry evolve and adapt to new market technologies. First, there were motion detection analytics that could run on an NVR or directly on an IP camera. These early-stage, one-size-fits-all approaches to onsite events detection resulted in tons of false positives and ate up valuable storage, bandwidth, and investigative time when trying to find that one important event.
Next came more ‘advanced’ detection techniques like people counting, loitering and tripwire. While these developments eliminated many of the false positives and helped speed up review, they didn’t provide meaningful information. Now Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) recognize objects in video rather than just detect them. Combined with an industry shift toward open APIs, these technologies are bringing intelligence to video surveillance.
Real-time video search is the next step, an overlay that works with any IP camera or surveillance system. It puts cameras to work to make it economically feasible to protect — not just collect evidence. We finally have the AI and distributed computing technologies to find and understand the problems that need human attention. Camio empowers security teams to intervene in real-time rather than hunting and pecking through video after the fact. It sends alerts when needed and gives insight into problems. It’s also flexible to enable fast solution launches to meet changing security needs.
The setup for success: Camio Certified Partner Program
If there’s one thing I know, it’s that systems are only as good as the connections they have with both people and other systems. Whether back-office or customer-facing, integrations are essential for fast event detection, processing, and analysis. Open APIs enable solutions that range from social distancing and mask detection with real-time alerts to ‘talking’ with access control systems like Openpath, Brivo, and Lenel to detect unauthorized access (aka “tailgating”).
Vetting solutions so we’re confident they meet customer needs and our own standards is why we’ve developed the Camio Certified designation. It’s a partner certification program that qualifies, onboards, trains, and supports VARs. With Camio real-time video search, resellers and integrators can expand their products and services, reach new customers, and match their revenue with the ongoing sustained value they deliver to customers.
Working closely with security market leaders has also led to formalizing relationships with international integrators and VARs. With the convergence among IoT, Cybersecurity and Physical Security, we’re all part of an interconnected ecosystem.
A fresh approach created a new market category
When I saw the opportunity to help build a real-time video search engine that not only helps people in 35 time zones but also defines an entirely new product category, I couldn’t resist joining the team. I get to solve real-world problems in an environment where thinking outside the (real or virtual) box is valued and to contribute to state-of-the-art technology that’s continually evolving. The experience is giving me insight into new challenges and approaches, and broadening my perspective on what’s possible.
You could say I enjoy the climb. I look forward to sitting on the mountaintop alongside customers and partners in the security industry. Call me your sherpa.
— Ben Molloy, Director of Customer Success Engineering at Camio.
