Sensor Experience

Sensor Experience Reviewed

Sensor experience covers a variety of applications involving military,industrial,medical and geophysical. Core sensor technology covers all types of data acquisition systems including test and analysis. Familiar with component sensor technology through subsystems such as cameras of all varieties,radar,sonar,ultrasound,etc. Have an underlying background in the enabling technology of sensors that addresses DSP,Image Processing and real time software. Design wins have been generated worldwide through direct customer contact or through channels. Elaboration on specific markets and customers closed can be found on my blog dealing with Embedded Computing :

http://www.linkedin.com/osview/canvas?_ch_page_id=1&_ch_panel_id=1&_ch_app_id=36471380&_applicationId=1200&_ownerId=159104&osUrlHash=NBj6&trk=hb_side_apps

Sensor Case Studies
Design win with GE Embedded Computing for DSP hardware attached to data acquisition boards of various types to form sonar sensor processing system for ROK Navy. While at GE I participated in multiple design wins that encompassed applications in radar,(MEADS), signal intelligence ,(Global Hawk),and sensor simulators with the P8 program. In all situations I managed the sales process using a combination of direct sales and technical assets and third party partners.

Design win with Textron Defense System for large sensor test bed utilized by the DOE @ Oak Ridge National Lab to conduct tests on best practices for border surveillance and security. Sold integrated solution of seismic sensors,cameras and ground radar sensors communicating via data link and 1553 enabled control station to micro UAV. Sale was 100K and closed mostly via e mail and one sales call at the end of the cycle to gain final commitment.

Design win with GE for avionics upgrade of NATO AWACS Radar processing suite. Sold a combination of high performance computing,data acquisition and communications modules including 1553 and 429 cards to Telephonics who combined the cards with their radar sensor technology for total system . In addition to providing the rugged versions of this technology I sold consulting and integration services.

Design with with CSPI consisting of VME array processors combined with data acquisition I/O boards into major geophysical applications that utilized seismic sensors for reservoir modeling . Customers were Fairfield  Industries, Schlumberger , & several international players.

Design win with CSPI in medical sensor data acquisition for non invasive imaging applications . Customers included Imatron,General Electric,Philipps Ultrasound & several leading research institutes .

 

 

Innovation From Optex Leverages IPad as Physical Security Layout Force Multiplier

Just as in the wild west the six gun was the force multipler. With it on ones hip anyone could be a person to be reckoned with.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OntwwcBVe6o

Today the internet and the IPAD have taken it's place in maximiz business productivity. Optex has taken things a step further in terms of productivity associated with laying out video coverage regarding to a site you want to provide security for. Take it from one who has assisted the MOD in reviweing imagey of Argentinean airfields on the Falklands to preparing perimeter defense schemes for FOB's on the slopes of Mt. Tumbledown to helping domestic  homeland security resources and county sherriffs keep drug cartels from ambushing them the My Optex tool is a tremedous force multipler in the specifications of FOV, coverage distance,etc.

Any individual can start to asses their physical security planning needs with this layout tool. Rather then provide an example of utilization or give you  the details of how intuitive this package is I suggest you download the application yourself and start working with it. I have created several simulation and modeling packages in the past to attempt to show the details of sensor integration combined with the various aspects of situational awareness but none came close to My Optix.

http://www.optexamerica.com/page.aspx?id=324

Consider how one could incorporate other modalities such as HAZMAT sensor capability to  this scenario. Since HAZMAT sensors cover a variety of Chem/Bio threats and have such a scalable amount of ranges of detection this aspect of simulation and modeling alone would more then justify such a practice.

Young Chinese Business People Should Listen To Sun Tzu

Know your enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle. Obviously this advice isn't being taken by the posters on Linkedin

The below post was placed on several well informed sites that have their pulse on business with China. The intention of the post isn't to belittle the attempts being made by Chinese surveillance  business leaders to go offshore but assist them in understanding they are doing themselves no good with their approach. They need to face the reality that they need to establish a U.S. ally that understands both markets from a business and cultural perspective.

How to Win In China

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/How-Win-in-China-4170335?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

 China Global Talent

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/China-Global-Talent-4198609?goback=%2Emyg%2Eanp_4198609_1332021338259_1

Chinese Surveillance & Security Companies Attempting To Enter U.S. Market

The LinkedIn sites dealing with technology ; especially related to surveillance cameras and security devices are being overwhelmed with very badly written product announcements and attempts to position Asian , mainly Chinese companies efforts to establish U.S. Distribution. It seems the naive posters apparently believe that an already China phobic U.S. Will appreciate their poor grammar, bad spelling and lack of American culture and take on their products to sell.  I believe we are witnessing the first sea change in the attempt at international market development. My assessment is that the posters are all young computer and Internet savvy individuals who believe that they can apply social networking to sell their technical products. While social networking has a place in high technology selling it can't be the only part of the approach. I've asked myself what is missing in the equation. It's simple. After probing some of these posters I've learned that they are representing underfunded companies that can't afford to penetrate the world market through the establishment of any type of offshore presence. Are these posters foolish enough to think that the world market won't see this?

It's one thing to buy bed sheets that come from China via distribution. However I can see anyone wanting a $600.00 surveillance camera that is pictured with a combination of English and Chinese characters. Does the audience of this site see this as an opportunity to educate the young Chinese business community? Perhaps leveraging several concepts to grow a trade cartel or other approaches to establish channels to private equity funds that could then establish links with U.S. Groups that would coordinate with their Chinese counterparts. I'm interested in feedback here as I thought this was one of the sites goals vs. just reposting news events or comments on the larger political picture. In realty this is the political picture as the current approach only lends itself to the China bashing/barrier element.

Security & Surveillance Channel Development

In 2006 I was leading the sales efforts of video, graphics, and embedded hardware and analytic / intelligent control software for General Electric's Intelligent Platform Group. In order to gain access to additional types of security and surveillance specifiers, consultants and systems integrators I developed an alliance with the GE Security Group that focused on access control,IP enabled CCTV, and video storage. Through my coordination efforts our Intelligent Platform Group had developed a layered approach to channel development by identifying systems integrators who addressed the vertical applications of law enforcement, tactical military, and border security.  We now wanted to address the applications that revolved around critical infrastructure protection, event security/entertainment and government assets. I developed an article on utilizing FPGA processed video to view change detection via management by an intelligent software package with an open approach that focused on biometrics, graphical map integration, DVR storage and playback. In addition to becoming a paper we also packaged it as an application note and a slide presentation I used to train GE Security engineering, building and architectural consultants such as Kroll Security, CH2M, Accenture, and various Native American IT groups looking to start their separate architectural practices first leveraging the concept of Data Center Security. I followed up with each group and started to detect an interesting trend. With the fluid nature of the security and surveillance market and the many application niches it seemed that every organization I was cultivating as a specifying channel was seeking to get into someone else's business. IT specifiers and channels want to do security projects for data centers. Oil &Energy services companies want to expand from providing basic traditional "patch" services to doing specifications on pipeline and refinery protection. When I concluded by sessions with the GE partner architectural and engineering consultants and specifiers I started looking to develop a variety of channels that service and sell into all aspects of the surveillance and security market. Because this market segment is composed of so many specific applications it is quite diverse and no one channel can address all the applications and projects that exist. The below input is from an 8A (small disadvantaged business) that specializes in video and sensor integration of critical infrastructure. I have been assisting them for several years in proposal preparation and providing product guidance.

Hello Jim-

It is great to hear from you my friend. I was thinking of you last week and would love to re-engage with you. The area is moving ahead with UAV and all types of sensor activity; as such I would value your thoughts on the UGS. Is it dead? Is there a way forward teaming with you? Guided by you? Is it worth it anymore? I also have a proposed project that we wish to submit for possible grant funding. It is an exciting project we call U-VOE (Unattended Ground Sensor-Visual Optical Electromagnetic) detection. Let’s talk.

Mark
The references to UAV (unmanned Air Vehicle) and UGS (unmanned ground sensor) show how this market has become a combination of technologies that have come along way from card readers , low resolution cameras and pop up barriers.

My objective in channel development that addresses the security and surveillance market is to reach out to all levels of groups and individuals that can act as force multipliers to the technology I represent. The key goal I am seeking to gain is exposure to a project. Without a security project it is very hard to have more then a philosophical discussion about any product technology beyond its core features and benefits. The existence of the project allows the discussion to become framed and the presenter to demonstrate their grasp of a solution by being able to relate the technology to the application the client has.
In pursuing a strategy that includes an ecosystem that is populated by architectural and engineering specifiers and consultants, defense oriented channels who understand sensors, law enforcement resources who relate to how "cops" think and IT integrators that look at connecting all the data collection to the cloud I have focused on building relationships where I am viewed as brining the channel an opportunity to leverage what I offer via a product.
The proof that this approach pays off is demonstrated by the above request from the partner referenced to assist with his proposal. These types of relationships take years to develop and I have numerous ones that I can reach out to with anyone's product portfolio and develop sales strategies around. The efforts could come from research funding, product sales or service approaches.
One of the better sub channels I have developed stems from creating relationships with Cisco Partners that are focusing on the security market from the perspective of hardware resell coupled with various types of added value. These Channel VAR's are either A&E or IT subject matter experts who provide a variety of service and value add product into the security and surveillance sector. Currently I have established a personal relationship with three such groups. Each has unique subsets of capabilities & all represent great connectivity to projects that can pull in a variety of software and hardware products. Red River, (www.redriver.com) is a systems integrator that has as its core value the ability to place products onto a government buying contract that allows any government group to purchase quickly off of a catalog of products. I facilitated several sales in this fashion and cut the purchasing time from months to weeks. Red River also is involved with a number of projects such as the protection of the Port of Charleston, South Carolina and the U.S. Oil reserves, where security products are always being added on. Augusta Systems, (http://www.augustasystems.com), is the developer of scalable middleware that controls any sensor or camera from a remote operating environment. As a Cisco VAR they back ended their software environment with Cisco hardware that stored and managed the data collected. I sold them several sensor packages they integrated into a bigger system that managed various unmanned and manned assets as well as cameras to provide perimeter security for a variety of critical infrastructure. I utilized this group to target various border security and infrastructure protection projects.  Prosis Network Systems, (http://prosishawaii.com), specializes in the video aspect of Cisco’s hardware portfolio. They used storage , routing and video hardware content from Cisco and integrate it with a variety of other technology. From the A&E side they focus on preparing site surveys and providing consulting services to groups looking to establish a security plan for their project. I developed them as a channel partner to pursue opportunities in data center protection, water treatment plant surveillance, military base protection, VIP security and other projects involving various high value infrastructures.

Other channel partners I have developed include a combination of manufacturers of cameras, UAV’s, UGV’s, biometric software and situational awareness software packages. The main theme in developing relationships is to gain access to projects and programs that could utilize my technology.

Security & Surveillance Channel Development