Ganesh Jivani, Managing Director, Matrix ComSec Matrix, a two-decade-old company based in Vadodara, Gujarat is a telecom specialist that has diversified into security solutions in recent years. Besides an impressive list of clients such as Adani Ports, Sterling & Wilson, BHEL, Shriram Finance and others in India, the company has also established its presence in Asia, North America, South America and Europe with 500 channel partners. Sharing its latest security offering with CW, Ganesh Jivani, Managing Director, Matrix ComSec, lends an insight into the challenges of operating in the Indian market and the company's expansion plans. What is the latest product launched by your company? Highlight its applications? COSEC is the family name for a series of access control and time attendance solutions. These are primarily useful for offices and factories where access of people moving from one place to another can be controlled or working hours can be monitored. We have RF identification and biometrics, which is based on fingerprints. Every technology has its advantages and limitations. For example, the card-based technology is cost-effective and easy to carry but it can easily be misused through proxy punching. And while fingerprint technology works well in most environments, in the industrial scenario, where there is a lot of sweat, oil and dirt involved, it is difficult to monitor the movements of workers. So we developed and launched the Cosec Door PVR. This is a palm vein reader that reads vein patterns underneath the skin. So even if the skin is dirty, oily, scratched or injured on the surface, the vein reader can identify individuals without any physical contact with the system. It is useful in factories and other rough environments where fingerprint and card technology fails. Tell us about your global footprint. A lot of products in India are imported from China and Taiwan. It is possible to design and manufacture quality products in India as well. All the products we deal in are designed by us. Apart from developing a loyal customer base in India, we export our products to a lot of countries such as Austria, Germany, Portugal, Spain, the US, Argentina, Chile, and many others. Actually, we sell our products to around 30 to 40 countries. How is the Indian security market? How different is it from the overseas market? The Indian security market is growing rapidly but security solutions in India need to do a bit of catching up. There is a huge potential for growth and a lot of companies have forayed into the market and made their presence felt in areas like time attendance, access control, video surveillance (CCTV), DVR camera, etc. There is a lot of competition. With so many players, it is crucial to know your niche. The idea is to focus on a specific customer segment, find out their requirements and deliver those values. India is not very different from other technologically and economically advanced countries. In the past, the technology present in western countries would reach India after three to five years but the gap is slowly reducing. One major difference that prevails, though, is that India has a bigger market for low-cost products. What are your plans for the future? We offer traditional video surveillance with products like network video recorders, traditional cameras and IP-based video surveillance. We have identified three areas in security: time attendance and access control; video surveillance; and fire protection. Our plan is to consolidate all three domains in the near future. In India, there are a lot of opportunities to grow. But in the overseas market, the growth is higher because most markets are open markets for us. To give your feedback on this interview, write in at feedback@ASAPPmedia.com