Here’s a pop quiz from Today’s System Integrator: What do entertainment blockbusters Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica have in common with security systems integrator Niscayah?

If you picked Sanskrit and Marty Guay, you are correct.

The movie and TV show featured Sanskrit-inspired songs.

And as a Securitas Systems USA Inc., spin-off of Sweden’s Securitas just a few years ago, the company changed its name to the Sanskrit word meaning “secure and reliable.” And while Marty Guay, president of Niscayah USA, with headquarters in Duluth, Ga., would be the last to describe himself as fleet commander, he nonetheless is helping steer a course for the integrator which blends a focused business model, problem-solving technology, and new-age managed services — all to “meet and exceed the expectations of our clients and dealers.”

In a wide-ranging interview just prior to ISC West with Today’s Systems Integrator, Guay says, “Our mission is to bring value to our customers, often through common operating models and strong project management. This includes consistency in delivery — how we do things and when we do them. With almost three dozen regional and local offices in the United States, Niscayah has recently restructured its sales model to be even more focused on the customer through segmented units.

With the razzle and dazzle of new and sometimes bleeding-edge security technologies, it is best to stay well grounded, according to Guay. “The customer is really looking for an outcome, certain business and security outcomes.” So his firm’s aim is to provide packages that meet the expectations of the end user. And, as computer and communications technologies further influence physical security, Guay believes that “over time, solutions are going to be much more standardized” while customer services, remote management, maintenance and getting closer to and better understanding specific client businesses will create more opportunities with a longer relationship to the integrator.

Customers tend to be large organizations with complex security challenges and varied operating environments. Niscayah’s expertise in access control, video surveillance, and alarms is strong, according to Guay. The integrator works closely with IT professionals within a customer’s organization to ensure maximum use and productivity of communication, data storage, and data security.

So, with the growing complexity of projects that more often crosses different types of technologies, management of those projects becomes more crucial. “We believe that we understand this.” As a top integrator, Niscayah continues to invest in the time and energy to professionalize that aspect of the business, Guay says. The bottom line is to “build a better process.” While the effort includes a closer partnership with the customer’s IT staff it “also means we build out those skills in-house.”

The integrator sees value in yet another trend: outsourced managed services. Enterprises may not want to invest in products, staff and systems but rather go to others to host the ultimate service. Some call it “in the cloud’ or managed services or software as a service. “It can be a win-win situation for everyone involved,” Guay believes. For example, at ISC West, Niscayah will show off its secure, more profitable video hosting program designed to enhance security dealers’ recurring monthly revenue. The new offering partners with Axis Communications, EMC, and Anixter — and aims at dealers.

“Dealers have ongoing customer relationships in the marketplace, market touch points. There is a mutual opportunity to offer an infrastructure and services they may not generate or host themselves,” Guay comments.

And speaking of partnerships, Niscayah continues to reach out — recently to tech providers such as Quantum Secure and VideoIQ. “For us, it is about built-to-scale solutions for our customers. There also is the gain from the ability to replicate solutions” that are already out there and working.

In the Quantum Secure example, the goal is to provide the ability to manage and streamline security identities, compliance and events across disparate physical security systems. That firm’s SAFE suite of enterprise software enables corporate security managers to implement best practices, automate key processes and simplify control of employees, vendors and other third-party identities across a global organization. By connecting physical security operations closely to an enterprise’s IT infrastructure, security practitioners can quickly realize the value of security convergence, lower overall level of risk and realize a very strong return on investment that will result in sustainable cost savings, year after year.

With VideoIQ, the partnership provides shared customers with a comprehensive solution for intelligent, proactive video surveillance with VideoIQ’s product line, including iCVR-HD cameras, iCVR dome cameras, iCVR encoders, and iCST line of streaming cameras and encoders.

In addition, Guay sees strength in organic growth through attention to certain verticals. “Each has differences but there also are constants” that can be applied across them —those replications of solutions can provide cost-effective solutions more easily applied. The Niscayah executive also sees customer value increasing by improving “help desk” and service operations so that the customer can benefit from a knowledge base that is both wider and deeper.

Among Specialized Vertical Market Segments:

• Biotech
• Pharmaceutical
• Healthcare
• Education
• High rise
• Petrochemical
• Administration/office
• Process industry
• Bank and financial institutions
• Retail chains with customized alarm to verification with video surveillance solutions

Among Technology Solutions:

• Access control
• Video surveillance
• Alarm monitoring (CSAA Five Diamond Certification)
• Integrated and enterprise
• Hosted video