When it comes to video surveillance, reducing failure rates can sometimes be the most critical (and puzzling) part of the job. HDSTOR, Phoenix, Ariz., a specialized hard drive distributor, started doing business in the security industry four years ago with the goal of increasing the reliability of these systems. The company does this by offering to educate its customers on the different types of drives being sold and providing pre- and post-sales support that’s hard to come by from other sellers of these products, believes Marc Cisneros, HDSTOR’s senior vice president sales and marketing.
The company has found a niche: it is focused exclusively on providing industrial-grade hard drives to the security industry, which allows it to have “in-depth knowledge about how the drive fits into the video surveillance system; which drives to use as there are many different models and price ranges; and support for returns, higher failure rates than should be expected, designing new products and product life-cycle issues,” Cisneros related. “For example, an integrator is using a particular model which is working well for them, and all of a sudden they get word from their supplier that the model is now obsolete and replaced with another model — however, that integrator is in the middle of a big install!”