This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
This Website Uses Cookies
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More
This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
SDMmag logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
SDMmag logo
  • Home
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Digital Editions
    • Archives
    • Monitoring Today
    • Professional Security Canada
  • Products
  • Newswire
  • Exclusives
    • SDM 100 Report
    • Top Systems Integrators Report
    • Annual Industry Forecast
    • State of the Market Series
    • Dealer of the Year
    • Systems Integrator of the Year
    • TMA Monitoring Center Excellence Awards
    • Blog
    • PSA Leadership Institute
  • Topics
    • Trends & Industry Issues
    • Video Solutions
    • Access Control & Identification
    • Smart Home
    • More SDM Topics
  • Columns
    • Editor's Angle
    • 5-Minute Tech Quiz
    • Security & the Law
    • Security Networkings
    • Digital Shuffle
    • Technology @ Work
    • Insider News & Business
    • Today's Systems Integrator
    • Marketing Madmen
    • Sales Stars
    • Smart Insights
  • Events
    • Industry Calendar
    • SDM 100 Gala @ ESX
    • Webinars
  • More
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • ISC West 2019
    • Photo Galleries
    • Newsletters
    • Classified Ads
    • SDM Store
    • White Papers
    • Sponsor Insights
    • More Resources
  • Directories
    • Buyers Guide
    • Take a Tour
    • Guide to Distributors
    • Guide to Central Stations & Monitoring
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Home » Getting to Know OpenEye
Video Solutions

Getting to Know OpenEye

OpenEye's focus on long-term customer relationships made the company's booth a popular place to visit at ISC West 2014. PHOTO BY SDM STAFF

 OpenEye's focus on long-term customer relationships made the company's booth a popular place to visit at ISC West 2014.

PHOTO BY SDM STAFF 

December 17, 2014
KEYWORDS IP solution / Network Video Recorder (NVR) / OpenEye
Reprints
No Comments

When OpenEye founder and CEO Rick Sheppard began his company, he was a junior at Gonzaga University in Washington State. He started it with a mere $5,000 and a desire to create a company that was competitive, creative, and stayed true to its grassroots beginning. It didn’t take too long for others to join him, although Sheppard said he spent from 1999 to 2000, “convincing the smartest kids I knew to turn down promising jobs elsewhere to help me create a business we would all be proud to dedicate our lives to.”

In 2001, OpenEye introduced its first digital video recorder at ISC East. Among its first customers was Jay Hunt, president of Allied Fire & Security. “To date, he is one of our longest standing integration partners,” Sheppard said. Over the past decade, OpenEye has created partnerships with numerous customers throughout the Northwest and in the education, commercial, hospitality, healthcare, and retail segments. His 125 employees are U.S.-based and many of them are software and systems engineers.

“At its core our product offering is a value-driven IP solution including a complete lineup of NVRs and IP cameras. Our Radius video management software is extremely powerful yet very easy to use,” Sheppard explained. “We are also focused on developing software that helps our partners and end users improve operational efficiency, reduce maintenance complexity, and improve their return on investment. Two great examples of this are ReportStar and SaleGuard.  Both of these software platforms were designed specifically to help our customers run their businesses better.”

Customer service is a companywide commitment. OpenEye even has a name for it: Heroic Customer Service. “Obviously Heroic is a big word and we are putting ourselves out there by making this claim. It’s about being available, nimble, flexible, and creative when it comes to delivering solutions to our customers. It’s also about our commitment to long-term customer relationships,” Sheppard shared.

How are his clients using the products? WINCO grocery stores and the Carl’s Jr/ Hardee’s restaurants both use OpenEye’s SaleGuard exception reporting and data analytics platform to identify fraud and operational issues occurring at the point of sale. These clients also use its video platform to audit operational practices and to ensure compliance with safety procedures. 

Being privately owned with no venture capital or private equity investors gives OpenEye more freedom to stay true to the core values, Sheppard stated. He said the company has been profitable since 2002.

The company’s growth has allowed it to give back to its community and OpenEye maintains a strong environmental policy by adopting a green-commute policy. It designs products with minimal impact on the environment, and reduces the use of energy, water and raw materials, to name just a few of its efforts.

What’s on the horizon for OpenEye?  “We have a very strong product development pipeline with some significant new product releases this year and next. Our most important goal for 2015 is the successful introduction of our new OpenEye Web Services platform,” Sheppard shared.

 He also believes the industry’s future is about making data, including video, easier to manage and utilize across an enterprise.  

Subscribe to SDM Magazine

Related Articles

Integration Intelligence Issues: GETTING TO KNOW SECURITYNET

Getting to Know the World of Business Intelligence

OpenEye Recognized by Hanwha for Commitment to Open Cloud Platform

NVR Uses Easyconnect Technology To Get Up & Running Quickly

Related Products

Physical Security: 150 Things You Should Know 2nd Edition

The Complete Guide to Physical Security

Introduction to Security, 10th Edition

The Facility Manager's Guide to Safety and Security

Related Events

How to Work with IT to Capture the Entire Job

Related Directories

Eagle Eye Networks

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • Print & Digital Edition Subscriptions
  • SDM eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content What Is Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the SDM audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep.

Close
Featureimage_900x550__ovl0jlkbbj__
Sponsored By
Schneider Electric

New Digital Load Management System Drives Productivity and Enables New Business Models

Motor starter selection and configuration has always been a labor-intensive task. To address this challenge, machine builders and system integrators must adopt new technologies that simplify motor starter selection, installation, configuration and maintenance.

Popular Stories

Dealer of the Year(2019)

SDM 2019 Dealer of the Year: CPI Security of Charlotte, NC

Shiver Security

Shiver Security Expands With the Acquisition of Four Companies

GettyImages-1087183206

Whatever Happened to the Prediction of a Mass Extinction of Security Dealers?

STANLEY

STANLEY Security Partners With Indianapolis Colts to Honor Local ‘Security Champion’

Aiphone

Go Above & Beyond for Effective Emergency Communication/Notification

SDM 2019 Top Systems Integrators Report

Events

January 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Hiring Women in Security

Has your company made any efforts in the past year to specifically hire and/or promote women in managerial/executive positions? (Please select the best answer.)
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Contemporary Security Management, 4th Edition

Contemporary Security Management, 4th Edition

 Contemporary Security Management, 3rd Edition teaches security professionals how to operate an efficient security department and how to integrate smoothly with other groups inside and outside their own organizations. 

See More Products

SDM Magazine

_FC_SDM1219 cover 144x192

2019 December

Check out SDM Magazine’s December 2019 issue, featuring "CPI’s Key to Success Is Controlling ‘the Experience’ in-House", "Monitoring Services: The Cutting Edge", and much more.

Check back throughout the month for new content!

View More Create Account
  • Resources
    • List Rental
    • Online Exclusives
    • Industry Innovations
    • Partners
    • Privacy Policy
    • Survey And Sample
  • Want More
    • Subscribe
    • Connect

Copyright ©2019. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing