Axis Communications announced that 23-year network hardware and software industry veteran Vincent Ricco has joined the company as North American business development manager for its technology partner program. Ricco will join the Axis team at Interop Las Vegas 2012 (May 8-12) to showcase the company’s network video surveillance systems and educate the IT industry on the ongoing technology shift from analog CCTV to IP-based video surveillance.
“I’m excited to help evangelize the benefits of IP video while, at the same time, demystifying the technology for both analog users and the traditional IT channel,” commented Ricco.
Ricco will report directly to Axis's Rob Muehlbauer, recently promoted to the position of business development programs manager, and will work with the company's global partner and business development teams to help hardware, software and infrastructure partners navigate the physical security landscape amidst the analog to digital surveillance technology shift.
Through Ricco’s leadership, Axis says it expects to bridge the gap between physical security, hardware and infrastructure providers to build tight partnerships and mutual interoperability testing procedures that deliver complete IP video surveillance solutions. The company's stated goal is for its technology partner program to "grow to not only provide sales opportunities for leading IT hardware and infrastructure partners, but also solutions, sales and technical training and overall industry education for the entire channel, from security and IT systems integrators to distributors and end-users."
“Some of my friends and colleagues have asked, ‘Why move from IT to physical security?’ My response is always the same: It moved into me,” added Ricco. “In a world where nearly everything has gone digital, video surveillance is one of the last pure growth opportunities for IP technology. As the inventor of the IP camera and today’s industry leader, Axis was the logical choice for me.”
Ricco joins Axis following nearly two decades at Allied Telesis, Inc., a leading manufacturer of Layer 2-7 network hardware and software solutions. He held a variety of positions during his tenure at Allied, from district sales manager to vice president of sales. Most recently, Ricco was a senior network consultant working with end-users and integrators to provide infrastructure guidance for the physical security, transportation and healthcare markets.
Ricco has also been a contributor to various IT standards organizations, such as the TIA/EIA Fiber Optic LAN Section and the HIMSS Infrastructure Standards Committee. He is based in San Jose, Calif., and will be one of the 150-plus regional employees reporting to the brand new Axis North American Headquarters in Chelmsford, Mass.
“When you consider our goals for the technology partner program in North America, I can’t think of a better time than Interop to announce that Vince has joined our team,” said Fredrik Nilsson, general manager, Axis Communications. “As our industry moves toward all IP, we’ll need technology partners by our side that are committed to growth in network video surveillance and the best in interoperability.”