How Verkada is helping to shape change in the DACH region

Benjamin Krebs, General Manager DACH at Verkada, talks about a year of market experience, the power of strong partnerships and the path to the integrated security platform of the future.

Since entering the DACH region, Verkada has pursued a clear vision: to seamlessly combine physical security and modern IT solutions. In an interview with Euro Security, Benjamin Krebs, responsible for strategic development in German-speaking countries, looks back on an eventful year – marked by in-depth market analysis, successful partnerships and technological innovations. In the interview, he explains how Verkada is gaining the trust of customers and setting new standards for the security industry with its hybrid cloud approach and consistent ‘data privacy first’ policy.

Euro Security: Welcome, Mr Krebs. You can now look back on a year of market experience in the DACH region. Please start by telling us about your entry into the market. What were your initial hopes, and what challenges did you encounter?

Benjamin Krebs: Thank you very much. When I started in the DACH market just over a year ago, my primary goal was to gain a deep understanding of the local security landscape. It was an exciting start because I quickly realised that the market – characterised by a strong partner network – works very differently from other regions. It was like suddenly entering a world where physical security and IT strategies merge. Our 100% partner focus model has been at the heart of our approach from the very beginning – because that’s exactly how the market works here in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Euro Security: You often emphasise the value of partnerships. Can you explain in more detail how your partner network has developed and what initiatives you have implemented in this area?

Benjamin Krebs: Absolutely. From the outset, it was clear that Verkada’s success would depend heavily on cooperation with regional partners. I met industry colleagues at numerous events, which helped me to better understand customer expectations and requirements. Many of our partners – whether from the traditional physical security segment or from IT – immediately recognised that our technology represents a real alternative to conventional systems.

Our existing partners particularly appreciate the ease of integration, as we offer hardware and software from a single source. We have even further developed our partner programme: in addition to the traditional reseller model, we now offer a ‘Plus’ programme that rewards those who invest in installation and training. This initiative not only ensures a seamless customer experience, but also sets us apart from our competitors.

Euro Security: That sounds very promising. Let’s dive into one of the key points: Verkada’s technology. How exactly does your solution differ from other providers – especially in terms of hybrid cloud architecture and data protection aspects?

Benjamin Krebs: Our customers are really enthusiastic. Take the example from retail: by integrating point-of-sale systems, we can link a video recording to every transaction immediately. This makes it possible to check suspicious activity right away – whether it’s an incorrect chargeback or potential theft.

Such scenarios demonstrate how seamlessly the physical and digital worlds work together at our company.

In identity management, our customers benefit from the automatic synchronisation of access rights and user roles.

This not only saves time, but also minimises sources of error that frequently occur in manual processes. These integrations are not only technically sophisticated, but also extremely attractive from an economic perspective, as they significantly reduce operational effort while improving compliance.

Euro Security: In addition to the technical aspects, the strategic expansion of your partner portfolio also plays a major role. You recently reported on the new partnership with SimonsVoss. What makes this alliance so special and how will it further strengthen your position in the market?

Benjamin Krebs: The partnership with SimonsVoss is a milestone for us. SimonsVoss stands for elegance, durability and the highest quality – values that are also essential to Verkada. Especially in the area of access control, where modular solutions such as our One-Door-Controller are in demand, the integration of SimonsVoss’ wireless docks is a perfect addition.

Many of our customers in the DACH region have already had positive experiences with SimonsVoss and appreciate its reliability and long battery life. This partnership not only opens up new market segments for us, but also strengthens our brand image. In future, we will participate in trade fairs and regional events together, thereby further expanding the reach of our integrated security solutions.

Euro Security: The cloud plays a central role in your strategy. How do you see the cloud segment developing in the security market, and what specific advantages does it offer companies that choose your solution?

Benjamin Krebs: The cloud is a real game changer in the security market. Companies benefit enormously from the centralised management of their locations – regardless of whether they have hundreds or thousands of locations. Automatic firmware updates and the ability to use state-of-the-art AI functions such as free text search significantly reduce the administrative effort.

Another key advantage is compliance with regulatory requirements. Our cloud enables us to ensure that the latest security standards and regulations are always implemented. The cloud solution also offers a high degree of scalability and flexibility – characteristics that are crucial in times of rapid technological change. We are seeing the share of cloud-based systems in the global video security market grow steadily – our strong position in this segment reinforces our course.

Euro Security: Another exciting aspect that you keep coming back to is the transformation of the security market. You compare the current change to an ‘IT transformation moment’ similar to 2014, when AWS entered the German market. Can you elaborate on this comparison and explain how you are strategically accompanying the current change?

Benjamin Krebs: The comparison is actually very apt. Remember when an American online bookseller suddenly started renting out computing power in Germany? That was the moment when the IT landscape changed fundamentally. Today, we are seeing something similar in the security sector: the transformation from on-premise systems to cloud-based, integrated solutions is inevitable.

Our strategy is not only to accompany this change, but to actively shape it. We rely on a combination of modern technology, continuous software updates and a strong partner network to always offer our customers the best possible solution. To this end, we also enter into strategic partnerships with large IT resellers – most recently with Bechtle, for example. This clearly shows that the IT industry has also recognised the advantages of modern, integrated security solutions.

Euro Security: Finally, Mr Krebs, what are your strategic goals for the next twelve months? What developments are you planning to further expand Verkada’s success in the DACH region?

Benjamin Krebs: Our focus remains unchanged: the security of people and buildings – always with the highest priority for data protection and integrity. In the coming twelve months, we want to further deepen our platform approach by enabling additional software integrations – whether in the area of point-of-sale, identity management or other forward-looking applications.

At the same time, we are continuously investing in the further development of our hardware to further optimise installation processes and system performance. Another focus is on strengthening and expanding our partner programme. We want to deepen existing partnerships and enter into new alliances with IT resellers and other strategic partners to further expand our market presence.

The transformation of the security market is continuing apace – and as the market leader, we are determined to actively shape this change and offer our customers innovative, future-proof solutions.

Euro Security: Thank you very much, Mr Krebs, for this in-depth insight into your strategies and developments. It is impressive to see how Verkada is driving change in the security market, not only technologically, but also strategically and in terms of partnerships. We look forward to following further developments in the DACH region.

Benjamin Krebs: Thank you. It was a pleasure to share our visions and experiences. We are convinced that the future of the security industry lies in the intelligent combination of hardware, software and strong partnerships – and we look forward to continuing on this path together with our partners and customers.

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