PSIJuly2018

INTERVIEW
Installations made easy
This month we talk to Steve Nuttall,
UK Manager at Fermax about the
modern access control and door
entry markets
ccording to Steve Nuttall, Fermax was one
Aof the first companies to launch the
concept of door entry systems back in
1949. The family-owned company is mainly
focused on digital and IP networked door entry
and intercom together with integrated access
control and CCTV. This is the type of system that
allows a resident to see what is happening in
their garden with video footage on the door
entry monitor. “This is a typical project for us
today; offering a more solutions-based service
for a market that is largely driven by apartment
builds and new property development,” says
Steve. “However, the UK is completely different
from the European market, because here people
are essentially living in residential homes while
in Spain, France and Italy they live in
apartments often in the centre of cities.”
Door entry has been something of a niche
market in the UK in the past, so for Fermax
taking the total solutions approach enables the
company to offer a single source for warranties,
design, product and commissioning in
applications that could involve systems from a
number of sources and get complicated for
installers. This makes life a lot easier for
contractors. We caught up with Steve to find out
more about the evolution of the sector.
How has business been in the last twelve
months?
Our business in the UK is doing well and we've
just had one of our best years for a while. The
business splits between the electrical and the
security sectors. In the security sector we
mostly deal with specialist installers working
with large contractors and we also have volume
business with electrical contractors and
distributors. The overall business is growing
very well.
How is the UK split?
The UK market segments geographically and by
user. The geographical split shows how the UK
economy is heavily concentrated in the South
East of England. In the London area the
standard of new apartment builds and their
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specified technology is significantly higher than
in the North where local authority funded
projects may still be using audio-only systems.
London developments are commonly specifying
video, increasingly with IP and flat screens,
whereas budget restrictions further North lead
to handset or audio only based systems.
Is video the big trend at the moment?
Yes it is. The demand is definitely increasing and
I think people expect to see video entry in new
homes these days particularly with a touch
screen rather than a handset. This may be down
to the widespread use of smartphones changing
consumer expectations when it comes to the
devices we use and the way we communicate.
Has the introduction of products such as
Ring affected your business?
Not in terms of competing with us as we only
offer professional systems, rather than DIY
consumer units. I would say however that it has
had an impact because it is introducing the
concept of video entry to a mass market. We're
not in the same market, we have different
routes to the customer and no professional
installer would seriously consider a DIY
solution such as Ring which is in effect a
wireless doorbell rather than an entry system
but it is making people aware of the security
value of video entry. When people want to
upgrade to a flat touchscreen with IP
connectivity and video that links to your mobile
and gives you control of door locks we're there!
“The UK is completely
different from the
European market,
because here people
are essentially living
in residential homes
while in Spain, France
and Italy they live in
apartments”
(continued over)
Steve Nuttall
19