After opening its U.S. office, firm rolls out first product for N.A.

ST. LOUIS--After taking the initiative to enter the video surveillance market three years ago in Europe, Arteco Vision Systems, a subsidiary of Arteco S.p.A, opened an office here earlier this year and this month rolled out its first product line developed for North American implementations. The company's English version of its intelligent digital video surveillance system uses a proprietary algorithm to identify anomalies within a digital image, such as movement or temperature change. The data allows the system to count and recognize objects, people and situations and will alert guards if there is an incident. After experiencing success with a similar version of the product throughout Europe, which is used in applications at the Dubai metro systems and at a museum in Faenza, Italy, the company felt the timing was right to offer the product in North America considering the growth in the video surveillance market here. "This is the top market in the world for video security," said Steve Birkmeier, director of marketing for the company's U.S.-based operations. "We've had enough experience in Europe to be in this position." Birkmeier said the system is applicable to a number of different uses. "The applications are endless," he said. "We have looked at not just asset protection and customer protection but specifically, production lines in factories. Our systems can tell trajectory analysis." As the product is introduced to the market, the company is also looking to strategically position itself with a group of integrators. "By this time next year if we could have 20 integrators selling this product in different regions, than we can focus on our customer service," Birkmeier said. But Birkmeier said for the company to be able to focus on its goals, as in this case service issues, it must give integrators the tools to succeed. "We are focused on relationships," Birkmeier said. "Smaller numbers in terms of integrators gives us more ability to focus on them." But having a small percentage of partners does not mean the company's goals are small. Birkmeier said Arteco Vision is looking to be the name in intelligent video in the United States and he said the fact that this sector of the industry is disjointed at this point is an asset to the company. "I think it is building confidence in the market and with the end user," he said. "I don't think it is going to happen overnight, but we are fortunate that it is a fragmented industry."