Following the news about the end of the strategic relationship between Samsung Techwin and GVI Security in the Americas, SECURITY SALES spoke with representatives of both companies to learn more details about the end of this agreement and the future of both firms. Pedro Duarte, vice president of Samsung Techwin for Latin America, explained that one of the causes that led to the termination of the agreement was the confusion generated in customers by having two distributors for the same product.
"We felt that the relationship was difficult because having a master distributor created a very long distance with the end customer. We tried to minimize this aspect but it was not possible, so the mutual decision was made to pursue their own challenges," Duarte said, adding that "we allowed GVI to use the Samsung Security name, but that created more confusion in the market because the client did not know if it was with the manufacturer or with the server. For us it was more important that this was clarified, so the idea was to eliminate that type of doubt, so now the customer will know that if he is talking to Samsung he will talk directly with the manufacturer. "
For his part, Steve Walin, CEO of GVI Security, mentioned that in some countries the confusion of customers was very noticeable: "In Brazil we had a particular situation: the client was being confused and I think that when things are confusing in the business in the end they do not come to fruition."
As of January 2011, GVI Security confirmed that it will maintain its staff and business infrastructure in order to maintain constant support for customers who remain with the company: "There is a change of brand but not of personnel or company; there is a new opportunity and we as GVI are looking at it with very good eyes to offer it to customers who have been by our side for almost 10 years, to make us stronger and present new business options," said Fernando Tomasiello, vice president of operations and international sales of GVI.
The advantages
Every business decision always occurs after a previous analysis of advantages and disadvantages. For Pedro Duarte the commercial advantage of Samsung Techwin from 2011 is that "the customer will have the possibility to talk directly with the manufacturer, when there are many steps in communication sometimes the message does not arrive complete, then this new stage will help a lot to improve the products and technical support, I think it's good for both sides."
Walin said in this regard that "we already have a relationship with very good companies in Latin America, we have strategies to enter into high-level projects, both with the IP car line and GVI Plus which will improve the offer."
Samsung Techwin confirmed the opening of new offices in countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile, as well as in Miami, while GVI will continue to serve its business in the already established offices where they will bet on strengthening customer service.
