i-PRO CEO Talks North America, Acquisitions, and the Road Ahead for Integrators

[ Music ] >> This is Samantha Schoer from securityinfowatch.com bringing you a special episode of our security DNA podcast. Listen to Security Business Editor-in-Chief Paul Rothman and IPRO CEO, Masato Nakau talk about IPRO's road map for integrators. All right, so the deal is that I, my magazine I write from the channel perspective from your perspective. >> Channel perspective. Okay. >> You're integration parts. >> Right. >> To prepare for this, I talked to many integrators and I said, if you were in a room with the CEO of IPRO, what would you ask? Okay. And so now I have questions. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Ooh, I'm fresh, sure. >> Okay. >> All right, so how many integrator partners do you want in North America on rough level? >> So we have many partners for the already. >> Okay. >> But like I explained, Sakura Ili partners, we would like to have very limited numbers of Ili partners. >> Ili partners. >> Okay. So currently we have-- >> Limited means. >> Limited means maybe one in a one in each city or something like that? >> So we focus on the mission critical verticals and education. >> Right. >> Okay, so the education and mission critical verticals that can cover, so maybe for the first year, this year. So we have about 100. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> But five years from now, I don't think it's going to be more than 500. >> Okay. >> Maybe some hundreds. >> Okay. >> Yep. So, we focus on the Ili and money. >> Okay. >> All right, I'm going to get to the next part. >> Yep. >> Okay, so it all builds on top of each other. >> Right. >> So, Ipro obviously wants to take market share from Axis, from Hanwap, from Old Rola. >> Okay. >> You want to take market share in North America. >> Okay. >> So, what specific incentives would you give integrators to make a switch to Ipro? >> Okay. >> To become an Ipro. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> So, like I explained, time, time is most important. Most precious resources of the integrators. >> Okay. >> So, we try to save their time. Okay. So, the integration time or installation time. So, we will provide the easy to integrate, easy to learn, easy to install. >> Okay. >> So, we will provide the technologies. And, you know, I -- >> What about like, programs and pricing and things like that? >> Pricing? >> Yeah. >> Not specific pricing, but we've been pricing benefits for integrators. >> So, Ipro is not cheap. >> Are you -- >> I understand, right? >> I'm like, "9th or is Axis?" >> Okay. >> And there's Hanwap, so Ipro is a provincialist. >> So, we must be competitive. >> Right. >> Okay. We must be competitive or specific. >> So, I will depend upon the answers of our sales directors in the United States. >> Okay. >> That's fair. >> What about like, programs? Like, did you have the elite level? You have the elite level, you said? >> Yes. >> The other programs. >> Yes. >> Right. We have the Diamond Beaters and the Golden Beaters and the Super Dealers. We have already have the programs. >> Right. >> And you mentioned training and certifications and everything that you've done. >> Right. >> Yes. >> And that's first part. Now, it's like a part of the integrators. >> Right. >> And now, this is kind of the serious part, right? >> Yep. >> So, when I talk to the integrators, they say, they want a part of where the company that isn't so secretive about where the products are going. They want to be able to sit in front of an end user and say, "This is where it's going to be in five years and this is where it's going to be in ten." Okay. So, they can encourage investments, right? You know, investment in the platform. >> Yep. >> And keeping that in mind, would you share the roadmap of where you think the product line is going? >> Okay. >> So, we'll share the product roadmap with integrators. >> Okay. >> Not only integrators, but also the end users. >> Okay. >> So, we open. We open. But it depends on their response, you know, so to follow our technologies. Okay. So, the AI technologies are not easy to understand. So, they will provide the education program to some selected the integrators that's the variety partners. >> Right. >> So, we have currently hired one, the director of education, training. And so, we will provide the very specific training program to some selected loyal the integrators. >> Do you have any of those elite integrators in North America right now? >> Yes. >> So, what have you learned from them that you can kind of build into a more robust program or, you know, what are they asking for? >> Roboss, you mean, what do they ask you for from a training certification, all these things that go into being an elite partner? >> Right. >> Like, what have you learned from working, I guess, with, like, say, convergent or whoever the elite partner is? >> Yeah. One of the most important things I learned from them was, you know, like I said, time. >> Okay. >> So, they are very busy. And they don't have enough time to install and the paperwork, you know, the event, they would like to learn about the up-to-date technologies or AI. >> Okay. >> So, they are seeking for opportunities. So, we will provide. And so, you know, we have prepared the hotline, okay, so the telephone line. So, the, you know, we will respond to the foreign, you know, it's a hotline. >> Right. >> We respond within the three rings. >> Okay. >> So, support. >> Support. >> Yes, support. >> Yeah. >> Very close the White Glove Service. >> Right. >> So, that is the guarantee for the elite partners. >> Okay. >> All right, so, getting into the, do you want to talk about the chipset and relany that stuff or do you know what I thought? Okay. So, we know that you use the Amrrel chipset. We know a vigilante. >> You use the Amrrel chipset. >> Mm-hm. >> What's the difference? >> No difference. >> No difference. >> No difference. >> No difference. >> But if you use the same chipset. >> Yes. >> Can you do something different with it? >> Oh, of course. >> So, if you use the same spice. But the finished dish is different. >> Okay. >> That's it. So, we have, for example, the picture quality. Picture quality is different. >> Okay. >> So, that is, we have some recipe. >> Right. >> So, the, well, I just walked around a little bit. >> And, you know, no old functions prepared by the Ambrrel. >> Not used. >> Okay. >> So, it depends upon the manufacturer. What functions, what features they use? So, we are using this kind of the set of features. The, the visual may be not. >> Okay. >> So, if you use the same chipset, that's some, you know, the taste may be different. >> I understand. >> Oh, it's good enough. >> That's right. >> So, my question is, is, all right. You chose to do Ambrella at Panasonic. You had your own chips. Access handwilder their own chips. What's the advantage of doing it Ambrella? >> Okay. >> Okay. >> The Ambrella, they have volume. >> Okay. >> The Panasonic cannot enjoy the economy of scale. Okay. So, we must enjoy the, we must utilize the economy of scale. For that reason, we, we use the Ambrella chip. And so, the, we are committed to Ambrella. >> Okay. >> So, they recognize us. So, we share the roadmap. The Ambrella and Ipro. We completely share the roadmap of chipset. >> Okay. >> So, the, our roadmap is, the consistent with the roadmap of Ambrella. >> Okay. >> So, the, like I said, you know, the time-based competition. So, we must provide the, the newest product. Okay. We must utilize the new chip and we must launch the new product, the, the, the earlier than any other camera manufacturers. >> Okay. >> So, that is, that's a goal. >> Okay. >> All right. So, we talk about AI a lot. >> Yep. >> Right. >> A lot of it's just analytics. There's some real, you know, thinking in, in, but some of the things that we've done, the things that maybe Ipro wants to do with AI, maybe there's a startup that's doing just that, right? How acquisitive would Ipro be in that situation? Would, would you be interested in acquiring, say, an AI startup because they make, because they make a piece of AI that appeals? >> Like, if, yeah, if we can come across such the AI house, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, but I am not so interested in having the application. Okay. >> Okay. >> So, yeah. We would like to have, we would like to put this. generic technologies Reveal to AI. Okay. So the Like I said the Panasonic used to have the application department so they had so many applications in house, okay, but you know the I said no I said no so they don't use money and resources to to make Specific AI applications. Okay, so the instead so the we we put our resources on Docker technology, for example, so the which can be used Generate-quite and flexible. Yeah, and other people can do it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah So that well that's really interesting, but if there was a company that came along you wouldn't be opposed to to acquisition, right? Like to acquire It depends Okay, so here's please the last question. Okay. I'm trying to go easy on you. All right So Back when Bosch went on the market Bosch. Okay, they're for sale now. Right. Yeah. Yeah, there were rumors that I pro was also for sale. Okay Is I pro an acquisition target in this industry right now? Mm-hmm people coming and asking to buy Is that a yes? That's a good sign a good evidence that we are recognized a good value Very true We are open you're open, but we are seeking for the IPO Okay, yeah, so the we are preparing for IPO Yeah, so We don't know so okay. Yeah, so the we are seeking for any possible opportunity so So the we think We are trying to increase the enterprise value as much as possible So you know the that is good for going public and good for you know being acquired so the anyway so the we are trying to to increase the enterprise value. Okay, so the If someone is interested in acquiring us any scene I found the door right now Oh, we want to buy a pro. Oh show me show me your money Yeah, so you would just okay, so obviously motorola is buying every right? Yes, so I don't see a fit right but if there was a fit you'd be open to an American company buying You know open doesn't matter. I'm open. Yeah, so we the money right? Yeah, show me the money. Yes I think this worked out well. I kind of powered through this whole thing Yeah, so you know, I think I think I got most of what I was looking for sorry. Yeah, I really appreciate that And like I said we open yeah everything you know not only for the are you know the ecosystem opening but you know for the Equity you know equity structured everything we are open. Okay, we are seeking for any possible opportunities That is good for us. Oh, what about the timeline on the IPO? Is there a timeline? I cannot say you can't say yeah, okay. Yeah, all right I hear many rumors So please you have a rumor please let me know But you know, I mean look at the industry right? I've been around for 25 years in the industry right going to IC West 4040 and there used to be a big old Panasonic booth and a big old Sony booth and neither one of them exists anymore right? I brought yeah, sprung out of that. Yeah, what boss sprung out of Sony right and like you know It's now both them perhaps are on the market will be will continue to be there Thanks for listening to this special episode of security DNA you can check out our podcast on security info watch.com or go to the pod bean App and search security DNA from everyone at security info watch. Thank you for tuning in