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With a commitment to world-class customer support and a history of cutting-edge innovation in the field of advanced digital surveillance technologies, ICOP Digital has pioneered a suite of community-centric solutions specifically designed to secure people, assets and profits through delivery of high performance live streaming video to first responders and high quality audio and video for use as evidence in court.
ON A MISSION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, ICOP was founded in Lenexa, Kansas, the U.S.A., by a core team of business, government and security experts intent on bringing to market technologies capable of positively impacting public safety at the local level.
In mid-2005, ICOP introduced the first generation of its flagship product -- the ICOP Model 20/20®-W, a digital in-car video system designed specifically for application in law enforcement. Since that time, law enforcement agencies in 49 states in the U.S.A. have adopted the ICOP Model 20/20-W as their preferred digital in-car video system for fleetwide deployments. Agencies using ICOP’s solution range in size from small and mid-sized police departments to major metropolitan agencies and state highway patrols.
Having raised over US$26 million in growth capital through a series of private and public offerings led by Portland-based Paulson Investment Company, Inc., ICOP, which trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “ICOP” has carefully and methodically executed branding, corporate positioning and product development strategies that have served to affirm and support its underpinning belief: “Without local security, there can be no national security”.
As a result, the company has fast emerged as a globally recognized leader in the delivery of digital, in-car video recording systems for law enforcement; and is in the process of introducing to market a unique, highly differentiated suite of innovative, fully integrated, ‘live’ surveillance products and wireless communications solutions that will leverage its established and rapidly growing customer base in law enforcement to revolutionize how first responders react and respond to crisis situations at the local, state and federal levels.
In February 2006, ICOP Digital was approved as a federal GSA contractor, making the ICOP Model 20/20-W readily available to federal agencies and helping to streamline contracting with a broad range of U.S. government agencies.
ICOP motorcycle at True American Hero Motorcycle Benefit Ride in Sarasota, Florida (Photo by ICOP)
BUILDING STRONG CUSTOMER LOYALTY
ICOP is in the business of providing quality products that provide its customers the very highest quality video to ensure that once caught, that the guilty get convicted. ICOP will only develop and produce best-of-class products. The company has vowed never to compromise on the quality of its equipment or on producing only high quality evidentiary audio and video; nor will it ever cut corners by sacrificing officer safety to save a buck. ICOP stands behind its products and ensures that when agencies become customers, they remain happy, satisfied customers and strong referral sources.
PRODUCT INNOVATION
Having succeeded in establishing a strong and growing foothold in the U.S. law enforcement industry -- representing a market for digital in-car video currently estimated at US$2 billion in the U.S. alone, ICOP is now expanding its focus to execute on the next critical phase of its growth strategy.
In late Spring 2008, ICOP plans to begin offering ICOP LIVETM, a fully integrated solution for enabling live streaming of high quality video to tactical response managers and coordinators that has been captured on mobile ICOP Model 20/20-W systems in operation in first responder vehicles (and ICOP Model 4000TM systems). With ICOP LIVE, the company believes it will be possible to optimize the management and outcome of any security breach, crisis situation or crime-in-process through the delivery of live streaming video and real-time situational awareness to multiple viewers simultaneously.
In addition, ICOP is currently in the process of launching ICOP Model 4000, the company’s response to prevailing demand for high performance digital surveillance and recording systems on board mass transit vehicles -- namely municipal, commercial and school buses. Through deployment of the ICOP Model 4000, bus operators can protect riders by deterring crime, as well as discourage vandalism, dissuade or mitigate fraudulent accusations or claims, and promote greater public safety, in general. Further, the ICOP Model 4000 can also be enabled to live stream real-time audio/video captured by onboard cameras to multiple web-enabled devices viewed by transit authority officials, local law enforcement or others who have been granted viewing access.
WORLD-CLASS STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Centered on positioning ICOP as the provider who communities turn to for the most technologically advanced, community-centric surveillance and communications solutions, ICOP’s vision for the future of community security is fast winning the attention, support and collaboration of high profile industry and government leaders on a global basis.
Currently, strategic partnering and collaborative sales opportunities are being developed with several Fortune 500 companies who share ICOP’s vision for securing our communities with state-of-the-art technology. In fact, in early May 2007, the company announced that it signed a co-marketing agreement with Sprint Nextel to jointly market ICOP solutions to potential customers within the public sector.
Then, in October 2007, ICOP announced that it had signed a collaborative marketing agreement with Strix Systems, the global leader in high-performance wireless mesh networking, enabling the companies to collaborate on pursuing mutually beneficial sales opportunities on a global basis for their advanced surveillance and wireless mesh networking solutions, respectively.
With a clear commitment to both product innovation and its partnerships, ICOP is rapidly moving towards its vision of providing the most comprehensive ‘community-centric’ advanced surveillance solutions available on the market.
ICOP LIVE (Photo by ICOP)
THE ICOP CULTURE
Of all its achievements to date, ICOP’s management team routinely and publicly states that its greatest success to date has been in assembling one of the most talented, driven and highly energized teams of professionals in the U.S.A. Comprised of many veterans from the U.S. military and law enforcement industry, the ‘team’ at ICOP share a common vision and are bound together by a collective commitment to one another and to excellence in everything they do -- whether it is within ICOP’s offices or out in the field.
In March 2008, ICOP was presented with the “Patriot Award” from the U.S. Department of Defense, recognizing ICOP’s employment policies and practices that are supportive of their employees’ participation in the National Guard and Reserve. An ICOP employee and U.S. Army Reservist activated in October 2007, Staff Sergeant Stephen Omoletski, independently nominated ICOP for this prestigious honor and was present when the certificate and Patriot lapel pin were awarded to ICOP senior officials. “When I was called to active duty, I was not surprised by the support and encouragement I received -- and continue to receive -- from everyone at ICOP. It is an extraordinary company to work for that recognizes and deeply values my commitment to serve and defend our country.” It’s important to note that the ICOP team understands and deeply appreciates that the company can ‘do well, by doing good’. Through regular participation in community service projects and events across the U.S.A., ICOP and its employees support numerous not-for-profit organizations, benefits and local charities ranging from memorial funds for fallen officers to the U.S. Special Olympics.
DYNAMIC GROWTH
Since first introducing its digital in-car video system to market in 2005, ICOP has nearly doubled its revenues for three consecutive years, growing its top line from US$1.76 million in 2005 to US$6.62 million in 2006 and US$11.84 million in 2007. Management has indicated that based on the commercialization of new products being brought to market in 2008, the company hopes to perpetuate this trend, doubling revenues yet again in the current year.
According to ICOP Chairman and CEO, “By remaining focused on our ambitious growth objectives and leveraging our industry insight and expertise, the ICOP brand will continue to be synonymous with state-of-the-art digital surveillance products that are deemed of the highest quality and technological excellence. From our perspective, there is no question that we will deliver considerable long-term value for our shareholders as our early accomplishments mature into an enduring legacy of success and prosperity.”
ICOP Model 2020W arrest image (Photo by ICOP)
INTERVIEW
“IT IS OUR VISION THAT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION, AND INDEED, AROUND THE WORLD WILL ULTIMATELY ALL BE ‘ICOPED’.”
Law enforcement agencies in 49 states in the U.S.A. have adopted ICOP’s solution as their preferred digital in-car video system for fleetwide deployments. Agencies using ICOP’s solution range in size from small and mid-sized police departments to major metropolitan agencies and state highway patrols.
Dave Owen, Chairman and CEO of ICOP, talks about ICOP’s achievements, competitive edges and vision in this interview with Jeanny Lim, Editor-in-Chief of SecurityWorld INT’L .
ICOP Digital has gained a strong foothold as a leading player in the global digital surveillance market. What makes ICOP Digital a special company today?
To really appreciate where ICOP is today, it is first necessary to understand the genesis of our company and how our anticipation of and planned response to key industry trends has impacted ICOP’s evolution, to date.
Following the tragic events of 9/11, ICOP’s management team recognized that the role of first responders in the U.S.A., as we knew it, would undergo a dramatic transformation. We also recognized that the convergence to digital from analog (VHS) technologies taking place in other industries, such as entertainment and data storage, posed a compelling opportunity to improve the practice of law enforcement and, in turn, enhance the quality and value of video evidence used when prosecuting those offenders ‘caught on tape.’
In 2002, we founded ICOP Digital in Lenexa, Kansas and have since endeavored to take the lead in pioneering community-centric digital surveillance products and solutions capable of materially advancing and optimizing the safety, effectiveness and positive impact of first responders. Our first innovation, introduced to market in mid-2005, was the ICOP Model 20/20, an award winning digital, in-car video recording system for law enforcement that quickly earned distinction as one of the leading and preferred in-car video solutions in the industry.
With the law enforcement market for digital in-car video estimated to exceed US$2 billion in the U.S. alone, ICOP recognized early on that increased competition in the industry was inevitable. We were right -- since first launching the ICOP Model 20/20 in 2005, we’ve seen the competitive landscape morph from being dominated by a few key players into a highly populated field of companies all contending for a share of this hot, emerging global market.
In mid-2006, ICOP made a conscious decision to begin heavily investing in research and development, to include building and enhancing our in-house engineering and technology teams and capabilities. This investment has led to ICOP transitioning from being a one-product shop to the innovator of a complete suite of solutions for community-centric surveillance.
In what areas are you focusing your product development efforts?
Our R&D efforts have focused on two core objectives: developing enhanced surveillance capabilities for first responders and developing advanced surveillance solutions for key niche markets, namely mass transit and stationary video surveillance.
Could you tell us some of the competitive edges that differentiate ICOP Digital services and products from its rivals?
ICOP’s main competitive edge in the digital surveillance market is our devotion to producing “best-of-class” products -- products that set the industry standard for quality audio and video, user friendliness, feature-rich functionality, durability and ruggedness, and safety consciousness. By providing superior products that give our customers the very highest quality audio and video, we ensure that once caught, the guilty get convicted. You can count on the fact that ICOP will never compromise the quality of our equipment or the quality of the evidentiary audio and video produced on our equipment, nor will we ever sacrifice officer safety, just to save a buck. We stand behind our products with superior customer service, and work diligently and relentlessly to ensure that when agencies become our customers, they remain our customers.
What do you think will actually reduce and minimize threats?
Without question, the technological integration of real-time situational awareness into existing surveillance and communication platforms will significantly reduce the threat to public safety, while helping to promote much better outcomes to crimes-in-progress, terrorist attacks or other crisis that may compromise public safety. Rather than merely using audio and video surveillance of an event for ‘after the fact’ identification of perpetrators or for back-end analysis to reconstruct what happened, having shared access to view events as they are occurring materially changes the dynamics of how first responders can and should take action to affect the best possible outcome.
What do you think will be the next ‘big things’ in the global digital video surveillance market?
The next logical step for digital video surveillance is to “un-tether” the source of the video feed. ICOP has already begun exploring opportunities to develop personal video systems, allowing the footage from surveillance systems to reflect the vantage point of the law enforcement officer recording it while out of view of his vehicle. We also believe that predictive analytics is the next important advancement in digital surveillance -- an area of serious interest to ICOP.
What are ICOP Digital’s strengths in the market? How are you building on these advantages?
We believe ICOP’s greatest strength lies in our ability to bring a total surveillance solution to the table that is capable of protecting an entire community. Our core tenet remains “without local security, there can be no national security”. In addition to providing high performance, quality engineered surveillance tools to first responders, we also intend to extend similar and/or complementary offerings to government agencies and commercial enterprises seeking gold standard surveillance tools and solutions capable of protecting people, assets and profits.
But even more than our best-of-class products, our ultimate strength lies in our employees. ICOP is very fortunate to have attracted a group of such dedicated and talented people who have each embraced our vision for securing communities around the world. The success we have achieved to date is a direct reflection of their fully aligned commitment to developing and supporting only superior products and to meeting and exceeding the expectations of each and every one of our valued customers.
Please comment on ICOP Digital’s ultimate vision.
It is our vision that communities across the nation, and indeed, around the world will ultimately all be ‘ICOPed’I. ICOP’s disruptive technology platform will significantly change the way that local communities elevate and enhance the safety and security of people, assets and profits -- whether it is on local streets and highways, in area schools or public venues, on mass transit buses or railways, in banks, retail stores or other business environments, or any place where public safety is at issue. It is our goal that “ICOP” will not only be a globally respected brand and world leader in advanced surveillance technologies, but “ICOP” will indeed become synonymous with community-centric security.
For more information, please send your e-mails to swm@infothe.com.
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