Brand transitions don't happen overnight, and it's been one year since UTC bought General Electric's GE Security group. At UTC's ISC West reception, UTC Fire & Security, Global Security Products President Mark Barry reviewed the group's brand positioning and took questions from the audience.
The following text summarizes UTC's branding and positioning at the ISC West security show, some of it new, some of it simply clarified and reinforced.
From the top: United Technologies Corporation (UTC) (NYSE: UTX) is one of the world's largest companies -- larger than Apple, Dell, Cisco, UPS and PepsiCo, just to name a few, according to the Fortune 500 rankings. They own Carrier (HVAC), Otis (Elevators), Pratt & Whitney (aerospace) and more. Total UTC annual revenue is about $54B. About 12% of that revenue (still a huge number) comes from the UTC Fire & Security business unit which is made up of three sub-business units: Global Security Products, Global Fire Products, and Fire & Security Services.
The Global Security Products (GSP) business unit was the one that exhibited at ISC West, so let's focus most of our attention on that BU and its four major brand groups:
The Global Security Products (GSP) business unit was the one that exhibited at ISC West, so let's focus most of our attention on that BU and its four major brand groups:
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| New Signage in UTC's ISC West Booth |
Interlogix: Interlogix represents primarily UTC's video (UltraView, TruVision, etc.) and intrusion detection products, for both residential and small-to-medium commercial markets, as well as some networking and fire products. Interlogix products primarily move through the dealer and distributor channels.
The Interlogix brand umbrella includes the formerly-owned-by-GE residential alarm business. The UTC-GE deal gave UTC a 10-year license to use the GE name. However, UTC has resurrected the Interlogix brand name and intends to move along the retirement of the GE branding well in advance of the ten-year deadline. (More info on Interlogix sub-brands can be found in the following company press release.)
Lenel: The Lenel brand will continue to represent the integrated, enterprise security management system products including OnGuard, SkyPoint, Facility Commander and Picture Perfect. Its products primarily move through the integrator/VAR channel to commercial and government customers.
Onity: Electronic locks, in-room safes and energy management solutions for specific verticals including hospitality and education fall under the Onity umbrella.
Supra: This brand encompasses key management systems including the modern version of a real estate agent's key lock box...still hanging off the doorknob of the for-sale home, but now opened by a smart phone instead of mechanical pushbutton.
Each of the four brands will operate as individual businesses, with dedicated product development, customer support and sales teams.
And in separate UTC branding news, UTC Fire & Security's Fire & Security Services business unit has realigned its US services businesses under the Chubb brand, all the way down to the branding on the vehicles and uniforms (press release). And back in May of 2010, the company announced the use of Edwards as the company name for its fire detection and alarm business (press release).
In summary, within UTC Fire & Security's three business units -- Global Security Products (Interlogix, Lenel, etc.), Global Fire Products (Edwards, etc.), and Fire & Security Services (Chubb, etc.) -- we see UTC resurrecting and maintaining the brands they feel have market equity. And they're retiring dozens of other brands, often a painful but necessary step for an acquisitive company intent on further consolidating this fragmented industry.
UTC was sporting a brand new booth at this year's ISC West show, and it offered them an opportunity to display all four GSP brands -- Interlogix, Lenel, Onity and Supra -- within the same booth footprint for the first time. Designing and building a new booth of that size costs in the neighborhood of a quarter of a million dollars, clearly indicating UTC is committed to spend money to support the rebranding initiative.
Best regards,
Scott Howell
All Tech Marketing
scotthowell949@gmail.com
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