By Patrick Avenell
Uniden marketing executive Brad Hales was sitting at work mulling over the latest sales figures when his iPhone lit up with an urgent alert: someone was moving about his Sydney backyard.
He knew his wife was at work so he immediately suspected the worst: an intruder was about to break in and start pilfering his favourite appliances and consumer electronics.
While this fear washed over him, Brad opened up the free Guardian app on his smartphone to immediately connect to live vision of his property: even on his iPhone’s relatively small screen he could see that a neighbouring dog and got under the fence and tripped the motion sensors on his security cameras.
Since launching the Guardian range of digital surveillance systems in mid-2012, Uniden has experienced good uptake, though Hales said this category would be performing even stronger if consumers were more aware of two things: all the handy features, such as email alerts; and the easy-to-install, plug-and-play nature of these devices.
The Guardian range includes a 7-inch touchscreen camera in the box but the real advantage comes from being able to monitor the vision from four cameras simultaneously on a smartphone, tablet, PC or Mac; via a free software installation.
“The email alerts for when motion is detected is a great feature for when everyone is at work or school, or if you are all on a family holiday and are concerned about intruders,” Hales said. “But it is a feature that needs to be communicated, and maybe even demonstrated, to potential consumers in-store.”
Hales also said consumers should be made aware that weatherproof cameras are available to withstand inclement weather and that in addition to surveillance; the Guardian provides an effective deterrent to shoplifters and dishonest employees in a small business environment.
“I’ve sent a pack up to my father-in-law in China to use in his shop,” Hales said, practising what he preaches.
Click here to sign up for our FREE daily newsletter
While Uniden remains the runaway category leader in cordless phones, there is no denying that that category has become squeezed by the popularity of smartphones and changing consumer habits. Because of this, Uniden has been increasing its focus on some lesser-known product categories, such as in-car cameras and baby monitors.
Some readers will remember the meteor shower that rained down on central Russia in February this year. There was spectacular, high quality video footage of this event, and nearly all of it was filmed on in-car cameras. These units are enormously popular in Russia due to the high numbers of people that throw themselves in front of cars in order to the sue the driver.
In addition to protecting the driver from a fraudulent insurance claim, Uniden in-car cameras can also pick up number plates, capture images of witnesses and record any damage while the owner is absent via motion detection recording. One only needs to look up the footage from the Russian meteor shower on YouTube to see how good the recording quality is, Hales said.
Finally, Uniden is looking to expand the distribution of its baby monitors into the toy channel. This range has been a strong performer, Hales said, though there is much scope for greater sales though good selling on the shop floor. One feature Hales would love to be communicated is Skype connectivity, meaning if Mum or Dad is away on a business trip, he or she can check in on the kids via their smartphone or tablet.
One of Uniden's latest releases, the iGO Cam 800 In-Car Camera (RRP $149).