The Multidisciplinary Appeal Of Networked Video

By Matt Pillar, chief editor

March 2015 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

an interview by Matt Pillar

With an ever-growing list of retail stakeholders leveraging video intelligence, cloud-based, networked video is catching on rapidly.

In theory, video harbors powerful store operations intelligence far beyond that of its traditional application for LP. While video providers have been pitching that theory for years, few retailers are tapping into the full potential of video intelligence. Is that poised to change as cloud-based, networked video permeates the market? Jackie Andersen, director, retail strategic accounts at Schneider-Electric, MultiSight, thinks so.

Many video providers have pursued the “multidisciplinary benefits” approach to selling video in retail. Results have been mixed at best. Is the problem with the pitch, retailers’ adoption, or both?

Andersen: Both. In terms of pitching the multidisciplinary benefits, video providers need both the language and the expertise to speak fluently to all of the parties who can benefit, addressing what’s most important to them. According to AMR, by 2020, the largest purchasers of video will not be LP. So, we must speak not just to loss prevention, but merchandising, sales, operations, and human resources, to educate them on emerging technology and how it is being used by retail — for heat mapping, conversion ratios, and beyond. While many technology companies have retail specialists, those companies who enlist real retail subject matter experts will do better than those who take a generalist approach.