Interlogix Guys Making A Sequel

Industry veterans Charles Durant and Duane Paulson recently announced the formation of Sequel, which will provide alarm panels as well as CCTV, access control and wireless security products to residential and commercial installers. The company’s name, conjured up by Durant, symbolizes what the co-founders told SSI is a sequel to Interlogix, which itself formed from the union of ITI and SLC Technologies (formerly Sentrol) in 2000. Interlogix manufactured security products before GE acquired it in 2001 and formed the heart of what is now GE Infrastructure, Security. “It’s a return to the ITI days. This is going to be a direct focus on the independent dealer. We want to have as close a relationship as possible,” says Paulson, who as a marketing executive at Interlogix started the Security Pro dealer program that continues today under GE. “We look at the whole company as being a dealer program. We just feel the independent dealer isn’t getting the kind of service they desire. Our intention is to give them a little tender loving care.” “It’s hard to get it out of your blood,” Paulson says. “We just love this marketplace. We did this fairly well before. I think we can do it again.” Durant and Paulson started talking about the formation of the new company just after the start of the year and officially began formulating the framework of Sequel six months ago. Like Interlogix, Paulson says Sequel will have a clear focus. In this case, the company will concentrate on the commercial and residential markets while staying away from government and fire system products. The company’s first products will be in the CCTV arena in early 2006, followed by access control products and an alarm panel by the latter half of the year. Paulson told SSI the fact that Sequel is starting from scratch will actually be one of its assets. That means all of Sequel’s products will be digital from the beginning, with voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) compatibility, narrow-band wireless sensors and the ability for dealers to make firmware upgrades remotely. “We get to start with a clean piece of paper. We don’t have to support decades of legacy systems,” he says. “Fortunately, we have a little leg up on that game because people know who we are, but we recognize there are high switching costs from one line to the other. The target dealer we’re looking for is actively seeking a solution.” For more on Sequel Technologies, access its Web site at www.sequeltechnologies.com.