Anixter Security and Cabling Divisions Generate Record Sales

By Nicole Zaro Stahl, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Accelerated Growth Driven by New Camera Technologies, Adoption of Cloud Computing

As an industrial parts and network infrastructure products and service supplier, Anixter connects to the digital universe at many touchpoints. The distributor's Hacienda office supports two vibrant technology sectors, security and the data center.

Accelerated growth in the security arena is being fueled not only by increased concerns for public safety, but also by the migration from analog to digital technology over the past decade, explains Anixter District Manager Justin Webb. The other hotbed of activity, the data center, derives its strength largely from the advent of cloud computing and the need for massive remote data storage.

Pulsing with the demand for solutions in both areas, Northern California is fertile territory for the local sales and engineering offices of the two Anixter business units that serve these sectors - Enterprise Cabling & Security Solutions and Electrical/ Electronic Wire & Cable. According to the company's most recent quarterly results, released in late January, corporate-wide the two groups reported significant performance milestones, with Security Solutions' annual sales reaching over $1 billion and Wire & Cable turning in record fourth-quarter sales. Overall, the Glenview, Ill.-headquartered distributor reported record sales of $1.54 billion for the quarter.

The local operations of both groups moved into a joint, 37,000 square foot facility at 4464 Willow Road back in 2009. Since the spacious Solutions Lab came online about a year later, they have been able to demonstrate a wide range of capabilities to their customers - local contractors, OEMs, and consultant partners.

The Hacienda Solutions Lab showcases the hardware and software that go into networks and security systems. Visitors have the opportunity to examine the various components and see how network devices, cable infrastructure, and software applications interact and affect network performance, Webb explains.

"In a security system the camera doesn't stand alone," he notes. It is one small piece in a system that also includes cabling, image management software, servers, and storage. Anixter helps customers configure their systems, from choosing cameras with the most appropriate type of resolution for the location, to selecting the access control mechanism, whether badging, biometrics, retinal scan, or some combination. Products in the Solutions Lab are refreshed every six months as manufacturers come out with new models.

The lab also plays host to training and seminars that confirm Anixter's place "on the cutting edge of public safety," such as the upcoming half-day session on security solutions.

"To create a smarter physical security network, owners must understand the technologies and products that make a network run," Webb says. Industry experts at the interactive, hands-on seminar in late June will explore the latest solutions in video surveillance, storage, processing, management, and the infrastructure upon which the network relies.

Anixter also supplies end-to-end solutions for the installation of distributed antenna systems (DAS) for wireless communications within a structure. "If the system can't propagate the signal emergency responders use when they go into a building, they might as well be 100 miles apart."

As a distributor who is also a solutions provider, Anixter works with both end users and third-party technology integrators, pre-building and testing all components. "We don't just sell products, we make sure they can be installed in the field without issues," Webb concludes.

For more information, visit www.anixter.com.

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