Bewator 2003 Sales Revenue: US$61.2 million Industry: Access Security

Every three minutes, one of Bewator's product is being installed somewhere around the world. This 30-year-old Sweden-based access-security company has proved its ability and stood the test of time.

According to CEO Bo Kastensson, "In the supply chain between manufacturers and end-users, there is massive investment in technical development and training on all sides. You have to create a playing field to please your customer base. That is the basis underpinning the value Bewator has created. In our home market, Sweden, demand for security products is rising fast. We are working hard to build stable business relationships with installers as well as their customers [end-users]."

This value also allows Bewator to move quickly to confront major changes and intense consolidation stemming from the digital-security revolution. "The competition has been accelerated both by security player and new entrants from the IT industry," said Kastensson. "But Bewator is not only maintaining a substantial presence in access controls, it is eager to offer open, networkable security solutions."

It is, therefore, stocking up on extra product lines in order to bring total security solutions while shifting toward new technologies. According to Kastensson, the acquisition of Antech--an expert in network and IP CCTV solutions--has certainly lifted Bewator. The strategy of combining access control and IP network know-how also gave Bewator a platform to integrate access control, alarm systems and video control at a very early stage, particularly in the apartment sector.

In 2003, access-control products accounted for 60 percent of total sales with the remaining 40 percent from video. Kastensson pointed out that, "Our access-control systems remain strong in Sweden and the U.K., but we are expanding into more markets."

When asked for a forecast, Kastensson observed that, "We see the issue of technology convergence as important to our customers; the main challenge is to significantly lower the level of complexity in order to deliver truly seamless total solutions. It's not simply about which applications we target; it's more about what type of solutions we deliver to the same markets."