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Controlsoft comments

ControlSofts Russell Wagstaff comments on the key issues pertaining to the recent distribution agreement between Reditron and ControlSoft.

On the exclusivity of the agreement

[Russell Wagstaff, ControlSoft] In terms of the agreement, Reditron has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of ControlSoft access control solutions in South Africa. We will continue marketing and selling directly to installers at the same price as Reditron. We will also continue to offer direct support to ControlSoft installers.

On the strengths Reditron brings to ControlSoft

[RW] Reditron's established distribution network and its reputation for service excellence will give us wider exposure to end users, especially in the Western Cape and KwaZulu- Natal.

On ControlSoft's strategic direction

[RW] The agreement with Reditron does, in a sense, signify a shift in our focus. In the past, we concentrated on selling to installers. While we will continue to sell directly to installers, we anticipate that Reditron will account for an increasingly significant portion of our sales to that market.

CCTV and access control often go hand in hand. A customer who needs CCTV technology is likely to be in the market for an access control solution as well. We believe that Reditron's leadership in CCTV gives us a unique opportunity to market our access control technology as part of an integrated electronic security solution.

On seeking similar agreements with other distributors

[RW] The agreement gives Reditron sole distributor status and we will not consider appointing other distributors in South Africa.

On the size and growth opportunities in the access control market

[RW] While it is extremely difficult to quantify the size of the access control market, we know from our own experience that it has been growing steadily for several years. We have noticed that some customers have a resistance to PC-based access control systems, probably because computers are still widely regarded as inherently unreliable. But that perception is changing and PCs are increasingly being used in mission-critical systems.

We have focused on developing reliable access control solutions using a stable operating system platform. As the PC gains wider acceptance, I think we can expect growing demand for online Windows NT based systems such as KeyMaster Pro.

PC-based systems also provide an opportunity to integrate various systems, including CCTV, asset tracking and time and attendance. Partnerships such as the one we have forged with Reditron and other specialists in security-related disciplines will enable us to develop integrated, usable solutions that can be deployed easily and cost-effectively in any Windows NT based computing environment.

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