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"Now is a fantastic time to build solutions"
Naturally, the starting point of the interview is
this prestigious award, which is awarded annu-
ally by Ernst & Young (EY).
Congratulations! What does this award mean
to you?
"It was a great honour to receive the EY
Entrepreneur of the Year Gulf South Award. It
truly reflects the hard work and dedication of
the entire global team at Eagle Eye Networks.
Eagle Eye Networks has been a pioneer in
cloud-based video surveillance. What inspired
you to enter the physical security market, and
how do you see cloud technology shaping its
future?
"In 2012, I was running Barracuda Net-
works. We had offices around the world, and
I wanted to ensure all offices in the U.S. and
elsewhere were safe and secure. But I couldn't
find a security system that was cyber-secure,
maintenance-free, allowed for remote access,
and could be centrally managed. As a business
owner, I knew I wasn't alone in this."
So, in the cloud you saw a solution that could
address your and others' security issues?
"Yes, but I couldn't find any cloud-based
video surveillance solution. So, I decided to
found Eagle Eye Networks and build an open-
platform video management system (VMS)
for the cloud, with the idea that it could solve
security and business issues for Barracuda and
other companies."
You've founded several companies, including
Barracuda Networks and Eagle Eye Networks.
What do you think is the key to identify-
ing unexplored opportunities in tech-driven
industries?
"The unexplored opportunity in any
industry is solving a real problem that business
owners experience."
Cyber security is increasingly becoming a
critical component of physical security solu-
tions. How are your companies addressing
this growing need, and what future trends
do you foresee at the intersection of cyber
security and physical security?
"As you know, I come from the cyber secu-
rity world having founded and been CEO of
Barracuda Networks. Cyber security is therefore
part of the DNA in both Eagle Eye Networks
and Brivo. We take cyber security very seriously
in all my companies.
Cyber security was something most com-
panies thought of as an afterthought when I
entered the physical security industry in 2012.
Thankfully, that has changed. Today, there is a
general awareness that you can't have effective
physical security without cyber security. The two
are inseparable."
Eagle Eye Networks emphasizes AI-driven
video analytics. How do you see AI trans-
forming the physical security landscape over
the next five to ten years?
"Video surveillance is saturated with vast
amounts of AI opportunities. Companies'
willingness to invest in video surveillance will
increase as the systems deliver ten times more
value. Video surveillance solutions are needed
everywhere in our world today."
What does this mean for Eagle Eye Networks?
"Our ability to enhance these solutions with
AI presents endless opportunities for expansion.
Eagle Eye Networks is leading the way in bringing
cloud-based video surveillance solutions to the
market that solve persistent security issues and can
also be a vital tool for the business world."
The market for cloud-based security solutions
is becoming increasingly competitive. How
do you ensure Eagle Eye and Brivo stay ahead
of competitors?
"Eagle Eye Networks is an open platform
purpose-built for AI, cloud, video surveillance,
and cyber security assurance. These are the
building blocks of our company and our critical
differentiators that continue to pay off.
Brivo is the pioneer in cloud-based access
control. Additionally, both Brivo and Eagle Eye
continue to invest heavily in AI. We've seen the
benefits AI-driven cloud video surveillance can
offer to the business world, with innovations
like AI-driven license plate recognition and
Eagle Eye Smart Video Search, which won the
Detektor International Best Product Award in
2022."
Finally, what advice would you give to aspir-
ing entrepreneurs looking to enter the tech
industry, particularly in niche areas like
physical security and surveillance?
"There are thousands of business problems
that can be solved with AI. This is an enormous
opportunity for today's entrepreneurs who iden-
tify a business problem and then build the solu-
tion. It's, of course, crucial to truly understand
the business problem inside and out, and from
the business owner's perspective.
But now is a fantastic time to build solu-
tions. In 2014, the opportunity was the cloud.
In 2024, one of the greatest opportunities is AI
and cloud solutions."
In connection to the trade show Skydd in Stockholm, Detektor inter-
viewed Dean Drako, who was recently honoured with the 2024 Gulf
South Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Dean Drako, founder, Eagle Eye Networks:
Dean Drako, recipient of the EY Entrepreneur
of the Year Gulf South award, was one of the
keynote speakers at Skydd, Scandinavia's largest
security exhibition, in Stockholm.
Interviews with entrepreneurs
Editor: Lennart Alexandrie
Today, there is a general awareness that you can't
have effective physical security without cyber security.
The two are inseparable."
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