SJUK hears from the Teledyne FLIR team, who discuss the company’s core values, meeting the needs of customers and the development of the thermal camera market.

Can you tell me about the Teledyne FLIR team’s core values and how they make you stand out in the market?

We are committed to identifying and solving our customers’ needs better than our competition.

We put the customer at the forefront, so we can create solutions that truly exceed their needs and expectations.

At FLIR, everything we do is driven by our passion to create advanced technology: solutions that go beyond hardware and software to create a multi-layered ecosystem that is adaptable to our customers’ needs.

Empowerment through knowledge: The FLIR team believes that knowledge empowers people. We are committed to helping customers and end users by offering clear, insightful information that allows them to make informed decisions, whether they are exploring solutions for complex security problems or simply seeking practical advice. We aim to be a trusted resource in the industry.

Accuracy and integrity: Following on empowerment through knowledge, we understand the information we provide must be accurate, clear, and unbiased. We strive to pull from our vast experience across our entire team to present informed, well-researched, and fact-based insights while also maintaining transparency in addressing any uncertainties or limitations in our knowledge or experience.

Learning and adaptability: Every customer’s needs are different. Our team has a depth of experience we can pull from to assist customers in solving complex problems; we also recognise that there are times where we may be asked to do something we have never done before. In fact, we seek these opportunities because they allow us to adapt our experience and knowledge to find solutions we can be confident in.

Collaboration and openness: Finally, we value collaboration, both in how we interact with users and how we fuse together information from various fields. The security industry is changing rapidly, and the needs are becoming more complex. FLIR has a multi-layered ecosystem that can enhance security solutions, driving them into the future and encouraging collaboration across roles and departments for complete situational awareness in a way that has only been dreamed about in the past.

What is the main challenge the team wants to overcome in the industry?

Historically, the security industry has faced the challenge of operating in isolation, often siloed from other departments and seen as a cost centre rather than a strategic function.

Security teams were frequently given minimal budgets and resources, with funding only increased after an incident occurred—reinforcing the reactive nature of the field.

As a result, security was often undervalued and disconnected from broader business goals, making it difficult to gain influence within the organisation.

In recent years, however, companies have started to recognise the value of the data security systems can provide, the importance of proactive security measures and the growing complexity of threats.

In forward-thinking organisations, security is no longer viewed as a standalone department: it’s being integrated with IT, operations and even executive leadership.

There is an understanding that security systems can play a key role in providing insight into the operational health of an organisation and that security risks can directly impact business continuity, reputation and financial health.

This shift in thinking is not coming fast enough, however, and the expansion of security into influencing and integrating with other departments has many challenges.

From cultural pushback to outdated thinking, it takes time to fully maximise all that these systems have to offer across the multiple departments they can positively impact.

FLIR is working with many forward-thinking organizations to overcome these challenges and is always looking to support those who want to propel their organization into the future.

FLIR has an unrivalled passion for the business and a desire to pursue opportunities and we take pride in ownership and responsibility to get things done.

What are your three biggest strengths as a team?

Experience: The team gained a deep understanding of the industry, its processes, and its challenges over multiple decades, accumulating an expertise that enables the team to navigate complex situations with confidence and make informed decisions quickly. Our team can synthesize valuable lessons from past successes (and failures), allowing us to anticipate challenges and avoid common pitfalls while ensuring expectations are met and success is achieved.

Knowledge: The team’s mastery of both foundational and cutting-edge information is not just about what they know, but how they apply that knowledge to innovate, solve problems, and stay ahead of industry trends. Our knowledgeable team is well-versed in the latest technologies, regulations, and methodologies, giving us the ability to adapt to changing environments and implement best practices.

Ingenuity: Our team’s ability to think creatively and approach problems with fresh, out-of-the-box solutions highlights our capacity for innovation and willingness to explore new ideas. We are not afraid to take calculated risks or experiment with different approaches in order to create advanced technology solutions beyond hardware and software that’s adapted to our customers’ needs. We can confidently tackle the most complex challenges, pulling in unconventional solutions when needed that others may overlook. Our creative problem-solving skills often lead to breakthroughs that not only solve immediate issues but also create lasting value by pushing boundaries and building complete situational awareness.

Teledyne FLIR has a diverse portfolio, how do you work to the needs of so many different sectors?

We have strategic partners who specialise in each vertical market and we have clear dividing lines so that the end user gets the best support from people with a clear knowledge of the market.

We also offer training on all the products we supply—including where to fit them and how to fit them.

One of the most exciting things about FLIR is the multiple divisions and product lines that can be pulled from to create complete solutions.

However, this can introduce many challenges into the sales and service cycles; FLIR works to effectively service the diverse needs of its customers by adopting a structured, flexible approach that balances specialization with collaboration across divisions.

We identify and solve our customers’ needs by understanding each one has specific challenges, needs, and business goals.

Each FLIR division or product line works to tailor its offerings to match the distinct demands of the customer it is trying to serve.

This ensures there is focus on the unique challenges of the customers that division serves, delivering solutions that are highly relevant and value-driven.

With customer-centric segmentation as described above, there is the risk of siloed operations which can slow things down and cause frustration for the customer.

We serve many customers with complex problems that span multiple departments and—to better meet these needs—FLIR works to ensure there is internal cross collaboration, recognising the importance of fostering communication and integration between teams.

How does Teledyne FLIR support strategic intelligence-led infrastructure and operations?

We provide the information necessary for the operator to make a decision more easily. The final decision has to be the operators but providing the data needed to make that decision is where we excel.

FLIR leverages its knowledge and experience to support customers in making the most informed decisions.

We strive to offer expert guidance and position ourselves as a trusted advisor rather than simply a vendor.

We work to share valuable insights, industry trends, and comparisons between different solutions—occasionally even including those offered by our competitors.

Our goal is to help customers fully understand their options, assess which aligns best with their needs, and make a decision that benefits their long-term success.

We work to build trust and credibility, by ensuring the customer receives the solution that will best fit their needs.

How do you see the thermal imaging camera market developing in the years to come?

The development of higher-quality sensors means that intelligent analytics work more efficiently and geolocation software means that the thermal imaging cameras interact with visible cameras, radar and the VMS, giving the customer a more economical total solution.

Increased competition in the thermal imaging camera market has helped drive the cost of cameras down while increasing the amount of available product.

This has provided the opportunity for more people within the industry to learn about thermal technology and discover how these sensors can enhance their detection systems.

For security cameras, thermal solutions will continue to evolve with better detection analytics and better resolution. These advancements will allow cameras to be more accurate for intruder detection and do so at farther distances.

What role will Teledyne FLIR play in the development of this market?

FLIR has a diverse portfolio which means we are at the forefront of technology in many product lines.

With our development program we will be progressing new products to interact not only with each other but with products from other manufacturers, ensuring a distinct advantage to end users who choose FLIR.

As we move forward, we will continue to evolve our product portfolio and plan to help educate customers on how to better leverage different types of sensors to solve problems.

FLIR’s product portfolio stretches well beyond security and we want to help show people how incorporating different technologies can provide more information and help make work environments safer.

This article was originally published in the November Edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.