Videcon named inaugural distribution partner for Siemens fire safety products

Products in the Cerberus FIT range have been designed specifically to provide a cost-effective option for those end users looking to move from conventional to addressable systems for small through to medium-sized applications.

Videcon will now be adding Cerberus FIT to its existing portfolio of fire and security products and services through its dedicated fire safety division, which is headed up by sales director Alan Fowlie (pictured, above left).

Commenting on the new partnership, Fowlie informed Security Matters: “Our customers were increasingly looking for the advantages offered by an addressable system, but at an affordable price. I knew Siemens from the work I had done before my business became part of Videcon back in 2020. Cerberus FIT offers the ideal solution. It affords us a completely open protocol and an engineer-friendly system with the brand values, quality and product strength that you would expect from Siemens, all delivered at a price point which is extremely competitive.”

Distribution and training

Videcon was formed back in 1995 and is currently one of the fastest-growing security and fire system distributors in the UK. In addition to its range of products, the company also offers training and after-care service, the latter being one of the prime reasons cited for its extensive growth.

Fowlie continued: “We operate out of a head office in Heckmondwike in West Yorkshire. As a business, we’ve always recognised the vital role that reliable service plays in working with our customers. That’s another reason why we looked to Siemens as a partner, given the company’s strong reputation not only for quality in its products, but also its commitment to support them.”

Rob Yates (head of fire products for Siemens in the UK and Ireland) noted: “We’re delighted to be working with Videcon. We chose the business to become a partner organisation because of its clear commitment to training and support. The company’s client base is particularly suited to the Cerberus FIT solution, which is an EN54-13 approved system designed with ease of installation and ease of use as its core guiding principles.”

Yates (pictured, above right) added: “The EN54-13 approval ensures that Cerberus FIT is an ideal option for a range of applications, including retail, leisure centres, warehouses and restaurants. In essence, those facilities where the management would be considering a conventional or stand-alone addressable system.”

In conclusion, Yates observed: “This is the start of what we see as an exciting co-operation between the two businesses and we now very much look forward to taking the offering to the fire safety market in the UK and Ireland.”

Automatic device programming

Cerberus FIT offers automatic device programming through a programming tool embedded within the panel, with a simple user-interface requiring only basic fire system knowledge.

It has been designed to be “exceptionally easy and intuitive” both in terms of engineering and when in use. Cerberus FIT can accommodate up to 252 devices on a one or two-loop system, with Siemens providing freely available online training and self-learning videos covering a range of common topics.

From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains and smarter buildings and grids through to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, Siemens creates technology with purpose that adds real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to “transform” their industries and markets.

In fiscal year 2021, the Siemens Group generated revenues of €62.3 billion and a net income of €6.7 billion. As of 30 September last year, the company listed upwards of 300,000 employees on its books.

Siemens Smart Infrastructure

For its part, Siemens Smart Infrastructure is shaping the market for intelligent and adaptive infrastructures for today and into the future. It addresses the pressing challenges of urbanisation and climate change by connecting energy systems, buildings and industries.

Siemens Smart Infrastructure provides customers with a comprehensive end-to-end portfolio from a single source, delivering products, systems, solutions and services from the point of power generation all the way through to consumption. With what is now an increasingly digitalised ecosystem, it helps customers thrive and communities progress, while also contributing towards protecting the planet.

Siemens Smart Infrastructure is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and employs circa 70,400 members of staff worldwide.

*Further information about Siemens is available online at www.siemens.com

**Additional detail concerning Siemens Smart Infrastructure can be found at www.siemens.com/smart-infrastructure