As the Senior Account Lead at BluOcean, Jacky Tan’s primary role is – in simple terms – to ensure clients are happy.
“My role is simple, because the team performs at such a high level. I’m there to introduce BluOcean to new clients, highlight our high standards, explain our services, and understand their needs. In the case that a client does not have any standards, I will work with them and guide them through the process of selecting the right security solution that best fits their need.”
Though Jacky explains his responsibilities casually, he plays a critical and active role in collecting new business and maintaining existing accounts. Jacky is quick to emphasize, “It’s with the help of the team itself that makes my job very easy,” highlighting the many components and personnel it takes to achieve success.
In the following interview, Jacky speaks more specifically on cloud-based security systems and his viewpoint on where the security industry is heading with the introduction of more technology.
How do you educate clients on BluOcean’s cloud-based security services?
Typically, our clientele, MNCs, have their own standards already. For us, we will then follow their global standards. For clients that do not have any standards, and if the profile fits cloud solutions, I will first and foremost absorb all the relevant information I can from the client.
I would want to know what the client’s current knowledge of cloud security is. From there, I can continue conversations with the client and learn more about what it is they are looking for, identify risks, address their concerns – a sharing session, if you will.
Before I even introduce a product, I need to understand a lot more from the client. If not, I’ll just be product-pushing, which is not our objective.
How would you describe the difference between traditional on-premise security and cloud-based security?
Traditional security requires clients to manage their own infrastructure. For some facilities, like a manufacturing plant, this may be a less expensive option and they have the space for it. However, for a retail outlet, cloud-security may be more cost-effective and adaptable to their needs. Not to mention, retail spaces may not have the real estate to house servers that on-premise security requires.
By integrating cloud security, clients can eliminate extra work and keep a lean headcount by taking away the large infrastructure that would take away time from the core business. This helps clients reduce capital expense and maintain a general monthly expense instead. Cloud security is also more scalable for future growth and is flexible in how the system is set up to the client’s needs. You can view cloud-security like a software as a service (SaaS).
So, during the planning phase, we will gather all information on what the clients already have or need, understand their expectations, budget and requirements. Sometimes we are building security systems from scratch, sometimes clients have an existing system that is either on-premise, on the cloud or a hybrid. Our solutions will take all that into consideration to streamline the best functions that solve the security challenge.
Are there any common issues that you’ve noticed during the deployment of cloud security?
The only roadblock we occasionally face is during deployment. A very common issue is that the client’s network is not ready, which slows our installation process because cloud solutions are very network-dependent. Without a network, the solution cannot go live.
Any problems with The Great Firewall of China?
We don’t have issues now. There was a period of time where we had some issues setting up, but we resolved that quickly using professional and legal VPN solutions, and we worked with the vendors to tweak the settings to work better within China. We also work closely with vendors and provide suggestions on features that would be helpful in specific regions. Through our experiences in Asia Pacific, we’ve identified issues that work in one country but maybe not another, so we share these insights with vendors to address these problems in their software or equipment.
Why do you think Asia lags behind North America when it comes to cloud security and new technology?
There’s a higher level of adaptation in North America; it’s in the culture. Companies and consumers in North America tend to embrace new technology and adopt them faster.
In terms of the players, the region is home to the largest tech companies – Meta, Google, Microsoft, and so on. They all focus heavily on R&D and have competitors in the market for comparison. That’s why you tend to see more products from the US. Since a lot of major tech companies originate from the US, that’s where they focus their target audience first.
China-based tech companies are catching up, so we will see more new technology coming from Asia.
What trends are you seeing in the cloud security landscape and how do you see it evolving?
I’ve been keeping an eye out on cybersecurity. I see that a lot of manufacturers that typically focused on on-premise equipment are also shifting their offers to provide cloud solutions. For example, Motorola acquired OpenPath and AVA to launch their own cloud solution. Then you also have Lenel that is developing their own cloud solutions. I think cloud solutions are taking up a lot of the market share, so it’s important for manufacturers to provide these kind of solutions to also keep up.
(Image Source: OpenPath & AVA)
I also see cloud solution vendors expanding their offerings. What started off as just cloud surveillance is expanding to access control systems as well. We’re also seeing more sophisticated features that integrate smartphones and even visitor management systems – which used to be standalone systems.
We’re also seeing larger applications of cloud-based solutions. Typically, an organization will test cloud solutions on a smaller site and then deploy the system to more sites once they see success in the cloud system. It comes down to the confidence of the client, the price, or both.
How does BluOcean monitor the rollout of new technology and how is it then integrated into BluOcean’s offerings?
Our Head of IT, Avichai, is based in the US. He’s our go-to guy for new solutions. The IT team is constantly scouting new products, conducting research and testing equipment out before sharing it with the rest of the team.
From there, we will start evaluating whether the technology is worth acquiring from a product point of view and commercial point of view. Alternatively, a team member may also catch wind of a product and refer it to the IT team for research. Sometimes, clients may also hear of new technology. It is then our job to do our research and assess if the technology is worth adopting.
Before we introduce new technology to clients, we always make sure that we, ourselves, are familiar with the technology and confident in its reliability.
In past articles BluOcean has published about cloud-based security, we’ve talked about the solution being adaptable, flexible, cost-effective, etc. What are the benefits in your opinion?
I think the top benefit is scalability. Right now in this complex business environment, clients open and close new offices at a regional and global level. With cloud solutions, you can easily scale up or scale down your security system. There’s no infrastructure cost, it’s all subscription based. Organizations are benefitting from the flexibility to do this.
From an accessibility standpoint, as long as there’s internet connection – which everybody has – the administrator can access the system and receive timely reports.
Note: The system remains live in case of a network shutdown and continues to record data. The reports will update to the cloud once the network is resolved.
What do you think the future is going to look like in terms of security?
I think more clients will take up cloud solutions. Clients will not want to manage our infrastructure – it’s troublesome.
The security industry remains conservative by nature, as our line of work requires a high level of cautiousness and risk management. So generally, the industry does not consist of early adopters, but rather observers who will integrate new technology over time when it has truly proven to be reliable and beneficial.
Traditional manufacturers are also jumping on the bandwagon and coming up with their own cloud-based solutions. There’s also more and more big players, bigger companies that are adopting cloud solution, so this will actually push the cloud adoption rate up higher.
We’re going to see a snowball effect, in my opinion. More clients will start picking up on cloud security. It might not be a full on change right away, they might begin with hybrid solutions – meaning, some of their bigger facilities may continue with on-premise systems, while smaller facilities may use the cloud.
Any parting advice for clients who are interested in cloud security?
Start with a small office. See how it works. Play around with it. When you're confident, then grow, because cloud is all about scalability.