With twenty-five years of experience in Latin America, Abloy is well equipped to serve operators and towercos looking for top solutions to secure their sites and equipment. In this interview, the regional General Manager, Jussi Ahvalo, and Alejandro Valderrama, MD of Abloy Colombia discuss with TowerXchange the company’s range of products, their characteristics and why clients have selected Abloy as their security partner.
TowerXchange: Please tell us about Abloy’s activities in Latin America. Which countries are you active in?
Jussi Ahvalo, General Manager, Abloy Latin America:
Abloy is active in all major Latin American markets. Specifically, we have our own sales units in Mexico and Colombia and operate in twelve countries in the region. The other countries are covered through a wide network of well trained distributors.
Abloy is dedicated to adding value to its customers by supplying cutting edge security solutions. We have a deep understanding of the telecom industry and its dynamics in the CALA region, thanks to our twenty-five years of local experience.
In light of our local know-how, we understand the specific needs of our customers beyond security. Operational efficiency is a top priority; operators constantly need to improve their business operations to remain competitive in today’s challenging market.
TowerXchange: Who are your main clients? And how does the demand change between operators and towercos?
Alejandro Valderrama, Managing Director, Abloy Colombia:
Abloy is working with top tier telecom operators in CALA and worldwide.
Requirements do differ between operators and towercos and that’s why at Abloy we offer a wide array of solutions and products which can adapt to different business environments and meet the needs of all kind of players in the telecom industry.
Even though operators and towercos pertain to the same business segment, their core business is fundamentally different and so are the solutions we offer to each of them. For example, operators tend to have security departments with supervisors who have similar access rights to the infrastructure, while towercos don’t necessarily have security departments and instead tend to work with several outsourced suppliers. For towercos, we need to consider flexible access rights and real time control and keep in mind that towers are their core assets.
TowerXchange: What kind of security issues is the CALA region exposed to? And how can Abloy help solving them?
Jussi Ahvalo, General Manager, Abloy Latin America:
Towercos face various issues in terms of security and beyond, most of which can be effectively solved thanks to our access control solutions. Problems such as robberies of equipment, sabotage of sites as well as the lack of control on subcontractors can all cause losses for towercos.
At Abloy, we recognise the importance of all these aspects and always ensure the highest level of security. Thanks to the Abloy CLIQ Connect solution, towercos can control subcontractors and their access to the site, while also checking the number of hours spent on the job.
Abloy has been recognised as a leading security brand worldwide and our customers’ feedback confirms it. According to their comments, our access control solutions guarantee the continuity of their business more efficiently than any other product in the market.
TowerXchange: Is security a problem in cities as well as remote areas in Latin America?
Alejandro Valderrama, Managing Director, Abloy Colombia:
The nature of the problems tends to differ between cities and remote areas. Within cities, problems depend on the level of security of specific neighbourhoods.
The main problem in remote areas is the time needed to reach the site and react so we need to try and implement solutions that are strong enough to resist to any attempt of non-authorised access. Abloy offers solutions to both rural and urban infrastructure and is well aware of the specific dynamics of each area.
urban sites are actually more vulnerable if they aren’t properly protected and just closed with a lock or padlock. These sites are easy targets for urban crime. Equipment, batteries and any other subcomponent should be secured as well as they are in high demand on the black market
According to our customers, urban sites are actually more vulnerable if they aren’t properly protected and just closed with a lock or padlock. These sites are easy targets for urban crime. Equipment, batteries and any other subcomponent should be secured as well as they are in high demand on the black market.
Thefts happen in rural areas as well but actually communities tend to give value to sites and the connectivity they ensure, which to an extent mitigates the risk. And rural areas tend to be less connected with the black market.
TowerXchange: How does the demand for security solutions differ between LatAm countries? And between LatAm and other regions such as Asia?
Jussi Ahvalo, General Manager, Abloy Latin America:
This varies from region to region. Some countries have adopted U.S. standards while others prefer European ones.
And much depends on the specific problems faced by each local market and their socio-economic environment. For example, in spite of many cultural differences within Asian countries, there are several similarities across the region and the demand for our solutions tends to be the same.
TowerXchange: How does your product differ from others in the market?
Jussi Ahvalo, Latin America General Manager, Abloy:
Abloy develops and manufactures the most advanced locking technology in the market. Our Abloy CLIQ Connect is a revolutionary product and has been recognised worldwide with prizes such as the Golden Award in the Access Control category at the Merlion Awards in the Safety & Security Asia 2015 Exhibition and the Gold Medal in MTP Securex 2016 in Poznan, Poland.
Abloy has a proven track record for producing strong products apt against physical attacks, which work very well under any environmental conditions. Our products exceed many quality and performance standards, such as the Super Weather Proof padlocks which are the only mechatronic locks in the market certified IP68.
