For over 24 years you have been operating JayLyn Jewellers, a local store creating the highest quality of custom jewelry. What prompted you to establish this new specialized business idea of EyeSpy Security?
As a jeweller in business for just over 30 years, I have been burglarized three times and robbed once at gunpoint. Like every jewelry store owner, I’ve spent thousands of dollars on heavy-duty safes, alarm systems, security cameras and other prevention methods. After being victimized for the fourth time in my career, I decided to develop a product that would aid in the recovery of stolen items. This is how the VantagePoint asset recovery system was born.
EyeSpy Security as a business has grown significantly since its inception. Asset recovery for the jewelry industry is now just one of many applications for VantagePoint; EyeSpy now serves markets ranging from personal security to law enforcement with clients located all over the world.
Are conventional alarm and surveillance systems not as effective? And how does your system track and catch the perpetrator?
Conventional security systems include locks, safes, alarms, motion sensors, video cameras and well-trained staff. These systems are very important in preventing a robbery from occurring in the first place. However, none of these conventional systems actively aid in locating or recovering stolen goods after the robbery has occurred.
VantagePoint is specially designed to fill this void. It involves discretely placing “bait” items within one’s inventory which are entirely indistinguishable from the live goods. Each bait item is actually a miniature tracking device in disguise, loaded with an arsenal of locating technologies including advanced GPS, radio beacon, audible buzzer and cellular triangulation. When stolen by an unknowing criminal, the devices will alert the owner with a text or email and automatically begin reporting their locations to our secure server. The owner and authorities can then view the movements of the goods through our cloud-based map interface from a desktop computer or mobile device.
There are two applications of EyeSpy Security: business to business and business to consumer. Can you expand on these two aspects of your innovative technology?
While the roots of EyeSpy remain in the jewelry industry, we have been successfully applying the VantagePoint system to other markets. Our current focus is business to business. This means we work with other companies to help them manage their precious assets. This includes industries such as jewelry and precious metals, art, alcohol and tobacco, shipping, transportation, retail and pharmaceuticals. Any business that deals in high valued goods is a target for theft and can benefit from VantagePoint.
Internal theft can also be a problem for larger businesses. We’ve worked with companies including airlines and postal services to help identify areas where items tend to go “missing.” All it takes is one or two staff members stealing to fester mistrust between the workforce and corporate levels. VantagePoint can help identify the individuals so the theft stops and they can get the help they need. As our whole world becomes more digitized, sensitive information is more at risk of falling into the wrong hands. We offer tracking solutions for laptops and external hard drives catered towards government officials and business executives.
We are also developing products catered specifically to the consumer. The needs of consumers differ greatly from that of businesses. Consumers are regular people like you and I, and things that are important to them are not necessarily “expensive.” Jewelry and electronics are expensive assets that a burglar would be interested in stealing. A misplaced laptop or lost luggage on a flight can be a huge stress and waste of valuable time. But above all, the ability to locate a lost pet or loved one suffering from dementia can be the difference between life and death. These are all extremely valuable assets in their own regard.
You’re also working with law enforcement agencies and the airport authorities. What areas of their business can benefit from your technology?
Law enforcement agencies can benefit in many ways from using VantagePoint. The small size and bait packaging of our tracking devices allow officers to plant them virtually anywhere. Bait car programs are no longer focusing solely on the theft of vehicles but also of items within vehicles. We have the ability to conceal the tracking devices within high-theft items such as laptops and smart phones. Bicycle theft is on the rise as more commuters ride to work, so we are starting to see more “bait bike” programs. Our alerting system immediately notifies law enforcement officers that an item has been stolen and is ready to be tracked.
The huge social problems surrounding illicit and pharmaceutical drug use is no secret. Our VantagePoint tracking devices are small enough to be embedded within an Oxycontin bottle or drug paraphenalia. This, coupled with our proprietary power saving technology, gives investigators the power to infiltrate and map underground drug trafficking networks for extended periods of time. Through the VantagePoint online interface, investigators can compile tracking history as evidence in court. Airport authorities work very closely with law enforcement to keep our borders safe. Most international trafficking goes through airports, so we’ve designed our system to be compatible with FAA regulations.
Your company is at the leading edge of this type of technology. How do you differ from your competitors?
In the tech world there are a few ways to differentiate yourself from the competition: do something better, offer something new, and stay true to your roots. VantagePoint is the most accurate asset tracking system in the world. Our extended battery life is unrivaled for a miniature cellular-based tracking device. We offer at least four different tracking technologies which can be used in tandem or as stand-alone. The VantagePoint tracking interface has been praised as one of the cleanest and most user friendly on the market. We are the only remote asset management company to offer custom bait packaging with wireless charging. Our industry-leading encryption process ensures the location data of our client’s assets can only be visible to them.
Above all, we truly believe there is an advantage to being a young company. We have energy and a fresh perspective on an industry that is typically dominated by giant corporations set in their ways. This translates to a new level of customer support not offered by competitors. We are incredibly flexible and can easily shift with the changing tides of technology. Not only are we able to keep up with tech, we are poised to set the stage for innovation.
What are the benefits and drawbacks to operating this new startup business on the Saanich Peninsula? Do you envisage that all your product manufacturing will happen here?
The Saanich Peninsula has a surprising diversity of manufacturing, engineering and technology businesses. Every member of our team has lived or is living on the South Island. As a technology company, most of our value comes from software development and engineering design as opposed to brick-and-mortar. This means our staff can often work remotely and the location of our head office isn’t critical. So far, all of our electronics manufacturing has been done locally on the Island, but as we ramp up production volumes manufacturing will likely shift to Vancouver.
Photo by www.nuttycake.com.
