HiddenWires talks with Nick Caripis, Founder and Managing Director of BNC Technology in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Nick Caripis
Founder and Managing Director
BNC Technology
Johannesburg, South Africa
Countries/Terroritories serve: South Africa
Specialises in: Home Integrated Technology
When was BNC Technology started?
Founded in 2005 and then registered as a CC in 2008.
What was the drive behind starting BNC Technology?
The company I worked at previously was disappointing clients and I felt that the level of service and quality of installation was not up to my standard.
What were some of your early challenges as a company starting out in Gauteng, South Africa? How did you face and overcome those challenges?
The industry in South Africa was still in its infancy and many people were hobbyists with an old school mentality. Finding staff and skilled individuals who shared my passion and vision was tough as the industry wasn't flooded with skill and experience. With some luck, I met a technician who shared my vision and worked for one of the companies I used to outsource to. His boss closed the company and we immediately partnered up with a common goal and vision. He is now our Technical Director at BNC Technology. CEDIA was a major inspiration to us and helped us pave the way through offering leadership and guidance. A gentleman by the name of Rich Green, who is an industry guru, participated in the annual CEDIA training and lectured us on the future of our industry and cinema design. He inspired me and made me realise that my vision was possible. Ever since, I have followed their advice in creating the company I always dreamed of.
What kind of requests do you receive the most in your residential AV business?
Our biggest requests from clients is to have one integrated system which operates from a single smartphone or remote. Clients want an easy-to-use, reliable system that can be upgraded, is future proof and scalable and BNC Technology are able to provide that solution, professionally designed and installed.
Tell us about one of your more difficult integration projects?
We have never had a problem with integration as we only integrate products which are certified or which we have tested and designed in our workshop. With every job, every product and system is designed first and then tested in our workshop before installation.
What challenges do you currently face in the South African AV integration market? How are you addressing them?
The challenges in South Africa is that there is an influx of young companies trying to penetrate the market and think it's a quick get-rich industry because of the value of our products. They don't cost the job correctly or design and install it adequately and they soon battle with system reliability and upset the clients and we end up taking the job over or replacing the system. CEDIA is doing a great job to educate and train the industry, however not all believe in their philosophy and ethos. Because of our skill, experience and certification it is not usually difficult for us but the young up and coming can cause a little bad sentiment in the market until the client gets to deal with a professional company.
What do you anticipate will be the next big AV integration trend in your market
More integration with third-party devices. The smartphone has changed our industry as clients have everything available at their finger tips. So the more devices that can be integrated into our system, the more clients want to control. I believe smart appliances will start coming into our system, however the homeowner will need to take the advice of the integrator and decide if the integration to that appliance will add value to their life. I live by the motto of, "Just because it can be done, doesn't mean you should integrate or control it". Sometimes integration can complicate your life and it's the integrators responsibility to guide the client into making the right decision
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www.bnctechnology.co.za
Llanor Alleyne is the Editor of HiddenWires.