David Lenz (Hills)
Hills has inked an Australian distribution agreement with video management software (VMS) vendor Milestone Systems.
Founded in Copenhagen in 1998, Milestone Systems designs, develops and produces IP-based video management solutions for organisations of all shapes and sizes. The company claims more than 1,000 employees and over 10,000 partners worldwide. It has been a standalone company within the Canon Group since 2014.
Based on an open platform, the vendor’s XProtect VMS enables integration with a wide range of cameras and best-in-class business solutions, such as access control and video analytics. The offering is said to support at least 10,000 cameras and hardware devices.
Hills CEO David Lenz lauded the vendor’s channel-focused approach to the market.
“It’s refreshing to work with a global company that understands the importance of channel partnership and technology distribution,” Lenz said. “Milestone brings not only a world-class product set, but also a desire to grow the market in concert with a distribution partner, which is something that has been missing for some time in this segment,” he added.
For Hills category management and technical services general manager James Layton, the partnership with Milestone Systems offer synergies between the two companies.
“We’re very pleased to be partnering with Milestone, who we see as a true top-tier software vendor with best-in-class products. The synergy between both Milestone’s products and team, and our own team and reseller network, promises exciting times ahead,” Layton said.
It was revealed in February that, after almost five years in the top role as CEO and managing director for Hills, Lenz would be retiring from his role.
Lenz first joined the publicly listed company as its COO and then moved into the top role in September 2016. Lenz has racked up more than 20 years experience in the IT industry, previously spending seven years with Ingram Micro.
“It has been a privilege to lead Hills over the past five years as we have worked to transform the company,” Lenz said in a statement in February. “Notwithstanding the issues and challenges the business has experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is well positioned to drive future growth with a sharpened focus and strong balance sheet.”
Lenz will remain with the distributor until a replacement has been sought to “ensure a smooth and orderly transition to a new CEO in the next financial year,” Hills told shareholders at the time.
