Intransa, the leader in video surveillance data management and retention for physical security, today announced new appointments to its key leadership advisory body. The seven-member Intransa Advisory Board (IAB) is composed of thought leaders in the security, video and information technology industries.

“The Advisory Board has proven to be a crucial resource to Intransa, directly impacting our product development, distribution, support and market outreach,” said Jeff Whitney, vice president of marketing at Intransa and returning chair of the IAB. “The group works directly with our entire executive and technical leadership, providing valuable direction that benefits our customers and business partners worldwide.”

“This year’s outstanding IAB will bring more impact than ever before,” agreed Bud Broomhead, CEO of Intransa. “The skills and experience of the group is unmatched, at a time when our partnerships and customer base are multiplying exponentially.”

IAB members bring extensive skills to Intransa in leading security, integration, consulting, information management, and technology entities, with direct, hands-on experience in bringing breakthrough products to market and supporting rapidly growing companies such as Intransa.

Jeff Whitney, vice president, marketing, Intransa – Returning to the IAB as chair for 2009, Whitney brings more than twenty years of technology and business leadership at startup, mid cap and globally integrated vendors in the physical security, network security and IT industries including Intransa, MaXXan Systems, NetApp, Fujitsu, HAL Computer Systems, Amdahl Corporation and Antares Technologies. A member of the ASIS International Physical Security Council, Whitney also serves as the corporate representative to the Security Industry Association, the American Correctional Association, the Storage Networking Industry Association and its Green Storage Initiative and the Green Grid. He is a frequent presenter at security industry events and a familiar guest columnist in several security industry and IT publications. Whitney previously served as an advisory board member for Network Security Management Systems, as president and founder of the Association of Banyan Users of Canada and was repeatedly re-elected to the board of directors of the Association of Banyan Users International over a nine year period.

Ray Bernard, president and principal consultant, Ray Bernard Consulting Services – New to the IAB Bernard, is a board-certified Physical Security Professional (PSP), security consultant and writer who has provided pivotal advice and direction in the industry for more than 21 years. Bernard has led noteworthy security projects for corporations, international airports, nuclear missile disarmament projects, sports stadiums, multiple-tower high rises, manufacturing plants, security monitoring centers and corporate headquarter facilities. He is a well known columnist and regular feature writer. As the convergence editor for Cygnus Business Media’s Security Technology Executive magazine, Bernard is focused on the convergence of physical security and IT and the people and process aspects of deploying security technology. Bernard will deliver the keynote address at IP-in-Action Live at the Pasadena Convention Center on February 10, 2009. He is also a member of the ASIS International Physical Security Council and the ASIS IT Council, and is responsible for the ongoing Global Security Operations 2010 conference series.

Ismail Dalgic, director, software engineering at Tandberg Television, part of the Ericsson Group – Returning to the IAB, Dr. Dalgic is a co-founder of Intransa, having served as principal architect and director of software engineering for a seven year period. He is currently responsible for Tandberg’s iPlex, a flexible, modular video processing platform for broadcast head end applications (IPTV, cable, satellite). Under Dr. Dalgic’s leadership, iPlex won a record number of five industry awards within one year. Prior to Tandberg and Intransa, he was a technology architect at networking pioneer 3Com, leading the company’s initial IP telephony technology development. Dr. Dalgic received his MS and PhD degrees at Stanford University, where his research was seminal in establishing the feasibility of Ethernet and IP networks for support of video traffic. He is the author of 13 patents and is published in books and in numerous peer-review articles in academic journals and conferences related to storage systems, multimedia networking and voice-over-IP (VOIP) technologies.

Dan Dunkel, president, New Era Associates – New to the IAB, Dan Dunkel brings more than 22 years of successful sales management and executive experience in the information technology industry as well as his expertise in the emerging field of security convergence. A former Intransa executive team member, Mr. Dunkel’s background includes domestic and international responsibilities for direct sales, value added reseller channels and OEM contracts. His employment history includes leadership roles in pre-IPO ventures, mid cap IT manufacturers and Fortune 50 organizations. Dunkel’s firm, New Era Associates, is a privately held consultancy serving startup corporations to multinational Fortune 500 enterprises. A frequent speaker at security industry events worldwide, he contributes a monthly print column to BNP Media’s SDM Magazine, and writes regularly for Today’s Systems Integrator, an online publication of Security Magazine and BNP. Mr. Dunkel is also co-author of “Physical & Logical Security Convergence”, (© Elsevier Publishing, 2007).

Mark McCourt, group publisher, BNP Media, Security Media Group - New to the IAB, McCourt is publisher of the security industry’s leading publications - SDM Magazine, Security Magazine, and SmartHome Magazine - and founder of the Security 500.   More than 250,000 industry professionals get their security market information from Security Media Group’s magazines, websites, eNews and events each month.   As an executive, McCourt has led business divisions of large media companies as well as launched, built and sold new media companies, primarily in the IT sector. Prior to joining BNP, he was president of business consulting firm DLN Media and has been an influential thought leader in business-to-business media for more than 20 years, creating publications, web-centric media, conferences and trade shows. McCourt is a frequent conference presenter and lecturer, speaking at numerous security, integrated media, and e-commerce conferences, as well as providing consulting services to leading organizations.

John M. Nemerofsky, president, TSS International – New to the IAB, Nemerofsky has established a reputation as a leading entrepreneur within the security industry, holding a wide range of key positions over more than 20 years. Nemerofsky managed national accounts for one of the giants of the industry, then contributed to the growth of one of the industry’s largest systems integrators and continuously worked with marquee clients, including members of the Fortune 500. In 2006, he launched TSS to offer integrators and manufacturers in the security industry total business solutions, providing expertise and advice on business development, organizational design, international expansion, project management, corporate culture development, compensation planning and acquisitions, all designed to grow and support corporate profitability and success. During his career, Nemerofsky has served as chair of the Panasonic Dealer Council, vice chair of the Honeywell Dealers Council, president of the Tyco Business Council and regional vice president of the Building Owners and Managers Association.   He is currently chair of the Commission on Chapters for ASIS International and is a member of the board of directors of SecurityXchange. 

Andy Watson, CEO and co-founder, Asyncast Corporation – Returning to the IAB, Watson is perhaps best known for his dozen years of leadership at network storage pioneer and market leader NetApp (Intransa is a member of the NetApp Advantage Alliance Partner Program). Watson was the most outbound of the company’s CTOs, leading multiple teams and projects, helping to drive a successful customer-oriented product strategy that delivered revenue growth from $14 million in 1995 to more than $3 billion by 2007. His earlier IT industry experience and technical leadership spans a number of ground breaking firms, including Auspex Systems, Prime Computer, Data General and RDS AutoMate, in addition to customer roles with Martin Marietta Aerospace and the NYC Transit Authority. In addition to the Intransa IAB, Watson is a board member at MiraLink and an advisory board member of several other leading edge companies outside the physical security spectrum, including Gear6, Index Engines, Mobopia, Orchesys, Overtone Software, PowerFile, Scalent and Z Research.

The first full meeting of the 2009 IAB took place earlier in January 2009, and included shared sessions of the entire group with Intransa executive and technical leadership. The event, and follow-on dinner, coincided with the Intransa worldwide sales kickoff, held at Intransa’s corporate headquarter campus in San Jose, California. 

Intransa’s smart, scalable CCTV DVR upgrades and all-IP surveillance solutions reach the market through StorPartner Program distributors, dealers, integrators and OEMs worldwide. For more information on the IAB or Intransa, please go to www.intransa.com.