Dan Rothrock, President of Zenitel Americas, shares how audio will soon be the main driver for security and how Zenitel will be at the forefront of that movement, including new personnel changes that will position it to continue its leadership in intelligent communications.

Using audio effectively

Zenitel, based in Oslo, Norway, is a leading provider of intelligent critical communication solutions such as intercoms, public address systems, voice alarms, IP speakers and more.

Its solutions are known for their superior audio quality, in addition to high availability, scalability, reliability, maintainability and cyber-defensibility.

Zenitel’s 123-year history dates to 1901, when a group of Belgian entrepreneurs founded the company.

In 2001, Zenitel celebrated its 100th anniversary and changed its corporate identity and name to Zenitel, which includes the Zenitel name on all products.

Zenitel has offices all over the world, including Kansas City, MO, home of Zenitel Americas.

There, its team includes sales, operations, technical support, marketing and warehouse and shipping.

Leading that team is Dan Rothrock, President, a role that he has held twice in his 35-year career with Zenitel Americas.

Rothrock is fiercely protective of his team and the Zenitel brand. He said: “There are people on our team that have been with the company for decades.

“We have an employee longevity that is unmatched in the industry because of the way we embody our passion and treat our people.”

He is also deeply passionate about the use of voice communications and audio in security solutions.

Rothrock travels worldwide as a public speaker and an advocate for the use of voice communication as a vital component of the modern security package.

He teaches his team to live the core goal each day of delivering innovative and reliable audio and intercom solutions that enhance safety and security, as well as the user experience.

Rothrock strongly believes in the power of partnerships and relationships, which is why, before his tenure as President, he created and implemented Zenitel’s Strategic Alliance program, an ecosystem of manufacturer partners who use Zenitel’s intelligent communication solutions as their audio solution.

The program is successful financially for Zenitel, but for Rothrock, its success is also measured by the personal, professional and business relationships that it has helped to create and grow.

By extending that ecosystem, he believes Zenitel can change how audio is used within the security industry.

Ensuring that people can communicate clearly in all environments, every time and everywhere, is not always an easy task; some spaces are naturally louder than others or have more disruptions.

For example, an airport or industrial warehouse typically has background noise.

However, these sectors are often the ones requiring an audio solution that enables clear communication, due to the critical services that they provide.

“We want to make sure that we’re giving people the opportunity to communicate, whether it’s from an operational, emergency or security standpoint, and to always ensure that the message is clear no matter where they are,” Rothrock said.

Key pillars

Discussing the culture of Zenitel and its Americas subsidiary, Rothrock emphasized its rich history.

“If you review what the security industry has gone through, from analog to digital to IP platforms, Zenitel stands out because not many companies survive those changes, evolving from one leading technology to the next – let alone a third generation!” Rothrock said.

“We are still a market leader in our niche and we can attribute that to the culture we have curated at our company.

“I believe that’s because we are committed to being professional, open and passionate.”

Rothrock also noted the importance of placing customer’s interests first: “I want to be responsive to customers. I must follow up and act ethically,” he explained.

“Being transparent is so important for a communication company.”

He added that when communicating openly, it’s imperative to be constructive.

That philosophy is felt throughout Zenitel from an internal and external perspective.

Changes in 2025

Rothrock commented that he is excited to announce several key personnel changes within Zenitel Americas that will position it for future growth and that will provide numerous benefits for the company’s partners and customers.

“As a company, we have always been open to change and placing people in roles to help Zenitel succeed,” he said.

“Continuing our evolution of change for future growth, I am moving into a new role as Senior Vice President of Global Business Development, working with new and large strategic integrators, end user customers and other stakeholders to drive business development.”

Rothrock continued: “I’ll also focus on strengthening Zenitel’s consultant community and I will take part in product and industry standardization initiatives, such as ONVIF, and help further the industry through groups such as the Security Industry Association (SIA).

“I’m excited to announce this news to the industry, my colleagues, partners and friends.”

With Rothrock’s new role, Bruce Czerwinski, Vice President of Sales, has been promoted to Senior Vice President Americas Onshore.

Rothrock said: “Bruce has been a valuable member of Zenitel Americas for more than six years and we are confident in his ability to lead the Zenitel Americas team.

“We are especially excited that Bruce’s new role will continue business continuity for the entire Zenitel Americas organization.”

Kelly Lake, Director of Global Strategic Alliances, has been named Vice President of Strategic Programs and LATAM, to continue to support Zenitel’s strategic alliances and technology partnerships and to manage the company’s rapid growth in the LATAM region.

“This reallocation of resources for our Americas leadership team embraces the internal strengths of our company,” Rothrock added.

“We have cultivated a management group where everybody has a say in the direction of the company, because each individual comes to the table with a different voice, perspective and strength.

“Zenitel believes in its people and allowing them to flourish in the right roles.

“So, this really is a form of process improvement by positioning people to be even more successful, while allowing the company to grow.”

Unified critical communications

One example of Zenitel’s commitment to audio within security solutions is the recent launch of Zenitel Connect Pro, a singular communication platform that caters to all critical communication needs.

By using open standards and security frameworks, overall, Zenitel Connect Pro allows users to bring intercoms, IP speakers, public address and voice alarm systems into one platform.

“Our new audio platform, Zenitel Connect Pro, is exciting as it’s an enterprise solution that opens opportunities for our partners to extend their security offerings with safety communication solutions,” Rothrock explained.

“It will also make it easier for end users to experience the many benefits of audio. It’s so simple to program and to use, and the integration possibilities are endless.”

Along the lines of AI, which is penetrating the intercom and audio market, Rothrock made some solid predictions about the technology’s impact.

As an example, he said: “We all have a cell phone that we expect to hear us, understand us and talk to us.

“With AI and natural language processing, those types of expectations will be the same experience in any security system.”

He added: “In voice communications, AI is going to play a huge role in where the market goes. Instead of touching a computer monitor or using a mouse and keyboard, we will simply talk to the machine and the machine will back talk to us, becoming the central hub for security.

“The advent of AI and natural language processing will move voice communication to the center of the security system.”

There are other technologies that AI will communicate with to harvest better contextual information.

“With the inclusion of facial recognition, you’ll be able to authenticate and identify.

“Audio will add the ability to detect emotional tone and gather other data, making the system truly interactive and that’s why voice communication will undoubtedly become the center of the security system.”

More integrations

“One of the things I’m proud that Zenitel recently did is become a full member of ONVIF,” commented Rothrock.

“We stepped up and made a major investment, but it speaks to the company’s dedication to integration and the importance of having industry standards.”

Having an industry standard for integrations makes the solution truly interoperable, he added.

Although ONVIF has traditionally been focused on video within security, the future will combine it with audio to create a fully realized ecosystem.

“Going forward, integration will continue to be a big part of our value proposition,” Rothrock said. “We welcome integrations with other products.

“That’s because the way you give a great solution to your customer is to give them the ability to pick best of breed for their individual needs.”

The shape of success

“We believe when we provide a good customer experience, from the supply chain to delivery, with a product that’s easy for the integrator to work with, install and commission, then we will meet our customer’s needs,” Rothrock said.

“Audio quality creates customer retention and brand loyalty. The name Zenitel stands for the very zenith of telecommunications. And we will continue to live up to that.”

With the changes in personnel resources and the direction that audio will play in future security solutions, Rothrock said stays focused on the shape of success, which is customer satisfaction.

This article was originally published in the January edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.