Technology
WINNER
Sam Naficy is the president and CEO of DTT, a technology company in the video surveillance industry. Although DTT has emerged as a dominant player in its industry and continues to deliver cutting-edge services and technology through Naficy’s leadership, it had modest beginnings, often facing capital constraints and tough competition.
With DDT’s early financial struggles, Naficy decided to change DTT’s business model from a fixed-fee service to a monthly subscription service to adjust to the competitive market and offer his clients newer technology. He also made necessary infrastructural investments to serve his clients better.
Although business was booming, he found himself unable to keep up with demand. It was not until he was able to thoroughly convince his father-in-law about his vision for DTT the he was able to obtain the needed funds to continue DTT’s operations.
Through the years there have been many formidable competitors that have tried to enter DTT’s market, but all have been unsuccessful in penetrating the company’s dominance. Much of this can be attributed to Naficy’s focus on his customer’s needs instead of trying to dabble in various aspects of the technology world.
Essentially, he grew his company vertically rather than horizontally — providing a litany of services for specific customer needs. The company’s “secret sauce” is its product’s ability to extract sales detail from point-of-sales systems and mirror it with a video image.
Recently, DTT also rolled out a new product called the SCREAM service, a feedback app that operates in the cloud so the owner/operator receives customer feedback immediately by text and can respond immediately to any issues.
During the past 14 years, DTT has supported more than 27,000 customer locations for renowned brands such as McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King, the Peninsula Hotel and has just developed a new relationship with Arby’s. With 350 employees residing in various departments, Naficy has grown the equity value of the company immensely.
How to reach: DTT, www.dttusa.com
