"In the time I was away from Farpointe, I gained a much better understanding of the relationships between a systems manufacturer and third-party product suppliers, specifically when it comes to reader and card technology," emphasises Sheppard. "It is truly a symbiotic relationship. Efficient, competent and timely supply are equally important. I have felt the sting of an end-user call, threatening to cancel an order because of delays. At Farpointe, delivery is typically between one to three days."

"I also didn't appreciate how much it meant to Farpointe partners not to have Farpointe itself competing with them," Sheppard adds. "Farpointe doesn't sell direct to dealers or to national distributors. Plus, the RFID product line of proximity, smart card, long range and specialty readers and cards is spectacular and extremely competitive. It's especially interesting to see how the market for long range reading in particular has blown open in the past 12 months."

"I'm also very excited about the acquisition by Dorma and their merger with Kaba," Sheppard says. "This not only means Farpointe is backed by one of the premier security brands in the world but that there are many new technologies and products that will soon be available to Farpointe partners and their customers."

"We are delighted to have Shep back with us," says Scott Lindley, Farpointe Data president. "We know that those that are either on the edge of joining with us or are not aware of us will appreciate how hard Shep will work for them to make them more successful with their own customers."