Recently I was bemoaning that revenue assurance is old news but that does not mean revenue assurance vendors cannot find new ways to serve new customers. That has been confirmed with Indian RA vendor Subex announcing they have landed a contract to provide security for critical public infrastructure belonging to the town of Florence, Arizona, USA. The press release states:
Subex will provide end-to-end cybersecurity to detect, repel and remediate advanced threats to Florence’s most basic and vital technological systems. When Florence launches its smart cities project, Subex will continue to be the cybersecurity partner for all projects coming under the plan.
It is not clear what kinds of infrastructure will be protected. The town appears to be better known for its long history than for commerce or industry, though it is home to many prisons, including the Eyman complex (pictured above) which houses Arizona’s death row. Over half of Florence’s official population of 25,000 is locked in a cell.
Florence Town Mayor Brent Billingsley is enthusiastic about working with Subex.
This is more than just a typical contract. This is an agreement by which the Town of Florence is a partner with Subex in developing cutting-edge technology that can be marketed to other private, non-profit, and government customers. This is a really exciting enterprise and a cool partnership for Florence.
Some of Florence’s prisons are run by the government, whilst others are run by the private sector. Might Subex have found an unexpected way to pitch their IoT security capabilities to an untapped market that is both large and lucrative? No country incarcerates a larger share of its population than the USA.
Providing security for the internet of things and critical infrastructure will generate all sorts of specialized business opportunities for those who look for them. Subex’s contract with the town of Florence may not reflect the direction that most telco practitioners think revenue assurance is headed, but it might prove to be an important step towards future growth. Prisons have certainly been good for Florence’s economic vitality; take a look at the old news clip that follows.
