At System Surveyor, we empower our customers and partners to deliver on the promise of technology. That’s why we’re proud to partner with forward-thinking companies like Rhombus, who have embraced our open API to transform the way they design, plan, and manage physical security. By connecting System Surveyor seamlessly with other software providers in their tech stack, Rhombus eliminated time-consuming manual steps, streamlined collaboration, and created a living record of every project. The result? A faster, more accurate, and more collaborative process that empowers partners, sales teams, and clients alike.
About Jeremy Gulley
Jeremy Gulley is the Global Director of Ecosystem at Rhombus, where he drives scalable, developer-friendly frameworks for IoT, physical security, and smart building integration. With over a decade of experience, he focuses on AI/ML-powered analytics, identity management, and sensor data solutions.
About Paul Ulisse
Paul Ulisse is Director of Sales Engineering at Rhombus with 4+ years at the company and 9+ years of experience spanning sales engineering and product development. He previously spent over 5 years at Intel Corporation in project management and product development roles. Paul holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan College of Engineering.
At Rhombus, we pride ourselves on delivering cutting-edge physical security solutions to our partners and clients. But for years, we struggled with a problem that will sound familiar to many organizations: too many systems, too many manual steps, and too many opportunities for things to fall through the cracks.
The Problem & Case study from Rhombus point of view
Disparate Systems and Manual Processes
We [Rhombus] use Salesforce as our CRM, Impartner as our partner portal, and System Surveyor to create detailed physical security plans. Each of these systems is excellent in its own right—but originally, they didn’t talk to each other.
When a sales rep needed a physical security map created in System Surveyor, the process was cumbersome:
The rep would email a sales engineer to request the map.
Details about the customer’s goals, site layouts, and special requirements would be passed back and forth—sometimes through multiple intermediaries.
By the time the information was complete, important details might be missing, outdated, or inconsistent.
This wasn’t just inefficient—it was risky. We were losing time, increasing the chance of mistakes, and creating friction for partners and clients.
As Paul Ulisse, Rhombus Director of Sales Engineering, put it:
“Before we automated, we’d see far too much back and forth. It wasn’t unusual for things to get lost between email threads, partners, and our internal teams. The margin for error was just too high.”
The Breakthrough: Connecting Systems Through Open APIs
The turning point came when we fully leveraged the System Surveyor open APIs and integrated them with our existing tools.
Today, our process is entirely different:
Step 1: Partner Submission via Impartner
Reseller partners log into the partner portal, upload site maps (if available) or just an address, and describe the client’s security objectives—whether they want broader coverage, AI-based analytics, or access control at specific doors.
Step 2: Automatic Salesforce Sync
That data flows instantly into Salesforce, tied directly to the relevant opportunity. No manual entry. No lag.
Step 3: One-Click Map Request
The sales rep sees a “Request Map” button in Salesforce. Clicking it sends all customer and site details—including any uploaded PDFs, descriptions, and goals—directly into System Surveyor through the API.
Step 4: Shared Collaboration Space
The process automatically adds the partner, sales rep, and client into the same System Surveyor project. Everyone sees updates in real time, and comments are visible to all parties
Step 5: On-Site Context Capture
While sales engineers refine plans from the office, partners on-site can use an iPad to take photos and annotate locations—capturing real-world constraints like obstructing trees, unsuitable wall surfaces, or lack of power at a desired camera location.
Always-Live Implementation Data
One of the biggest wins of this integration is that we now have an “always live” version of the implementation in System Surveyor. This means:
The most up-to-date site plan is always available—years after the install.
Even our support team can reference the original install logic to troubleshoot issues quickly.
We can understand the design decisions behind the install, not just the end result.
As Paul noted:
“That living record of the project is gold. Years later, we can see exactly why something was installed where it was—and support can act in minutes instead of hours.”
BOM Automation: Accessories, Pricing, and More
Beyond mapping, we’ve automated Bill of Materials generation. Accessories, pricing, and all necessary hardware can be automatically added into System Surveyor. This reduces errors in quoting, ensures nothing is forgotten, and dramatically speeds up the sales-to-installation handoff.
The Next Frontier
We’re not done. Our vision is to take this even further:
Automated In-Console Placement
When a customer opens their Rhombus console for the first time, their map—with all recommended camera placements—should already be there. This would save hours (sometimes days) of manual work, especially for large deployments where many customers currently skip this step due to time constraints.
Live Camera Status in System Surveyor
Imagine if installers could see live camera data within System Surveyor as devices come online—ensuring placements are correct and systems are functional before leaving the site.
Warranty and Serial Number Sync
We’d love to see automated synchronization of warranty status and serial numbers between Rhombus and System Surveyor—giving customers, partners, and support teams full lifecycle visibility.
Why This Works: Aligned API Philosophies
At Rhombus, we take the same integration-first approach. We offer an extremely robust set of APIs so partners and customers can build custom workflows that fit their unique needs. Working with a like-minded partner like System Surveyor—who believes in the same openness—made this integration possible.
“It only makes sense to work with technology partners who think like we do,” I tell our partners. “When both sides commit to open, flexible APIs, the possibilities for efficiency are endless.”
In short: By tightly integrating Salesforce, Impartner, and System Surveyor through APIs, the Rhombus team has turned a cumbersome, error-prone process into a seamless, collaborative, and data-rich experience. We’ve saved thousands of hours, eliminated most mistakes, and given everyone—from sales engineers to support—the tools they need to deliver exceptional results.
To learn more about System Surveyor’s open API, complete the form on this page.
