Steve, you've been Susteen's president for a little more than two years. Tell us more about what led you to the company and what appealed to you about leading it.
The reason I joined the company is because we can make products that help law enforcement and make their daily tasks easier. I love what I am doing now. And I am passionate about leading the company that has the products to solve more crimes.
You've worked in the wireless industry for many years. What about the mobile forensics niche interested you, and how does your experience benefit this niche?
I believe every industry has its own challenges and issues. I am passionate about solving those issues and making it better.For example, one of our products, DATAPILOT 10. In the mobile forensics industry, there are many great tools on the market, but none of the products are fast and easy to use. Most of the current solutions require lots of training and processing time, DATAPILOT 10 doesn’t require training and is easy and fast on getting results.
Susteen has been around for more than twenty-five years, adapting to rapid changes in both mobile technology and forensic investigations. How is DATAPILOT 10 the latest in its evolution?
DATAPILOT 10 is by far the easiest to use, supporting the most phones, the fastest on getting evidence and the most data from the phones.
What has Susteen learned about customers and their needs over the years, and how do those lessons translate to your company philosophy, sales, support, and product development?
I often tell my team that every department and person is here to solve problems for the customers. We are here to make our customers’ job easier and create impacts for our community. In the past, Susteen lost sight of this and so we are more diligent than ever to listen to the customers’ needs and deliver the best products to meet those needs.
You've embraced #PushButtonForensics as a tongue-in-cheek response to the old argument that forensics was the province of experts. How do you see so-called “democratization” of digital forensics playing out: is it doing as intended, or are there still kinks to be ironed out between field and lab?
I believe labs have their own needs. And there are great and professional products such as Cellebrite, Magnet, Oxygen, Paraben, BlackBag, Truxton, etc. DATAPILOT 10’s top use case is for the field and frontline users, and maybe for some small departments that don’t have budgets for the lab and training fees. Whether you are a field or lab user, evidence extracted with DATAPILOT 10 is compatible with all major analytical tools and systems.
Is it fair to say Susteen is pivoting to field forensics as a general rule, or is there a plan to offer a full ecosystem of field-to-lab-to-court tools?
Yes, we have pivoted to field forensics, and at the same time we strive to play well with others and make sure our field ecosystem is compatible with the major lab ecosystems out there.
What is most important to Susteen about this emphasis on getting actionable intelligence to officers in the field?
The field officers don’t have to wait, they can make quick decisions on what they want to do with the evidence they have in hand.
What’s next for DATAPILOT 10 and Susteen?
We will continue to have cutting edge technology to make an impact in the industry.
In 2020, we will continue to have monthly releases on our DATAPILOT with added devices and functionality.
Find out more about Susteen's DATAPILOT 10 at datapilot.com.
