Looking Ahead to Security’s Future
Posted on Fri, Feb 04, 2011
By Byron Marsales, Director of Marketing
Smarter Security Systems, Silver Sponsor for the ASG Security Summit & Expo
There’s not too much left from 2010 that many will be happy to say “good-bye” to. Truthfully, every year has many good things, but the economic conditions in our country and around the world are so pervasive that they tend to stay top of mind. Sure, 2009 was worse than 2010 and things seem to be getting better, but the unemployment rate has hardly budged and we have landmark institutions such as California and France struggling to stay afloat.
For Smarter Security Systems, 2010 was better than 2009 and we look to 2011 with good intentions of continued progress. Based on activity at various conferences and trade shows, I draw the same conclusion for the security industry as a whole. More interesting now is what will 2011 bring? Various research reports on the industry project modest growth for many categories. The recent suicide bombing in Stockholm, a first for Sweden, shows that the need for security is spreading to places once thought to be safe. Then there’s the overall U.S. economy. The extension of the Bush-era tax cuts is generally believed to be a boon to Americans and small businesses. Some security integrators we’ve spoken with, however, have said their assessment of 2011, after talking to end users, is that it may be worse than 2010.
My view is that it’s going to be another challenging year. There will be good spending, but organizations are going to remain careful and judicious about when and where they invest in security. The integrators and suppliers that earn the sales and projects will have to continue to work intelligently and work hard to prevail. New advances in technology and continued forward movement in development, processing and creative ideas will help to keep the industry steaming ahead.
We plan to do that and are investing in technology and people to help us succeed. If you’re a Smarter Security customer, we invite you to give us direct feedback about how we can do better. Speak to your regional sales rep or fill out our contact form, we’ll be grateful for your help.
Most of all we are interested in hearing from you, the end user. On the topic of the security industry in 2011, what’s your take? What are the concerns at the forefront of your organization or industry? Are you excited as we begin anew?