Laura Stepanek Articles

2018 SDM 100: Security Dealers Prevail

While growth was not quite as robust as the prior year, SDM 100 dealers still managed to grow RMR by 4.2 percent last year, despite the many disruptors now present in the channel

Laura Stepanek

May 10, 2018

Collectively, the SDM 100 security dealers grew their RMR 4.2 percent, from $618 million to $643 million last year. Among the top 100 there were 88 dealers who individually improved their RMR rate in 2017 over 2016.

Deploying Security Robots & Drones

Laura Stepanek

April 2, 2018

Security integrators are indeed interested in these technologies and identifying many uses for them within their security world.

Helping the Security Industry Plan

Laura Stepanek

February 1, 2018

Last month in SDM we offered an outlook for 2018 for the security industry. This month begins our State of the Market article series to help you strategize about the types of products and services your company will offer to the marketplace.

SDM 2018 Security Industry Forecast: Moving Into High Gear

Results of the 2018 SDM Security Industry Forecast Study show that total industry revenue rose 8.5 percent last year, boosted by a thriving economy and high consumer and business confidence.

Laura Stepanek

January 1, 2018

Last year was good, but 2018 could be great, say security integrators and security dealers who participated in the 2018 SDM Industry Forecast Study and Panel, a report that SDM has published annually since 1982. The economy is roaring.

Reaching the Next Generation of Security Buyers

Ask yourself: Will your company as it currently exists be serving the security needs of millennial buyers?

Laura Stepanek

January 1, 2018

It’s extremely important that security dealers and the industry as a whole understand how to reach different generations of buyers, but especially up-and-coming buyers.

YEAR IN REVIEW

Are You Using Webinars to Your Advantage?

Are webinars part of your employee training plan? They’re one of the best ways to stay connected and informed.

Laura Stepanek

September 2, 2017

With the vast proliferation of webinars occurring in business and industry across the board — and particularly in security — perhaps it’s time for you as a manager to develop a training program module for your employees that consists entirely of webinar-based education and a requirement for participating in X hours of webinar training each month.

Most Popular Brands Among the Top Systems Integrators

Which suppliers do the largest systems integrators use? This Top Systems Integrators brand-usage report lists the manufacturers and distributors that earn their business.

Laura Stepanek

August 1, 2017

Security systems integrators manage a diverse set of projects with demanding requirements. SDM asked each of the 2017 Top Systems Integrator companies to disclose the top manufacturers and top distributors that earn their business, based on volume purchased. The resulting lists, below, demonstrate that these integrators rely on a wide variety of suppliers that offer a wealth of resources.

See You on the Road

SDM looks forward to meeting you at one of three major industry events taking place this fall: CEDIA 2017, ASIS 2017, and Securing New Ground.

Laura Stepanek

August 1, 2017

The fall show and conference season is right around the corner.

SDM 2017 Top Systems Integrators Report: Tested, Integrators Display Big Gains

Tested, Integrators Display Big Gains

Laura Stepanek

July 1, 2017

As security systems integrators take to the world stage amidst trends such as the commercial Internet of Things, cybercrime and terrorism, they showed their prowess with 14 percent growth in 2016.