Across four days, PSA TEC 2025 covered a range of industry pain points and technology updates. This year’s PSA TEC was held between March 9-12 in Denver and featured insights on the state of the industry from security experts, including both manufacturer and integrator perspective on the effect of AI, the talent gap, and the recent administration change in the United States.

Through the End User’s Lens

John Nemerofsky, chief operating officer, Sage Integration, kicked off Monday’s program by moderating a panel design to deliver insights in real-world challenges, evolving needs, and success stories of those who rely on integrators to meet their security goals.

The panel began with real-world challenges. Shanel Balloo, senior manager, new technology & innovation, Salesforce, identified data and data management. “We generate a wealth of data both internal and external,” she said. “How do we centralize all of that data to glean insights and increase our operational efficiencies?”

There was a particular focus on the K-12 vertical throughout the event. Speaking to this, Ryan Amsbury, group leader, fire, security and electronics, Jefferson County Public Schools, pointed to mental health and active shooter incidents as top-of-mind issues in the vertical. “Find integrators that can transform those pain points into opportunities,” said Amsbury.

Shifting to the topic of technology, Bill Sowar, senior director, physical security operations, Gartner, said, “We’ve gone fully mobile,” but also said that has led to some unforeseen issues. “We found that we had people that still have iPhone 5s that won’t run new technologies.” In that event, the organization had to partner with their IT team to determine how they were going to address this issue.

A large portion of the conversation throughout the event focused on AI. Speaking to AI specifically, Sowar said, “I’m pretty hesitant about claims of ‘AI can save me this amount of money.’ It’s probably the way of the future, but I don’t know that this practitioner is ready for it.”

Next, Nemerofsky turned to unmet needs. Amsbury pointed to funding as a roadblock in K-12. “Funds can make it tough for us to meet technology needs.” This is a topic that was covered in greater detail during a panel hosted by Geoff Kohl, senior director of marketing, Security Industry Association (SIA).

During that panel, Joseph Hendry, principal consultant, COSECURE Enterprise Risk Solutions, said he expects clarification on federal funding for school safety and maybe even an executive order — though the timing of this is uncertain.

Another topic that featured heavily in TEC’s programming was talent acquisition, a challenge that Sowar highlighted. “Convincing young people that there are careers for them in the security industry.”

Combating Labor Shortages

Mary O’Sullivan, manager of learning & development, PSA Security Network, hosted a panel discussion that dove deeper into talent challenges in the industry. The panel covered both recruitment and retention.

Chris Staniforth, president, ALConsulting, sang the praises of AcceleRISE and Security LeadHER for attracting young talent. As for positioning your company to attract younger talent, Staniforth advised, “Focus on mental health, work-life balance and have an empathy for your employees.”

Jessica Rose, assistant director, employer connections advancement, University of Denver, seconded this idea. “Offer a comprehensive benefits package. What do you offer beyond salary? What is your healthcare package?”

Panelists also mentioned the career path guide that PSA and SIA recently released.

As for retention, Rose said, “Folks want to stay at a company when they know they have a future there.” In her opinion, a leadership roadmap is integral to retaining talent. Another important component is encouraging external development, said Staniforth.

On a lighter note, Rose emphasized the importance of fun. “I have a 36.5 hour workweek,” said Rose. “I do not want to be stone-faced serious that whole time. How can you include play in everyday? It improves productivity, it improves engagement.”

Industry Unplugged

Lee Odess, CEO, Access Control Brief hosted a number of Industry Unplugged talks throughout the event. The talks were billed as candid and engaging conversations with top executives from leading organizations.

During one of these talks, Odess interviewed Tom Cook, executive vice president, Hanwha Vision. To kick off the talk, Cook dove into the evolution of the end user’s attitude. “Years ago, it was ‘you’re not putting a camera there,’” said Cook. “Now, it’s ‘Why isn’t there a camera on my street corner?’”

Over the course of roughly 15 minutes, Cook was able to impart the following advice: “Let the customer do the talking, focus on listening,” and “Generalizing AI is a bad thing to do.”

Cook concluded by discussing Hanwha’s partnership with NVIDIA. Cook discussed the issue caused by server bandwidth and how putting the NVIDIA GPU onto the camera alleviates those issues.

State of the Industry

Finally, the cornerstone of the conference: The State of the Industry Panel. Hosted by Matt Barnette, CEO, PSA Network, the panel offers a look at the market and its challenges, opportunities, and trends. The focus of the panel was on uncertainty in the federal space, AI, and addressing any labor issues the industry is facing.

“The amount of capital entering the industry continues to grow,” said Robert Chevitz, managing partner, Egis Capital Partners. “The demand continues to grow. As the capacity of the police to respond shrinks, it creates a gap that needs to be filled.” The security industry fills that gap in Chevitz’s opinion — that’s where the industry’s opportunity arises.

On the topic of AI, Kohl contextualizes the technology as emerging. “Measure AI’s effect over a year as opposed to its change over 10 years.” The example Kohl offers is that of the iPhone. “How much effect did the iPhone have in its first year?”

Ron Oetjen, corporate president, Minuteman Security & Life Safety, says that AI is not just something that end users are interested in but also something that should be applied internally. “Spend time looking at how AI can change your business,” Oetjen said. He explains that AI can be deployed to improve inventory systems, contract scanning, and evaluating insurance requirements — to offer a few examples.

As for labor concerns, moderator Barnette offers the following insight: “This generation grew up with an iPhone in their hands and they do a lot of research before they even talk to an integrator.” 

On the same topic, Kohl focused on the importance of training. “Consistently, the businesses that are investing in training are the businesses that are growing.”

To bring the discussion to a close, the panel addressed growing concerns amidst a tumultuous and chaotic administration change in the United States. “There’s a lot going on,” said Kohl. “There’s a lot of uncertainty right now. If you’re in the federal space, you’re feeling that already.” 

Oetjen agreed, adding that some in the federal space are left wondering, “Do I even have a contract anymore?” 

Kohl continued, “Everything is being questioned in this phase of the administration change.” 

But through it all, through any challenge, hardship, or disruption, PSA and the industry experts on multiple panels emphasized the importance of the channel and its partnerships. Stephenie Haldane, vice president of end user sales, HID – Physical Access, said it best during the State of the Industry when she said to the PSA crowd, “Think of us as a partner.”