First, respondents to the survey — which was conducted in October 2008 — revealed that for the first time in the study’s recent history, security dealers and systems integrators predict total industry revenue will turn down. They are expecting a 7.8 percent decline in total industry revenue, from $48.45 billion in 2008 to $44.67 billion in 2009.
Second, for the first time in five years, respondents indicated that their greatest challenge in 2009 would not be finding and retaining employees — as it had been since 2004 — but increasing sales, selected by a wide margin of survey respondents.