The security industry looks to the SDM 100 — a group of the 100 largest security companies ranked by their recurring monthly revenue (RMR) — as a wellspring of industry trends and operational best practices. So, which manufacturers and distributors are behind the SDM 100, supporting them with the products, solutions and services that help make them successful?

SDM asked each of the 2018 SDM 100 companies to disclose the top three manufacturers and top three distributors that earn their business, based on volume purchased. The resulting lists, shown here, reveal that the largest security companies in the installation and monitoring channel rely on a wide variety of suppliers. These lists demonstrate not only diversity in the technology they sell, but also that security companies are capitalizing on trends in intrusion detection and response technology, video surveillance, integration and cloud, smart home technology and more.

These brand-usage lists were compiled from the 2018 SDM 100 Report. Of the 100 companies ranked on the SDM 100, 88 of them provided information about their suppliers. SDM combined all of their responses, and ranked the manufacturers and distributors by the number of mentions each received, with the manufacturer or distributor receiving the greatest number of mentions listed first, and so on. After the top 10 manufacturers and top 10 distributors, mentions were distributed fairly equally among a broad number of suppliers.

Read the full 2018 SDM 100 Report

Top Manufacturers Used by the SDM 100

Asked to name their top three manufacturers in order of volume purchased from them, these are the top 10 vendors supplying the SDM 100. Manufacturers are listed in order of how frequently they were cited by the SDM 100. Beyond the top 10, there is a small group that scored equally, including HID, Axis Communications, and Bosch Security.

• Honeywell (includes the brands of Notifier, Silent Knight, Fire-Lite Alarms)
• DMP (Digital Monitoring Products)
• Stanley Security (includes the brands of Sonitrol and 3xLogic)
• UTC Fire & Security (includes the brands of Interlogix, Lenel and Edwards)
• Johnson Controls Inc. (includes the Tyco Security Products brands of DSC, exacqVision, Kantech and Software House)
• Nortek Security & Control LLC (includes the brands of Linear and 2GIG)
• Hikvision
• Alarm.com
• Alula (includes the brands of Resolution Products and IPDatatel)
• Qolsys

Top Distributors Used by the SDM 100

Asked to name their top three distributors in order of volume purchased from them, these are the top 10 companies supplying the SDM 100. Distributors are listed in order of how frequently they were cited by the SDM 100.

• ADI
• Anixter (includes TRI-ED Distribution & Clark Security Products)
• PSA Security Network
• Stanley Security/Sonitrol*
• Wave Electronics*
• Alarmax Distributors Inc.^†
• ScanSource^†
• Systems Distributors Inc. (SDI)
• SES – Security Equipment Supply**
• Snap AV**

*Two-way tie for this position; companies listed alphabetically
^†Two-way tie for this position; companies listed alphabetically
**Two-way tie for this position; companies listed alphabetically