In the last six months many of us have endured changes to our daily lives that would have been unthinkable a few months earlier. The term social distancing has entered our lexicon; many of us now routinely wear masks to go about errands. But life goes on, and so does the security industry: it just may look a little different now. One by one, in-person industry events have transitioned to online formats, first GSX, then ISC West and Securing New Ground. But all promise to deliver a valuable experience in new and interactive formats delivered digitally. Virtual is where it’s at these days.

Last month I attended the SIA Virtual Town Hall, titled “Resilience. Recovery. Strength.” This event discussed the impacts so far that COVID-19 has had on the security industry. Scott Schafer, SIA chairman of the board of directors, compared the situation to the most recent economic downturn in 2008. “We saw similar slowdown, for different reasons,” he said. “Then, we had to figure out what to do about it. We put more intensity on making sure projects went as flawlessly as possible.” Now is another time to look at way you are servicing your customer and delivering some new solutions, he added. “If you have ideas for artificial intelligence and cloud that don’t cost Cap-Ex but Op-Ex this might be a good time. Credentialing with facial recognition, new services, bolstering the customer’s network — these are things to think about now while things are a little slower. Make sure you are really in step with what your customers need.”

In this month’s cover story, “Opportunities in Security as a Service (p. 36),” Managing Editor Maggie Shein explores in more depth some ways security dealers and integrators can do just that.

All over the security industry companies are coming up with new ways to deliver the products, services and experiences that are no less important than they were six months ago. In fact, many would argue they are more important than ever. SDM explores two of those areas in “Visitor Management Provides the Who, When & Where (p. 62),” and “Reopening Safely with Analytics (p. 82).”

SDM, too, has adapted to the changing needs of the world and will now be delivered to you digitally. This month’s issue marks the first all-digital edition, optimized for easier reading. We hope you enjoy this issue. You can let us know what you think by joining us on ,  or , or emailing me at Hodgsonk@bnpmedia.com.