Practically every store I walk into these days — from Home Depot, to Best Buy, to the Apple Store and more — features a snazzy display of home security/connected-home products for do-it-yourselfers. These attractive displays were moved right to the front of the stores during the holidays; they were so attractive that I found myself spending long amounts of time browsing the products and reading the packaging. 

In 2008, ADS Security was the SDM 2008 Dealer of the Year Honoree. Since then nothing — and everything — has changed at the company, which is the 2014 Dealer of the Year.

If you’ve ever needed more money (who hasn’t?), then you are among a majority of business owners. Approximately one-half to two-thirds of young, small businesses — defined as those with less than 499 employees — use capital injections, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Advocacy in a February 2014 report. What’s more, not being able to obtain capital has profound implications for the ability of certain businesses to expand, the report noted.

Building strength takes a plan, dedication and commitment. Just ask Unlimited Technology, the 2014 SDM Systems Integrator of the Year.

The U.S. market for building automation equipment is set to grow by more than 40 percent within a five-year period ending in 2017, spurred by the need in commercial buildings for more efficient energy consumption, according to a report from IHS Inc. released in late 2013, and is a “must watch” growth opportunity for integrators.

The 2014 Central Station of the Year winner is COPS Monitoring, which is Five Diamond and IQ certified, as well as the holder of multiple UL listings including UL 2050. COPS Monitoring operates five hot redundant and load-sharing UL-listed central stations.

The articles in this issue demonstrate that not only does the electronic security industry offer a high value proposition, but that new and improved technologies alone are never enough to strike success. They must fit into the overall picture of market need/acceptance the competitive environment, and — crucially — the business requirements of dealers and integrators.

SDM 100 dealers as well as throughout the industry, routine security installations as well as more complex projects like these are signs of success for the industry and progress towards a more secure America.

If I were a security technician, salesperson or project manager — or an executive responsible for the training of these individuals — I would be energized about the opportunities for industry education taking place this spring and summer.

As our industry is poised on the brink of change and growth in so many different ways, analyzing this change and scrutinizing the new competition is a topic that comes up regularly, as it did during several industry events that took place during the first quarter of this year.