The topic of video monitoring is hotter than ever, and more and more dealer-owned and central monitoring stations are offering some version of it to customers.

When asked about their biggest challenge in the coming year, security integrators and manufacturers alike often say the same thing: attracting workers.

For decades the dominant story in access control has been that it was a victim of its own success: that is, customers were reluctant to change out what was still working — even 15 or 20 years on — and didn’t see the benefit in spending the money to upgrade, even for significantly new or different features.

Access control discussions today often center around the latest and greatest features, new technologies, integrations and high tech options.

The U.S. fire market was steady and strong in 2018, with an equal or better outlook for 2019.

While at ISC West 2019, SDM editors Laura Stepanek, Karyn Hodgson, and Courtney Wolfe asked exhibitors three of the most pressing questions facing the industry today.

Unified security systems are one of the industry’s latest buzzwords. But beyond the hype, what do these types of systems offer the security integrator and, ultimately, the customer? Plenty, say the experts.

Doomsday didn’t happen. For all the concern many security dealers have shown in recent years — particularly about the rapidly changing residential market — all indicators seem to finally point to what was always the hope in the midst of the fear: that all the new entrants, technologies and business models would start to grow the pie for all.