Articles by Karyn Hodgson

Spoiler alert: If you haven’t seen the movie by now, you likely know that the “twist” in the 1999 movie “The Sixth Sense” was that the psychologist played by Bruce Willis has been dead the whole time. He just didn’t know it.

The top manufacturers and distributors used by SDM 100 dealers.

This year’s top 100 security dealers shared how they had to be strategic to overcome outside challenges and pressures.

The top 100 security dealers navigated a complex landscape in 2025, overcoming tariffs, economic uncertainty and customer hesitation by leaning on disciplined strategy and in-demand technologies like AI and video to drive impressive growth.

Today’s fire alarm panels simplify installation, maintenance and service for security integrators while providing improved system intelligence, diagnostics and long-term ROI for their customers.

Where is AI really headed in the security and life safety industry?

In every corner of ISC West, convergence, cybersecurity, cloud and, of course, AI were the common keywords. But at its heart, this show was truly about connections, whether connecting technologies together under “one pane of glass,” connecting IT and physical security, connecting with customers or just connecting with one another to share ideas.

For security integrators, the opportunities around autonomous security solutions are only just starting to emerge, but the time to start thinking about it is now.

Industry veterans and pioneers explain why they believe autonomous security solutions like robots and drones are going to be the next big thing in security.

SDM attended the last the last “Barnes” Buchanan conference, as Mike Barnes is stepping back from his traditional role in the event starting next year. The conference covered various trendy security topics, including the impact of AI (particularly on small businesses), an overview of the alarm industry, an M&A outlook and threats/opportunities for security in 2026.