WHENEVER A SECURITY DEALER OR INTEGRATOR can add value to a traditional security system through a service, there is an opportunity to offer it as a chargeable service to generate recurring monthly revenue (RMR).

It has been a long and arduous year since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, on January 31, 2020, issued its declaration of a public health emergency related to COVID-19. As the virus pillaged its way around the world, it caused commercial establishments within many segments to quickly shut their doors.

You use a toaster for crisping bread; you wouldn’t use it for blending drinks nor would you heat an entire oven to crisp the bread. Similar to how a kitchen appliance is used to perform a specific task, a security appliance is used for a specific job.

The coronavirus pandemic metrics may fluctuate week-by-week and state-by-state, but many businesses and other public places that had been shuttered are now reopening in some mode — and that begs the question of how security integrators can help them establish safety through technology.

Who would have imagined, at the start of this year that the security industry would play such a significant role in the pandemic recovery? A good number of technologies are now part of the regular discussion security integrators are having with clients, while many manufacturers are working as quickly as possible behind-the-scenes to adapt existing solutions or build new ones.

Around the country in every major metropolitan market is an SDM 100 company that worked long and hard to get where it is today. These are the 100 largest U.S.-based security companies — as ranked by their recurring monthly revenue (RMR) — on the annual SDM 100 Report.

This year’s SDM 100 report and rankings show excellent growth for the SDM 100 companies in 2019. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic was just starting to hit as the security industry’s top companies were filling out the 2020 SDM 100 applications; to many of this year’s companies, it is like being on a mountaintop without a clear view of the landscape. Read on to look at this year’s top security companies ranked by recurring monthly revenue, along with their thoughts and projections for what lies ahead.

For avid news-watchers like myself, the COVID-19 health issue has provided so many opportunities to learn how the world is altering these days.

When I started out in the security industry, I had the good fortune of being hired and subsequently mentored by SDM’s chief editor at the time, Susan Whitehurst.

Last month in SDM we offered an outlook for 2020 for the security industry. This month begins our annual State of the Market article series to help you strategize about the types of products and services your company will offer to the marketplace.