The security landscape is shifting. Much like your Motorola Pager, lock-and-key and the jingling key rings that come along with it are relics of the past.

There are several solutions available to extend the distances of PoE network links, including media converters that accommodate most combinations of coax, UTP, Ethernet and fiber infrastructure.

For years, false alarms have overwhelmed central monitoring stations. Now, advanced, cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) software is taming the problem.

Eventually, DHS and DOE will post guidance on counter-drone security, following the path defined by DOJ in April. Once the new legal and regulatory framework is defined, it is likely a number of facilities, especially critical infrastructure, will find a sense of urgency to deploy 3D security capabilities. The question is, to whom will these customers turn? Security integrators need to prepare now.

Taking a service-based approach hasn’t always been the norm for security integrators, but the shift from traditional project-based sales is making it a necessity. For so long, security decisions were made by security leaders; but as the lines blur between IT and physical security, and as more security devices need to find a home on the network, it’s crucial for integrators to work alongside both departments.

So much of my background comes from being an end user and working as an integrator. Managed services aren’t new for so many of us; but selling them can be challenging. Especially when you may be essentially trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, as many customers are used to buying technology, having it installed and then being left to “run” it.