Is the cloud-based access control trend finally “hockey sticking?” For several years predictions that cloud will overtake on-premise access control solutions — particularly in the SMB market — have been swirling around the security industry.

Video monitoring just may be the answer to decreasing revenue from hardware-centric sales, DIY pressures and new market entrants offering monitoring for historical lows and no contract.

By now, the benefits of cloud-based video should be quite clear. For starters, moving video to the cloud can reduce or even eliminate the hardware required on a customer’s premises.

Brandon Clyde started from the ground and worked his way up, building a local company that offered residential and commercial installations and monitoring, with a UL-listed central station.

The result of the 2017 SDM 100 was upbeat: Collectively, the industry’s 100 largest security dealers grew their recurring monthly revenue (RMR) 18.4 percent, from $612 million to $725 million, last year.

Although still in its infancy, the global do-it-yourself (DIY) market for devices with added smart connectivity is forecast to experience a steady rate of growth at 22.3 percent annually from 2016 to 2021.

PSA Tec announced that early bird pricing will be available only through March 8.