FOR MOST OF US HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, March marks one year since our lives — both personally and professionally — turned upside down as the result of a disease scientists called COVID-19.

You may notice that this issue of SDM looks a little different. Beginning with this February 2021 issue, we will be employing a new digital platform that is much more reader- and technology-friendly.

At last, 2021 is here — I can’t be the only one happy to leave 2020 in the dust! The year brought so many changes to the business of monitoring, our heads haven’t stopped spinning. With the COVID-19 pandemic, and the unemployment numbers that unfortunately came along with it, providing peace of mind has never been more important.

I’m no geology expert, so I looked it up. According to the National Geographic, “Igneous rocks form when magma (molten rock) cools and crystallizes, either at volcanoes on the surface of the earth or while the melted rock is still inside the crust.” Why am I talking about rocks?

Everyone has heard the old adage, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” In an industry and a year marked by seemingly constant upheaval and change, it can feel like nothing is the same. But is that true?

Each October one of my favorite stories to write comes around: The systems integrator of the year. I love delving into a company’s history and culture and learning what has made them a success worthy of being chosen for this award.

In the last six months many of us have endured changes to our daily lives that would have been unthinkable a few months earlier. The term social distancing has entered our lexicon; many of us now routinely wear masks to go about errands.

In this issue, SDM presents the annual Top Systems Integrators Report, which ranks security integrators by their North American systems integration revenue of the previous year (2019). This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Top Systems Integrators Report, which was first launched by SDM in 1996.

It’s June, the start of summer — the season of backyard BBQs, gatherings with friends and family, and summer vacations. But for most of us, this summer season may look different than usual.