Security Sales & Integration October 2021 - 6

Between Us Pros
scott.goldfine@emeraldx.com | @SSIeditor
Ready to Play
the Data Game?
The possibilities
for new or
expanded
opportunities
are just about
limitless, putting
a whole new
spin on " data
security " ...
and not that far
down the road
maybe how you
describe
your business.
▶ WHAT BUSINESS ARE YOU IN? I am betting
you said, " Security, " or perhaps " Alarms, "
or maybe even " Systems integration. " And those
heavily focused on monitoring or other services
may say, " Recurring revenue. "
Those are all well and good and make perfect
sense today. But due to advancing technology
and evolving customer needs/interests, significant
changes have come to this industry the past
couple of decades that prompted reevaluating
purpose and description (e.g. National Burglar
& Fire Alarm Association to Electronic Security
Association and Central Station Alarm Association
to The Monitoring Association). It's a transformation
that continues to unfold.
" The industry is just beginning to realize that
data is our new currency, " says ADT Executive
Vice President and COO Don Young. " It is being
used to make customers more secure and more effective
in whatever they desire to accomplish. Today's
technology allows us to deliver customers a
more robust experience than ever before. The key
is providing a reliable, secure solution that gives
them the security and convenience they want and
need. Secure, convenient, private, it's all essential. "
Young, a member of SSI's Industry Hall of
Fame (recognized for his operations innovation
through analyzing metrics), made those remarks
as a primary presenter during last month's Parks
Associates' CONNECTIONS virtual conference.
The event was hosted by Parks Associates President
Elizabeth Parks, who I have had the pleasure of
collaborating with since 1998, the year both of us
joined the electronic security and low-voltage industries.
For nearly a decade, I have worked with
her and her mother, company Founder (1987) &
CEO Tricia Parks, on SSI's annual residential security
market study (coming next month).
One of the compelling examples Young, who is
Editor-in-Chief and
Associate Publisher Scott
Goldfine, an Industry Hall
of Famer, has spent 20+
years with SSI.
6
also TMA's acting president, offered on how data
mining can enhance both effectiveness and efficiency
relates to the age-old false alarm quandary.
" We are developing a process of analyzing
myriad datapoints so, when an intrusion alarm is
activated, we can factor in all that information to
Security Sales & Integration OCTOBER 2021
then determine the best response, " he says. " This
is different from verification in that it no longer
is an all or nothing proposition. We are changing
the dynamic on how to qualify an alarm. "
Given its partnership with Google, and as connected
Internet of Things devices rapidly proliferate,
ADT figures to propel the industry forward in
this realm. " We are looking to extend reliable services
and solutions to consumers outside the home,
on their person, in their vehicle, " adds Young.
The possibilities for new or expanded opportunities
are just about limitless, putting a whole new
spin on " data security " ... and not that far down
the road maybe how you describe your business.
CONNECTIONS also featured a six-person
panel that included representatives from Brinks
Home, Rapid Response, Johnson Controls and
RSPNDR. The crux of their discussion was, in
the vernacular of a popular business and marketing
catchphrase, " meet customers where they are. "
Having grown up in the shadow of Hollywood,
that brought to mind, Where the boys are, someone
waits for me, a lyric sung by Connie Francis
that, like its associated movie, was a hit in the
early 1960s. According to Wikipedia, " Where
the Boys Are " was one of the first films to explore
the changing sexual morals and attitudes among
American college youth. It symbolized a cultural
shift, which also influenced providers of products
and services across the board. Sixty years later,
electronic security is among many industries being
impacted by another cultural shift.
Driven principally by younger adults weaned
on Internet- and smartphone-enabled instant
gratification - but also permeating all rungs of
modern American society - in today's everything
on-demand world customers and consumers seek
sexier technology, lifestyle enhancement and convenience.
And oh, by the way, the expectation
(imperative from a security industry standpoint)
is
all that be delivered without compromising
physical security, safety, cybersecurity or privacy.
The implications of this shift for our industry
are enormous throughout the channel, affecting
how solutions are designed and marketed as well
as how services are developed and delivered. New
challenges abound but the opportunity is undeniably
sound, and the potential payoff is boundless.
As a security dealer or integrator, take stock
to ensure your business' culture, processes and
offerings are where today's customers are ... for
it's there that success awaits.
securitysales.com
http://www.securitysales.com
Security Sales & Integration October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Security Sales & Integration October 2021
