ProTECting your Future

With an aim to “Protect their futures,” scores of systems integrators came together to share tacit knowledge, compare competitive insights and explore new avenues for growth at the annual PSA-TEC conference in Westminster, Colo., May 5-9.

SIA’s Don Erickson contributed his thoughts and opinions to a State of the Industry panel, where he highlighted the benefits of the corresponding agenda for SIA Education with focus on regulatory requirements, effectiveness of security technologies, standards and the new Certified Security Project Management (CSPM®) program. Fast moving and progressive PSA integrators listened keenly to advice from standards experts—Stuart Rawling for ONVIF and Dave Bunzel for PSIA—on how “interoperability creates a journey” and standards can help to “future-proof your systems.”

The State of the Industry discussion inspired a robust conversation around cybersecurity and its implications for integrators and manufacturers alike. In the following session on “Emerging Technology, New Deals and Directions,” cyberexpert Darnell Washington of SecureXperts stole the floor. He led with a warning to integrators to adopt proper “cyberhygiene” protocols and to take heed that further education in the discipline and practices of information security is no longer optional, it is critical to their survival in the evidence of continuing merging of logical and physical security, lest they be relegated to a limited path supporting legacy technology.

New to TEC this year, integrators of all sizes gathered in an intellectual swap meet of sorts in roundtable discussions featuring sales and marketing strategies, technical trends and project management best practices. These discussions were chaired by the newly minted Sales and Marketing, Technical and Project Management Committees representing more than 50 participating PSA owner companies with 100 professionals adding their inputs to the discussion.

PSA Security Network is the world’s largest electronic security cooperative with members responsible for over $2 billion annually in security, fire and life safety installations. These leading security systems integrators specialize in the design, installation, integration and maintenance of access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection, fire and life safety systems. Learn more about PSA’s line card, services and educational offerings visit us at http://www.buyPSA.com.

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association (SIA).