Creating the Workforce of Tomorrow
The Security Industry Association (SIA) has teamed up with Mercer County Community College in New Jersey to bring you a new degree program that prepares students for jobs that support the selling, installation, management and technical support of physical security systems technologies in an IP-based networked environment. The Associate in Applied Science Degree in Security…
Keep Reading »Addressing the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is having a bigger and bigger impact on the security industry. As more devices come online, many of them contribute pertinent security information merely through the regular reporting of their status. Companies are using this information in devices and security systems to garner more situational intelligence. There are fundamental risks,…
Keep Reading »Your Ideal Prospect
What does your ideal prospect look like? Not long ago, I was at a happy hour with some friends. Sara, one of my colleagues, was there, and she joined us for a little while. She was engaged in a conversation with my friend Jacob about his love life. Sara asked Jacob the question we all…
Keep Reading »Holding South Africa Responsible for Potential Trade Violations
The Security Industry Association (SIA) recently had the opportunity to participate in an out-of-cycle review process for South Africa’s participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in response to concerns about the country’s compliance with provisions of the law. SIA believes that a pending South African law which will restrict foreign ownership of…
Keep Reading »Meet Up With Your Prospects
Security integrators rarely meet with prospects before there is a project… but they should. In the security integration world, bad salespeople offer the cheapest possible price for solutions created by the customer. Good salespeople create solutions for the problems found by their customers. However, the great ones find the problems and solve them before they…
Keep Reading »Making an Exceptional Sales Presentation
What makes an exceptional sales presentation? I’ve watched, delivered or created thousands of sales presentations, and I have evaluated the success rate on most of them. Whether an integrator trying to win a project, a manufacturer trying to impress an integrator or either of them presenting to an architecture and engineering firm or consultant, most…
Keep Reading »SIA Reacts to GSA Transactional Data Rule Proposal
On June 25, the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce held a hearing on a proposed rule by the General Services Administration (GSA) on transactional data and its effect on small businesses. In response to this hearing, the Security Industry Association (SIA) submitted a statement protesting the GSA proposal, which has been described…
Keep Reading »Changes Afoot for GSA Schedule 84
The SIA Government Summit held a special “preconference” session with the General Services Administration this past month on Monday, June 8, at the W Hotel in Washington, D.C. The very popular “industry day” featured a presentation by Christopher Redmond, chief of the GSA Law Enforcement and Security Branch, which manages GSA Schedule 84. In an…
Keep Reading »3 Sales Improvements for Security Integrators
When an end user had an issue 15 years ago, they would call their security integrator to solve the problem. Even if they weren’t committed to one integrator, they’d call a few to compete for the job. But that’s not the case today! When a problem arises today, your customers gather as much information online…
Keep Reading »Critical NFPA Vote in Chicago
Attention alarm and monitoring stakeholders! Frequently, important issues arise in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) revision process that require an organized industry response. We have one such case coming up later this month! In June, two motions will be considered for NFPA 72, The National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, at the NFPA meeting…
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