Sound bites on the industry's future

Mar 1, 2002 12:00 PM, Larry Anderson www.securitysolutions.com

When you get a group of security people together in a room, there is seldom a lull in the conversation.

It's a phenomenon I experienced first-hand on a recent trip to Orlando, Fla., where I had the opportunity to be a part of SimplexGrinnell's Security Advisory Council Summit. The event amounted to a day-and-a-half of discussion involving a dozen or so people from various parts of the security industry, including end-users, consultants, suppliers (and your humble correspondent). The rationale for the meeting was to provide guidance to SimplexGrinnell, a systems integrator and part of Tyco Fire and Security Services, as it plans the course of its future business pursuits. I left thinking that more companies in our industry should open their ears to this kind of discussion. I found it enlightening in a way that is broader than the specific concerns of the sponsoring company.

Not surprisingly, fallout from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was among the topics discussed. “Corporate views of security have been permanently transformed,” said Kevin Maynard, SimplexGrinnell's director of marketing, who moderated the discussion. “When it comes to security measures, convenience has taken a back seat to life-safety concerns.”

Here are some other sound bites from the advisory council:

• A sense of urgency emanating from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is driving some companies to implement security systems upgrades without taking the time to do the important evaluation and assessment that should form the basis for effective system planning.

• End-users in the near-term are putting aside their requirement to build a return-on-investment case for installing security systems. The need to build a strong ROI case will return, though the security focus is unlikely to change substantially.

• Liability issues are always a corporate concern, and security evaluations can be problematic if they document major security inadequacies in a way that could become at issue in a liability lawsuit. Consultants at the forum reported being “fired” from projects by companies that did not want to risk having their reports available in the case of a lawsuit.

• The end-user marketplace wants more training, and no security systems integrator is currently addressing the need. In this regard, the security industry lags behind, for example, the building controls industry.

• Digital video recorders have seen the biggest changes in demand since Sept. 11. Just since the attacks, it has become obvious that digital has matured and crossed the acceptance threshold, replacing VCRs in all but low-end applications.

• Facial recognition has gotten major press and end-users are asking about it, but overall, biometrics remains a fringe product. The lack of biometric standards is problematic, and it will take a company with major clout to introduce biometrics in a way that could become a de facto standard.

• The continuing influence of IT professionals on the product selection process is undeniable, but Sept. 11 has once again put the focus squarely on security directors.

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