Latin America. Boon Edam shared three key aspects that will be decisive during 2018 for integrators, at a time when competition in the electronic security industry is accentuated to parameters never seen before.
As is well known, the number of manufacturers of conventional electronic security solutions such as cameras or alarms has been increasing in recent years, which has generated a greater offer of solutions with the consequent decrease in prices and profit margins for distributors, something that has simultaneously benefited end customers.
Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that integrators wonder about the future and profitability of the security industry. In this regard, Mark Borto, general director of operations of Boon Edam for the Americas, analyzed the current moment of the industry and shared three elements that will improve the economic and business landscape of companies that are dedicated to the distribution of electronic security equipment, as well as those that are responsible for the installation.
In the executive's view, security inputs will become an important source of profit for integrators, while offering maintenance services will also become a new source of revenue and strengthening relationships between integrators and end customers. Finally, Borto announced that 2018 will be an important year for the integration of security inputs with the growing interest of end customers to obtain data and measurements from each of the installed technological systems.
These are Boon Edam's predictions for the industry in 2018.
Security entries will be an important source of revenue for integrators
The first thing the company points out is that the security entrances will not only allow the entry of people, but that there will also enter important profits for integrators. "They have to work very hard to increase the volume of sales and that's why we think security tickets will be the next big opportunity. Let's remember that end users now understand that it is absolutely necessary to protect their facilities from intrusions that cannot be avoided with revolving doors," says Mark Borto.
The offer of maintenance services, beyond mere installation, will strengthen the relationship between integrators and end users, while generating new revenue streams for the latter.
Safety inputs are electro-mechanical equipment and therefore require regular maintenance to perform optimally. Offering this service will bring thousands of dollars to the integrator and help them have greater reliability among their customers. "Not surprisingly, manufacturers are looking for service providers in different regions of the world, to serve our products. Unquestionably this is a great opportunity that integrators should explore," adds Borto.
In addition to being an attraction for the entry point, these doors offer new security options for access control, for example they use electricity to control the speed of rotation, support the user when pushing the wings of the doors and lock when no one is using them. As if this were not enough, these equipment can be integrated with the access control system so that they act as a public entrance during the day and so that they are blocked and only allow authorized personnel to enter at night.
The use of analytics of different types will go up in the segment of security inputs
And although it seems unthinkable, the security doors will also speak... How is this possible? According to Boon Edam, these teams will offer data and metrics for the personnel in charge, for example, they may have complete information of intrusion attempts or the number of authorized people who entered the building. Even if you want to go further, the data provided by these teams will allow to monitor the performance of multiple inputs and possibly, to detect unusual patterns of use that can be analyzed to be proactively addressed.
Some negative effects that could come with the omission or misapplication of security entries:
- Interruption of business continuity and loss of productivity. Data theft or violent situations can negatively impact the company and of course, this can be very costly for the end user.
- Impact on security. Companies may face lawsuits or negative publicity if restricted areas are not properly controlled.
- Impaired physical security. It is non-negotiable to protect the people inside the building and the facilities, from any external threat.
- Losses. All types of goods must be protected, such as data, personal information of employees and finished products, among others.
- Non-compliance with regulations and loss of reliability. If a rule is violated and someone gets hurt or information is lost, the legal consequences can be fatal for the company.
The inputs are not only points of access, now they are strategic allies within the management of the security of a company and as such, they must be treated by the integrators, who are called to talk about the importance of these equipment to the end users.
