Industry Research

The residential market is shaking off the recession to emerge with greater upside than ever. Consumers want new technologies and services associated with home controls and remote access, and security companies are positioned to deliver them. With the latest trends, sales tips, technology and more, SSI’s Rebirth of Residential Security Revenues special section tells how to cash in. First up: New market research.  

Fuel costs, insurance expenses, driver training and other challenges are keeping some installing security company owners and vehicle fleet managers awake at night. SSI’s second Super Security Fleets study taps into hundreds of firms nationwide to assess key factors vital to effective operations.  

The security systems integration business is rattling as much as humming, with operators continuing to extricate themselves from economic quicksand. SSI’s eighth annual Systems Integrator Study highlights the fits and starts of recovering profitability, as well as numerous positive trends for companies to zero in on.

Slowly but surely installing North American security contractor companies are becoming more diverse. SSI’s fourth biannual Security Industry Demographic Census shows that changes along gender, race, ethnicity and other lines are transforming this historically homogenous business. The 2012 Census not only profiles and reveals the practices of a typical manager working in the industry today, but also operational facets of the businesses themselves.

Increasingly, electronics consumers expect much more than quality devices; they desire a quality experience. That trend is supported by consumer research conducted by IBM, which found that with the proliferation of connected devices and increased network accessibility, consumers are demanding high performance and enhanced, integrated device experiences.

Increased broadband penetration is serving to compel Internet service providers (ISPs) to modify their market strategy. Many ISPs are looking to value-added services to retain customers and serve as platforms for future revenue growth.

IP-based services and mobile apps that allow consumers to control and stay connected to their homes are expected to anchor a key market adrift in economic uncertainty. SSI’s 2011 Residential Market Report provides research from Parks Associates to help security contractors take hold of these opportunities.

Nearly four in five security directors/managers intend to spend at least as much on security in 2011 as they did last year. SSI’s seventh Commercial End-User Study shows the recession loosening its grip on budgets, but clients are becoming more particular about their electronic security solutions and providers. A higher degree of IT capabilities and systems integration are among the heightened expectations.

After several years of internal austerity and resignation to pricing erosion, security integrators are looking externally to turn their fortunes. The third annual Operations & Opportunities Report (OOR) shows company managers are eager to negotiate better deals on the goods they acquire and sell to curtail margin squeeze. The 2011 OOR also exposes the best technologies, services and markets to exploit.

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