2018 Quotes to Note: Security Pros Say What’s Really on Their Minds

SSI rounds up notable quotes from security industry execs that tackle DIY, artificial intelligence, employee recruitment and much more.

January 03, 2019 SSI Staff Jump to Comments

SSI‘s Hot Seat feature is a great opportunity for the security industry’s movers and shakers to get candid about their company, as well as the industry in general. Below you will find some notable quotes from Hot Seat Q&A’s published in 2018.

“The reality is that the biggest challenge a lot of [security pros] deal with is the availability of information online. Everybody now thinks they’re an expert when it comes to security. We as manufacturers have to continue to educate on what the professional products do vs. some of the consumer-available products, which five years ago stunk. Today, they’re not so bad.”— Todd Keller, President, Speco Technologies

“I have no doubt that new technology such as better video analytics and dispatcher-verified video will help to reduce false dispatches; in fact, it already is. I’m also sure that new technology will also reduce false activations of alarms through smarter arm/disarm capabilities and as AI matures and integrates with security to learn individual end-user habits. However, I also believe that security and convenience are positioned on opposite ends of a sliding continuum. Greater convenience runs the risk of compromising comprehensive security.”— Jim McMullen, President & COO, COPS Monitoring

READ: Experts Share Their Top 5 Challenges Facing the Security Industry in 2019

“Our maintenance plan has really caught on. Especially with all the cellular communications changes, we don’t want to tell the customer, ‘I know we upgraded this three years ago but here’s another bill for $250.’”— Brian Gartland, VP of Central Operations, Vyanet Operating Group

“False positives/negatives are a substantial problem for most computer vision solutions. Making sure the device is responding to what is actually happening is crucial and a challenge. AI is a technology, not a magic wand.Vagueness around the term coupled with bombastic media reports makes this challenging. If someone is expecting the stars, then even delivering the moon is a disappointment.”— Shawn Guan, CEO, Umbo Computer Vision

“One of the things that keeps me up at night is we’re trying to do more recurring revenue. We’re working with more IT folks rather than the traditional facilities manager. We’re shifting some of the things we’re doing. We’re growing, shifting, making a lot of changes. How do you keep the pedal to the metal while you’re building the road? We have to respond to our customer needs, and have to have steady growth. That’s what your share price is based on, building the value of the company.”— Eva Mach, President & CEO, Pro-Tec Design

READ: Hacked! The Most Devastating Cyber Attacks From 2018

“With our sales consultants, security consultants and technicians, we like to hire people who genuinely like technology. They will take the initiative to seek out the product knowledge in the installation and complicated techniques. But the personality of having a customer-first focus is something that many people have in their DNA. It’s kind of who they are and those are the individuals we want to recruit and onboard into the company.”— Chris Bean, General Manager, Ackerman Security Systems

“If you want to grow, you are going to have to come up with a viable offering in the DIY space. What we have seen, which is becoming more popular, is a hybrid model from the end-user perspective. We call it Dealer DIY. That is where a dealer provides the install, has the local presence and other customer-centric offerings, and they couple these with a DIY solution. A user can go to the dealer’s website and order a security system and sign up for the dealer’s services.” — Brian McLaughlin, CEO, Alula

“Dealers must reorient their message toward being the definitive source of life-safety solutions that can still support lifestyle upgrades and integrations for their customers’ convenience. They need to realize that the never-ending stream of new consumer gadgets is an opportunity for them to shine. The safety they provide isn’t transient like the latest hot product.”— Shawn Welsh, SVP, Product Line Management and Marketing, Telular