We continue our 2026 predictions series with Brandon Niles, vice president of 2021 and 2022 SSI Installer of the Year Acadian Total Security. We shared Niles’ 2025 reflections on the security industry last month.
Brandon Niles 2026 Security Industry Predictions
Read on to check out Brandon Niles’ 2026 security industry predictions. We’ll have many more predictions from others among the brightest minds in the security industry throughout the month!
Security Sales & Integration: What technology category or solution area do you see as 2026’s ripest, most profitable growth opportunity for security dealers, installers and integrators? Explain your reasoning.
Brandon Niles: I believe the most significant growth opportunity for security dealers and integrators in 2026 lies in the expansion of video surveillance-as-a-service (VSaaS) and advanced artificial intelligence (AI) video analytics, particularly those focused on operational intelligence and regulatory compliance.
This category presents a strategic path forward because it fundamentally changes the value proposition of the camera. It moves beyond traditional security applications and positions the video system as a strategic business tool.
The key driver here is the availability of robust cloud and AI platforms that allow integrators to deliver automated solutions for complex internal challenges. Rather than demanding constant human supervision, AI can consistently monitor and manage issues like workflow inefficiencies, safety protocol adherence and regulatory compliance.
For integrators, this transition translates directly into higher value contracts. By offering recurring software subscriptions and managed services built on this advanced data-driven approach, dealers can secure stable, long-term revenue streams and deliver a clear, measurable return on investment (ROI) to the client through improved efficiency and reduced operational risk.
SSI: What’s getting better about the security industry these days? What seems to be getting worse?
Niles: The accessibility of the industry has come a long way. Our associations are far more organized and effective today, which means better resources and training are available. This structure really helps elevate the professionalism of the sector and encourages new talent to get involved.
SSI: What’s liable to catch some security industry dealers, installers and integrators off guard in the coming year?
Niles: Technology is acting as a powerful catalyst, making it much easier for IT companies to expand their service offerings and integrate deeper into the security industry. This shift allows them to move beyond a primary focus on traditional CCTV systems and deliver a broader, more valuable set of solutions to the market.
SSI: What’s the single most pressing challenge that professionals in the security industry must tackle right now? And how would you suggest tackling it?
Niles: The single most pressing challenge that security professionals must tackle is restoring trust and improving communication with first responders, a relationship strained primarily by false dispatches.
To tackle this, professionals must commit to the highest industry standards for alarm verification. This involves moving past outdated call procedures and aggressively adopting new monitoring protocols that dramatically reduce false alarms.
The industry’s long-term viability hinges on ensuring that when a call goes out, public safety agencies know it is a genuine event, protecting their resources and improving response times for actual emergencies.
SSI: Finish this sentence: 2026 will be remembered as the year that the security industry…
Niles: …continues to prioritize the need for advancement towards the cloud with enhanced focus on real-life applications that expand the scope of what traditional security companies can provide.
Click here to check out all the entries in our 2026 security industry predictions series!
