As we continue our series looking back at the biggest developments in the security industry in 2025 and what to expect across the sector in 2026 and beyond, we ask Manish Dalal, president of ZKTeco, to share his reflections on the year that’s just ended and his predictions for what’s ahead.
Security Sales & Integration: What kind of year has 2025 been for the electronic security and physical security industries?
Manish Dalal: 2025 has been a very exciting year for the physical security industry. The adoption of cloud, mobile credentials and biometrics have gained significant momentum in our industry. In addition, customer demand has been resilient even with the current economic turmoil as there are pressures on the margins for the manufacturer, distributor and system integrator.
The use of artificial intelligence in analyzing and filtering data has seen some real-world application and we are seeing that the end users are now ready to pay more money.
SSI: What has been the most surprising development in the security industry this year?
The most surprising development in the security industry is that the scope of physical security has increased beyond access control. Customers expect access control, video, visitor management and intercoms to be operated and integrated in one centralized platform. Hence, we are seeing many consolidations and partnerships emerging in our industry due to this factor.
SSI: What has been the most important change we’ve seen this year in security?
The most important change we have seen in the security industry is that the adoption of physical security is expanding from small offices to large-scale infrastructures. There is a big upgrade and refresh cycle of hardware and software going on in the market. Customers want modern, integrated, open and frictionless security systems to meet their requirements.
SSI: Without getting into any specific vendor or particular branded solutions, 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.
Dalal: In my opinion, a cloud-based single integrated platform which can support the following functionalities will see the most profitable growth in 2026:
- Access control system which can support RFID, QR codes, mobile and biometric credentials in a single database and a single piece of hardware at the door.
- A cloud platform which can manage this hardware and have functionality to scale.
- A video platform which is integrated with an access control system that has AI features for intelligent searches.
- A robust and flexible visitor management module which can allow frictionless entry of visitors tied to the access control system with varying degrees of security on demand.
- Offer HaaS and SaaS based solutions (Hardware and Software as a Service)
With these types of solutions, system integrators can upgrade or install any new system at a reasonable monthly cost rather than asking the customer to pay thousands of dollars upfront.
SSI: Which emerging security technologies do you think are overplayed? Which ones do you think will truly transform the practice of security integration in the coming years?
Dalal: I think the adoption of mobile credentials was overplayed as there are many hurdles and steps to follow before the customer can actually use the credentials.
SSI: What’s getting better about the security industry these days? What seems to be getting worse?
Dalal: The good thing about our industry these days is that the customer is very well educated and knows exactly what they want. They are also aware of the technology that they want to implement, which makes the decision process move quickly.
What is getting worse is that the system integrator community cannot keep up with all the technological advancements in our industry, making it extremely challenging. With more and more end users demanding APIs, it’s allowing them to exchange data between different systems, which requires a certain degree of programming skills.
However, the system integrator community does not like manufacturers dealing directly with end users. The price of hardware is always under constant pressure and cost of installation always goes up; making the TCO for the end user much higher.
SSI: What’s liable to catch some security industry dealers, installers and integrators off guard in the coming year?
Dalal: The well-educated consumer of today may bypass dealers and installers and prefer to directly deal with the manufacturers. Also, many other types of installers like locksmiths, AV and IT integrators and even some sophisticated electrical contractors are also entering this industry, which will catch the traditional low voltage dealers off guard.
The adoption of biometrics is rapidly increasing and as well as mobile credentials, which requires some level of upskilling and awareness of privacy laws. Also, there will be some great applications that will emerge with the use of AI, which will differentiate a good installer from an average one.
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?
Dalal: Today the security industry is at a crossroad, where it will get divided into a high security market and the consumer market. The professionals of today will have to choose in which market they would like to play and select the right companies in that space.
The problems, situations and market size are completely different and unless the professional is not aware of what the “total” solution looks like they will have a hard time closing deals with customers. Also, they need to be aware of the needs of their customers in different geographies and around the globe as well.
The only way to tackle this would be by constantly updating your skills and talking to as many people as possible in the industry, including your competitors.
SSI: Finish this sentence: 2026 will be remembered as the year that the security industry …
Dalal: … finally changes in the narrative and messaging to address the consumers of the future.
