NO hanging chads here. In an election year of great turmoil and uncertainty, it seems there is at least one thing the vast majority of us can agree upon: The security systems integration business is humming right along. In the latest poll, integrators have cast their ballots decisively in favor of the industry’s current state of opportunity and growth. The results of Security Sales & Integration‘s 12th annual Systems Integration Study could be considered a landslide as there’s nary a hiccup in respondents’ representation of their companies and the industry at large.
It’s challenging to decide where to jump into the positive news first, but try this on for size: Gross revenues as compared by medians rose from $4.5 million in 2014 to $7.6 million in 2015. Here’s some more refreshing tidbits to ruminate on: Installation gross profit margins for both access control and video surveillance are up from last year, as are average number of access openings and video cameras per project; companies are in hiring mode and salaries are up across the board; managed access is booming for those fully engaged in it; and video continues its robust pace even as integrators boost business expanding into security adjacent markets.
Here are some additional uplifting trends to note: The hospitals/schools/university and government markets are hot right now for both access and video; the average price charged for video systems jumped from $18,983 to $25,914 (27% revenue growth); and higher- end video technologies such as megapixel cameras, analytics, VMS/PSIM and cloud all exhibited growth. And with networked systems becoming the norm, almost all integrators now have IT specialists on staff. About the only negative shown in the study, somewhat curiously, was greater concern about the economy.
Conducted in cooperation with PSA Security Network, the International Security Conference (ISC), Security-Net and the National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA), SSI‘s 2016 Systems Integration Study was distributed to thousands of security integrators nationwide. To be included, completed surveys had to meet the systems integrator criteria of installing primarily integrated video surveillance and/or access control systems, and the majority of accounts not being monitored burglary/fire alarm systems.
Along with the noted returns, 95% of constituents expressed an optimistic or outstanding outlook for the year ahead (vs. 65% in 2012). So mine the following data to solidify your company’s candidacy for growth on this year’s integration campaign trail.
