There is something about the changing from one year to another that always makes me think of new beginnings. In reality it is nothing more than a date on a calendar. As a magazine editor, I have effectively been operating in 2025 for a few months now. I’ll be working on the March issue already by the time you read this. But turning the physical or virtual calendar to January still prompts both individuals and companies to take stock of where they have been in the previous year and where they want to go this year. The classic example, of course, is gym memberships and exercise equipment, both of which traditionally rise dramatically in terms of dollars spent on them in January — often to fall immediately off by February.

The SDM Industry Forecast, has been looking at the security industry from this retrospective and forward-looking lens for the past 43 years, since 1982!

I personally have only been writing this annual story since 2021. But in that time, one of my favorite parts of doing this project is getting together a panel of industry experts and having a lively discussion with them about what the previous year looked like for their business and how they are feeling about the coming year. Each panel has been unique, yet they are always friendly and interactive with each other, which I think is reflective of the spirit of cooperativeness — even amongst competitors — of the security industry overall.

What stuck out from this year’s panel discussion — perhaps the most varied in recent years, with a large national integrator, a small integrator that focuses heavily on the federal space, and a top security dealer that does both commercial and residential work — was how hopeful they were, looking forward to this year. For each of them, 2024 was not a bad year by any means. All of them showed positive growth. But they all seemed to feel there is a good chance things will be much better in 2025.

“2025 looks like a year of optimism for Advanced Security Systems,” said CEO Chuck Petrusha, who was particularly hopeful that economic conditions will improve soon.

“We’re selling some pretty cool technology that just keeps getting cooler and people want the shiny object.”

This was discussed in some depth on our podcast, which got into their predictions on the impact the new administration might have on the security industry as well as some of the technologies and services that are most exciting them and their customers.

But beyond the economy, the bigger story that came out of both these conversations and looking at the numbers from our annual Industry Forecast study, is that security dealers and integrators are really starting to get a handle on the new solutions they can offer, from AI to managed services, and figuring out ways to really bring those to customers in a meaningful way.

Kathleen Ford, co-owner and CEO of ScDataCom put it perfectly in our discussion on what products and services are most likely to drive customers to upgrade in 2025: “We’re selling some pretty cool technology that just keeps getting cooler and people want the shiny object. So when they hear what is possible, they want it. And, so I see less pressure in the commercial and public sector as far as spending the dollars somewhere else. I find that we’re really in a sweet spot of cool, innovative technologies. The AI-driven opportunity here is to really provide something that they want and then you cloak that in life safety and security, which is the perfect dressing for something to have people commit dollars to.”

And unlike that treadmill you probably won’t use past March 1st, these customers — with the help of their integration and manufacturing partners — are starting to find even more ways to use these solutions, not just for security but for other business purposes, making the likelihood higher that they will not only stick with it (and their provider) but want more of it down the road. And that is a hopeful thought, indeed.

So with that, I wish you a happy, prosperous — and hopeful — 2025!