In just three short years, the year 2020 will be upon us — a year that is increasingly holding special significance for its connotation with 20-20 eyesight or symbolic “clarity of vision,” as well as the fact that many people, organizations and countries alike are reportedly setting lofty goals to achieve by 2020. SDM reached out to a wide variety of industry professionals and asked them to answer the question, “What significant changes will have taken place in the security industry by the year 2020?” The respondents were provided with nine categories from which they could choose one to address. The selected answers, which we hope our readers will find both engaging and thought-provoking, may be found throughout this article. We would sincerely welcome your input on this topic, either as a comment on a prediction that has been provided, or by contributing your own prediction. Predictions may be submitted through April 14, 2017 via e-mail to psiharism@bnpmedia.com. — “20 Visions for 2020” edited by Meghan Psiharis, SDM Assistant Editor

List Overview, continued:

Loughin | Casey | Barnard | Lohr | Brent | McGuirk | Mayne | Graham | Arcement | Barnett | Lewit | Reed | Lanning | Reich | Czerwinski | Next page

Technology Solutions Sold to Customers by Security Integrators

RYAN LOUGHIN, PRESIDENT, NEXTGEN SECURITY

“Two words — augmented reality! We have done a lot of work with some of our solution partners in the area of virtual and augmented reality. Augmented reality is currently being used right now by other service organizations to assist in servicing and maintaining massive systems of critical infrastructure. It has shown to be an invaluable tool in those sectors and continues to progress. I envision NextGen service and operational staff utilizing this technology to consistently maintain a multitude of different systems in the future. We have also partnered with a virtual reality based developer that allows us to present system designs to our critical infrastructure clients. Imagine if you could virtually walk a client through their soon-to-be-built power substation and the security systems that it employs. Lastly, I believe augmented reality will play a large role in security command-and-control centers. What if you didn’t need a huge wall of physical monitors to manage a command center? With augmented reality, the ability to see what you need to see is there, but the actual monitoring equipment doesn’t need to be present.” — Ryan Loughin, president, NextGen Security

BRIAN CASEY, GENERAL MANAGER OF SMB SOLUTIONS, HONEYWELL SECURITY & FIRE

“Like many types of technology, security will become an ever more integrated element of our lives. IoT and embedded sensors will greatly increase the demand for reliable cybersecurity, while also increasing the ways and means to implement physical security. These hyper-integrated solutions will expand the definition of security to include not just better detection and action against fire, burglary, and employee theft, but also a new, broader range of risk mitigation and prevention tactics. Consider a video camera observing the front door; through never-before-seen analytics, it will notify the owner that ice has built up on the walkway creating a slip-and-fall risk, so they can clear the path. While this level of integration is starting to show up in smart buildings today, the cloud and secure open interface standards will enable even more cost-effective solutions for small businesses, multi-unit dwellings and private residences.” — Brian Casey, general manager of SMB Solutions, Honeywell Security & Fire

DAVID W. BARNARD, DIRECTOR OF DEALER DEVELOPMENT, RS2 TECHNOLOGIES

“In our segment of the security industry — access control — the year 2020 will see significant advances in current technologies and the introduction of a few new ones. Advances in pioneering concepts, such as machine learning (and the complex algorithms it utilizes), will usher in a new age of sophisticated access control. Examples include facial recognition technology — which will overcome current accuracy issues to achieve almost perfect accuracy — and advanced video analytics, which will be far more intuitive than ever imagined. Access control systems in 2020 will be able to identify objects being carried and even analyze behavior in real time, sending alerts when the system determines that the combined elements constitute a threat. Moving forward, these predictive analytic concepts will become an integral part of access control systems and will ultimately deliver services that few could imagine even a few years ago.” — David W. Barnard, director of dealer development, RS2 Technologies

MICHAEL B. LOHR, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, RED HAWK FIRE & SECURITY

“Since the cloud is the gateway to the Internet of Things (IoT) you could say IoT is the new black. So, in three years, successful security integrators will have already moved away from being product-centric to becoming experts fluent in on-demand storage of data in the cloud, interconnection of devices with other smart security devices, remote management of access control, surveillance, intrusion and physical security. Investments in training and education of installation and service professionals today will continue to pay off in recurring revenue streams as customers look to security integrators for expertise selecting, operating and managing increasingly complex systems.” — Michael B. Lohr, senior director of marketing, Red Hawk Fire & Security

RICHARD BRENT, CEO, LOUROE ELECTRONICS

“One of the security challenges driving today’s market requirements is identifying threats, analyzing them, and determining how best to respond. End users would like to be able to identify challenges such as hazardous spills, active shooters and cyber breaches early on so that they can respond quickly and effectively to de-escalate the situation. By 2020, the best-selling product in the integrator’s portfolio will be the ‘threat detection solution,’ which will go beyond the typical motion, thermal and license plate recognition analytics. Additionally, the standard threat detection solution will run multiple sound analytics, for example, gunshot, aggression, and glass breaking. In other words, 2020 will mark an era dominated by the emergence of new sensory technologies, and the term ‘physical security’ will be synonymous with threat detection and management.” — Richard Brent, CEO, Louroe Electronics

MIKE MCGUIRK, VICE PRESIDENT, CGL ELECTRONIC SECURITY INC.

“Within the security industry, the word “convergence” generally means the integration of security solutions with IT, but there’s a much larger convergence on the horizon. At most major facilities, security and building automation systems include dozens of disparate solutions ranging from video and access control to lighting, HVAC and fire suppression systems. Security and building automation functions likely operate on separate networks. For convenience, cost and efficiency, facility managers will be demanding a single point of control. By 2020, convergence of these systems will become increasingly commonplace. What does this mean to a security integrator? The end of separate, stand-alone security and building automation systems is in sight. Integrators wanting to tackle this convergence on their own need to plan now, making the investments in personnel, training, tools and other expenses. Otherwise, they risk having mechanical engineers or related building systems providers learning security solutions and winning these lucrative projects.” — Mike McGuirk, vice president, CGL Electronic Security Inc.

DAVE MAYNE, VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, RESOLUTION PRODUCTS INC.

“Today most security systems enable some form of interactive service to the consumer. This is delivered by making the smartphone largely a ‘remote control’ for your home. By 2020, these services will become more intelligent, enabling the in-home platform to more naturally adapt to the consumers’ living habits. Rather than pushing an icon to disarm a security system, the platform will automatically operate in an ‘I’m home’ model when you are arriving home. As more systems and sensors become IP-enabled and data analytic capabilities improve, this type of interaction becomes much easier to accomplish. Technology isn’t adopted by consumers in a broad way just because it is cool; the technology has to deliver value. Creating a lifestyle adaptable system to the consumer is the equivalent of Netflix streaming being compared to scheduled broadcasts. People prefer to consume content based on their schedule and lifestyle, not in a prescriptive fashion. The same is true of connected-home technology. ” — Dave Mayne, vice president of marketing, Resolution Products Inc.

JENNIFER GRAHAM, VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, KASTLE SYSTEMS

“As a result of the increased number of technology-savvy millennials in the workforce, and the continued exploration and exploitation of the Internet of Things, I predict that all access control systems will have to be replaced/upgraded/converted to be compatible with smartphone-based digital credentials by 2020. I also predict that security technology solutions will need to expand beyond physical security to encompass logical security, blurring the lines between the two and increasing the opportunity for seamless interoperability between multiple building systems (access, HVAC, lighting, etc). A driving factor will be increased pressure from customers for all-in-one solutions that work together for a safer, smarter and more convenient solution.” — Jennifer Graham, vice president of marketing, Kastle Systems

BRANDON ARCEMENT, DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MARKETING, HID GLOBAL

“HID Global believes that 2017 will be the year of the digital identity transformation. The industry continues to move well past simple door-opening applications and beyond plastic cards to the mobile-first world of phones and wearables. Now, digital identities are poised to make trusted access and other interactions in both the physical and online worlds more personal, contextual and valuable, as everything comes together through unified, end-to-end identity and access management systems that are easier to deploy, manage and use. Digital identities will increasingly be employed to help secure, customize and enhance the user experience across a growing range of industry segments and use cases. They will also help to connect people with things so that processes are streamlined, and it is significantly easier for users to control their world in ways they can trust, with security, convenience and privacy.” — Brandon Arcement, director of product marketing, HID Global

MATT BARNETT, PRESIDENT, MERCURY SECURITY

“The industry continues to seek innovative products and solutions that are easy to install, maintain and troubleshoot. Mercury believes the integration of cloud-based and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies with traditional physical access control systems (PACS) will facilitate the introduction of powerful new tools that simplify and accelerate the deployment and management of PACS. Access control systems will join advanced smart building applications through cloud-based monitoring applications that deliver robust analytics capabilities used to proactively pinpoint and troubleshoot potential system failures. These applications will also monitor secure connections between PACS peripherals and trigger firmware updates to address potential cyber threats. IoT functionality will be embedded in PACS panels as app extensions to enable connections to the cloud-based services; these IoT connections will deliver real-time diagnostic information to the cloud to ensure protection against emerging vulnerabilities and streamlined system operations.” — Matt Barnett, president, Mercury Security

JONATHAN LEWIT, DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP, PELCO BY SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

“The Internet of Things (IoT) is a big topic, and will continue to be so in the next three years. What it really means is the connectivity of more and more edge devices, making your devices smarter. What’s interesting is that the security industry has been playing in this space since its inception, putting in smart readers for access control, smart inputs on cameras to give them awareness, recording video that lets you know when an image is obscured; all of these things already use IoT capabilities. In 2020, customers will see technology solutions become even smarter, where various edge devices are linked to gain awareness and perspective without having to implement manual control. We will see this extend to asset tracking, such as GPS on a delivery truck or police vehicles, where if there is some issue with a vehicle, operators can pull up nearby cameras to gain better visual identification in any scenario. This innovation will change the technology sold to customers through the integration channel, focusing on the ability of various devices to seamlessly work together.” — Jonathan Lewit, director of Technology Leadership, Pelco by Schneider Electric

LARRY REED, CEO, ZKACCESS

“Due to its many advantages in both security and convenience, facial recognition will replace card readers as the prevalent means by which employees physically access their offices. While consumers become more dependent upon their smartphone for just about every aspect of their life, it’s still unlikely employers can force employees to use their personal phone to access their office. And even if they do, employees’ phones having 100 percent guaranteed unobstructed door access necessitates ideal circumstances existing — namely 1) the employee has their phone, 2) the phone is powered on, 3) the phone’s wireless communication is working and 4) the phone’s credential is working. Since there is no guarantee these conditions will always exist, it’s therefore unlikely the smartphone will become the primary means of physical door access. Instead, facial recognition will dominate since it’s fast, convenient and doesn’t require the employee to carry anything on their person.” — Larry Reed, CEO, ZKAccess

BRANDON REICH, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SURVEILLANCE SOLUTIONS, PIVOT3

“Video surveillance data allows organizations to visualize potential security events and trends. Additionally, there are new use cases that highlight the value of video as a business optimization tool. Ensuring stakeholders can capture and protect video data is paramount, and a very challenging task for systems integrators. Increasingly, resellers will need to consider specifying more advanced IT solutions than those traditionally relied on to store video. Although hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) is a relatively new solution, it’s growing because of the significant limitations of DAS-based platforms, such as NVRs and DVRs. Systems integrators can deliver advanced levels of video and data protection, system performance and cost efficiencies to their customers while transforming the security operations center by specifying solutions proven in the IT world. As we look to the future, HCI will deliver significant benefits that will help resellers realize increased customer retention and new business opportunities while driving differentiation in a crowded marketplace.” — Brandon Reich, Senior Director of Surveillance Solutions, Pivot3