Editor's Note: Out of Crisis Comes Opportunity

Courtney Wolfe, Managing Editor, writes exclusive cover stories, feature-length articles and case studies. She manages SDM’s Monitoring Today supplements.

At last, 2021 is here — I can’t be the only one happy to leave 2020 in the dust! The year brought so many changes to the business of monitoring, our heads haven’t stopped spinning. With the COVID-19 pandemic, and the unemployment numbers that unfortunately came along with it, providing peace of mind has never been more important. Homeowners and property managers want to know that their buildings and assets are safe, especially as many stand vacant.

Use this supplement as your trusted guide in making 2021 the best year yet for your monitoring business. For example, on page 10, UL Senior Staff Engineer Steve Schmit explains how UL has changed its standards in the past year to help monitoring companies navigate the new normal. On page 12, Lou Fiore discusses how to navigate the many changes alarm communications have gone through since he first entered the industry in 1973 — a topic which is explored further in the cover story on page 14, “Communication Trends in Central Stations.” And SDM Staff Editor Amanda Reed shares her conversation with TMA’s Central Station Manager of the Year Jacqueline Broganon on page 18.

These stories, and the other articles, columns and products featured in this issue remind us that from crisis comes opportunity — especially in the world of security. I can’t wait to see how monitoring companies rise out of the turmoil of 2020 to thrive in 2021.

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Courtney Wolfe is the former Managing Editor of SDM. Courtney wrote exclusive cover stories, feature-length articles and case studies. She also managed SDM’s Monitoring Today supplements. Courtney received her bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism from Columbia College Chicago.