Like the great Mississippi River freely flowing for millions of years into the Gulf of Mexico, regardless of the impediment — be it pandemic, supply chain or inflation — innovation continues to march forward. That is particularly true for technology and the security industry, which time and time again has continued to demonstrate rarified resiliency.
As the business world for the most part ramped back up during 2022, manufacturers and developers unveiled inventive and exciting products to bring dealers and integrators amazing new opportunities and end customers high-value security and operational solutions.
However, even during a “normal” year, the most dedicated and diligent integrators find themselves highly challenged keeping up with everything in the marketplace. Figure in playing COVID-19 catchup amid a labor crisis, and it can be downright overwhelming.
Thankfully, SSI’s 2022 Top 30 Technology Innovations is once again on the case to deliver a clear-eyed view of several especially notable offerings of which professional integrators are highly advised to take note. These listings are especially a godsend for those companies without the luxury of having a chief technology officer on their staff .
As it has for more than 15 years, SSI’s Top 30 program exposes the key trends rippling through the electronic access control, fire/life-safety, intrusion detection and video surveillance sectors as well as the management of security businesses and facilities themselves. Among the changes evident in this process has been the acceleration of certain capabilities — such as touchless access control, tighter integrations and more automation — that had been in motion but were goosed by pandemic-induced needs, as well as the emergence of fresh applications to solve new needs brought to light.
The devices, software and resources cited in this annual list are aimed at helping dealers/integrators realize potential benefits that encompass fulfilling the industry’s mission of providing superior security and safety; more effectively running their company; optimizing installations, systems monitoring and service; heightening profitability; and growing customer bases.
Staying a step ahead of today’s evermore competitive security landscape means providers not only have to offer the latest and greatest products and solutions but also implement the deftest tools to facilitate fast, errorfree deployments and the most intelligent business software to optimize efficiencies.
The Top 30 Technology Innovations of the Year is more than a typical product awards program (of which the industry has more than enough). It does not involve submissions for eligibility, fees, judging biases or vendor favors. It also is not limited to products alone as services or any instrument that can muster better out-comes is fair play.
However, the most intriguing element is that the selections are flagged by SSI’s unbiased technical editors and their many decades of in-the-trenches security experience. Veteran SSI columnists Paul Boucherle (Business Fitness) and Bob Dolph (Tech Talk) have once again each selected 15 items spanning the spectrum of smart and savvy installing contractor tools of the trade.
Boucherle’s commercial enterprise background is reflected in his choices ranging from Cloud platforms to managed services to tracking and AI, with an eye on the corporate end user as well as the integrator. Dolph, a renowned installation and technical expert, gravitates toward system components and infrastructure, with a particularly keen eye on inventive and intuitive tech tools. He also zeroes in on the smart home.
Continuing one of the industry’s most significant trends the past 10 years, the shifting emphasis from selling “boxes” (hardware or equipment) to instead upgrading via software has never been more conspicuous among the Top 30. Among that are Cloud and dedicated cyber and network security items.
Ultimately, it’s encouraging news for those looking to circumvent channel roadblocks of physical goods and for companies embracing remote services to reduce truck rolls, thereby cutting costs and increasing efficiencies. Hearty congratulations are due to those among 2022’s I Top 30 Technology Innovations. Review it to check off your holiday wish list and use to power growth for the new year ahead.
View the Top 30 Technology Innovations of 2022
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