20, 2024 hours to go

Yes, I am channeling the legendary Ramones for my first blog of 20, 20, 24 - wait, let me correct that - 2024.

See where my mind is this week? I’m far from being sedated; as a matter of fact, I’m pretty pumped about what’s ahead for Security Systems News readers in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead.

But before I get into 2024, I have to look back at the end of 2023, and the tremendous webcast we hosted in December, titled “State of the Industry - A Look Ahead to 2024’s Top Trends and Challenges in the Security Space.”

I’m not one to toot my own horn, but I really have to pinch myself as I “swung for the fences” in selecting an absolutely stellar group of thought leaders – Antoinette King, director of sales for the East and head of cyber convergence, i-PRO Americas; Dean Drako, founder and CEO, Eagle Eye Networks; Don Joos, CEO, acre security; and Andrew Lanning, co-founder, Integrated Security Technologies - who did a tremendous job in looking ahead at challenges and trends to watch for in the security industry in 2024.

The hour-long webcast covered relevant security topics such as AI’s impact, cyber/physical security convergence, cloud video surveillance, access control solutions, and issues facing the integrator community heading into the new year.

This, of course, leads to my first shameless plug of the year, as this and future webcasts we host are available on our website, https://www.securitysystemsnews.com/webcasts, to view at your convenience.

Wow! Here comes shameless plug No. 2, in a second straight paragraph, nonetheless! Our next webcast is scheduled for Thursday, March 14, at 2 p.m. ET, titled, “Data Privacy – How to keep up with AI, ChatGPT, biometrics & more.”

Three members of our Emerging Leaders Under 40 Class of 2024 - Greg Massullo, director of sales, ScanSource; Ivan Avramov, manager, security systems, Watermark Estate Management Services; and Senthilkumar Chandrasekaran, senior manager, security products, Salesforce, will look at critical data privacy issues that are impacting the security industry.

Of course, we’ll be looking at AI and its influence on data protection, as well as the implications of federal, state, and international regulation, and the pros and cons of facial recognition/biometrics, among other topics.

To register for the 3/14 webcast, all you have to do is head to the same URL listed above and punch in your info. It’s that easy! And if you can’t watch our webcast live, it will be available on demand to watch at your leisure. Cue my sports announcer voice – “Don’t you dare miss it!”

Speaking of something you should not miss, we have begun another year of spotlighting women in security in each issue of SSN, in partnership with the Security Industry Association (SIA) Women in Security Forum (WISF).

As you may or may not know, we spotlighted women as part of our Women in Security December issue for more than a decade. Now, thanks to our collaboration with the SIA Women in Security Forum, we have celebrated the achievements of these outstanding and inspiring female security professionals in each issue of SSN since 2021, and we hope to do so for many years to come!

Yet another partnership we are proud to continue in 2024 is with PSA Security Network. We jointly announced just this week that nominations for the third annual Integrator of the Year/Bill Bozeman Awards are now open.  

These awards identify the leading security system integrators, from smaller, local integrators all the way up to the big nationals, with winners in three categories of integrators - small (up to $5 million), medium ($6 million-$25 million) and large (over $25 million), as well as an overall winner that receives the Bill Bozeman Award, named in honor of the former CEO of PSA and an SSN Legend Award winner (2020).

If you are an integrator, or a third party interested in nominating an integrator for one of these awards, you can fill out the form here. Submissions are due March 29, with the winners being presented by yours truly at PSA TEC 2024 - taking place May 13-16 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas in Texas - and featured within the pages of SSN.

What are you waiting for? Get those nominations in now!

With all these exciting things going on with Security Systems News in the new year, I may have to dance to the blitzkrieg bop. Hey ho, let’s go!