Dear Readers
Thank you for the support that you have given SECURITY UPDATE since 2010 when it was first introduced in the Indian market. I am truly excited to pen my first editor’s column in SECURITY UPDATE. Some of you may ask, why did I not do this sooner? A very valid question! And to be honest, I do not have a reasonable answer to this, but I guess, that if we delve into the background and the fundamentals of this publication we will probably find some clues.
When SECURITY UPDATE was first introduced into the market, as a sister publication of the popular SECURITY TODAY monthly journal that I still continue to edit and publish, it was felt that as the Indian protection industry matured, a need for a separate journal that catered to all the technological aspects of the systems community was unfolding. The systems integration community had become distinct from other industry segments such as the manned guarding companies and private investigators. Their reading preferences too differed. While one group would like to read about emerging technologies and new products and how they impact their business, the other group found an article about ‘Background Screening of Employees’ or ‘Insider Threat’ more relevant to their needs. Hence we launched SECURITY UPDATE in a lightweight tabloid format, that could be easily folded and carried in a technician’s ‘tool kit’ or a laptop bag and read while travelling on buses and trains, or while waiting between appointments. Today, SECURITY UPDATE reaches even the smallest installer in the remotest part of India…where even the internet may not have yet reached!
From an era where the CCTV camera was a mysterious fancy gadget to one where it has become a commodity that can be purchased online as part of a Do-It-Yourself kit, the traditional installer has seen his profit margins decreasing while labour costs and overheads have kept increasing. He needs to add value to his offerings in order to keep his net Return-On-Investment positive.
This value addition will primarily come from education and awareness.
The traditional security systems installer will have to learn about information technology (IT) and how to integrate security and fire subsystems riding on the IT backbone to deliver a seamless cost-effective solution to the end user. System integrators will also have to adopt international best practices of installing and maintaining the systems as a vital step in this value chain. The time for this transformation has arrived and we need to put our heads together to figure out how to grow the marketplace by building valuable solutions customised to fit the client’s risk profile.
You will see SECURITY UPDATE talk more on these aspects in our issues henceforth. Till then, stay safe and keep others safe.
G B Singh
Group Editor
Email: gbsingh@1stasset.org
Follow me on @EditorGB
Connect with me on Linkedin.com/in/gbsingh9
