What makes a successful systems integration business? Of course there isn’t a specific formula, but it’s clear that security contracting and systems integration has changed drastically over the past decade, and the ingredients are not the same as they were.
Technology innovation has had a monumental effect on security. We now refer to the discipline as physical security, with security in the cyber realm affected by the rise of open systems and internet of things connections. Systems integrators need to evaluate products to make certain they are secure by design. “Every technology provider must take ownership,” according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Connected, smart spaces
Customers want data that extends beyond security and translates into efficient, smart and safe spaces. They need to proactively monitor the facility for cost savings. Users want real-time information on who is inside the building, where they are located and confirmation they’re authorized to be there.
Networked systems bring together access control, video, door control and much more. Connected locks yield data on the opening’s integrity and status. Cloud-managed security and access control platforms provide convenience and easy access for remote management.
Technology trends are often witnessed at major trade shows, including the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the International Security Conference (ISC). At CES, artificial intelligence (A.I.) took center stage. A.I. and its next iterations, including agentic A.I., will continue to affect the security industry and find its way into video, audio, access control and other products. Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, Santa Clara, Calif., captured the crowd with a talk on A.I., robotics and accelerated computing.
“It started with perception A.I.—understanding images, words and sounds. Then generative A.I.—creating text, images and sound,” Huang said.
Now, we’re entering the era of “physical A.I., which can proceed, reason, plan and act,” according to an NVIDIA blog summarizing the keynote. Agentic A.I., according to the company, will bring about systems that act and reason on their own to solve problems and adapt behavior, creating more avenues for customization.
These developments will affect robotics, video systems, industrial automation and control—moving security squarely into the realm of facilities operations and management.
More closely tied to the physical security industry, at ISC West, A.I. discussions ruled the event. Many manufacturers are unveiling the latest iterations, and March Networks, Atlanta, a global provider of intelligent video surveillance, showcased new advancements to its generative A.I. Smart Search solution at the show. \
Smarter, targeted video
With A.I., systems are smarter and proactive, learning and adjusting on the fly to the environment.
“A.I. Smart Search is redefining how businesses and security teams interact with video data,” said Peter Strom, president and CEO of March Networks, in an announcement. “As we lead the industry into the future by combining generative A.I. and language learning models with voice, text and image-based search, we’re significantly speeding up security and operations audits, and reducing manual video searches in a practical, cost-effective way. With this tool, businesses can search for anything and they are likely to find issues they never knew they had and fix them.”
Video authentication is also advancing and considered essential in ensuring A.I. content is not manipulated, which is critical to security investigations. SWEAR, Boise, Idaho, has received top accolades in the Security Industry Association New Products and Solutions Awards for two consecutive years, first for its digital media authenticity engine in 2024 and, in 2025, for its enterprise content authentication tool, SWEAR Security. SWEAR’s technology embeds cryptographic fingerprints into media as it is created.
“This technology integrates with cameras, video management systems and other recording devices to map each frame, sound bite and pixel in real time. The resulting digital fingerprint is then recorded on a blockchain ledger, creating an auditable chain of custody resistant to tampering,” according to a SWEAR press release.
You can see where all this is headed. Systems integrators need to help users solve an array of challenges with technology. IT and software expertise is required, and systems integrators should carefully select manufacturing partners who will assist as they learn new competencies to pass along to clients. Success requires a collaborative effort by all parties.
Not every product will be suitable for all systems integrators. It depends on your niche, and specialization may be required. As the roles of systems integrators continue to change with tech advancements, evolve your company by becoming an expert the customer can trust for smart spaces that are safe, secure and efficient.
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