Should Talented Young People Get Out Of The Security / Surveillance Industry?

After 16 years I'm still wondering why I'm in this industry and unfortunately most of my colleagues think the same. The lack of regulation has welcomed all sorts of unqualified misfits to have a go taking any speciality out of the trade. Now we compete against electrical groups, data guys and the bloke down the street all installing Sec. Equipment.

I think that if you're just selling camera systems, then the slow pace of recent innovation makes it a tough market and one may well do better elsewhere.

On the other hand, this leaves exciting opportunities open for those prepared to step up and take a chance. For example:

• Bulky, overpriced NVR's could be reduced to a fraction of their existing size by using clever industrial design leading to better quality hardware at much lower prices and lower shipping costs.
• WDR cameras could be developed using methods which do not rely upon multiple exposures and which I believe would provide superior results.
• Imagine if the low light performance of multi-megapixel cameras was as good as some of today's 720p cameras. That would make a huge difference.
• Cameras could be packaged in creative designs which are more aesthetically pleasing. There are few camera housings today that one could truly call creative.
• NVR's could be sold "unlocked" and without having to buy licenses for each camera attached to the NVR. Profits would be made in volume sales due to lower costs. This in turn would drive the need for more companies with the ability to support the latest NVR systems.

These are just a few developments I can foresee which could create some real buzz in the industry and which I believe are achievable by engineering people with some marketing savvy, rather than the other way around.

Great comments, Rajesh!

When I crossed over from the IT world into security, I knew very little about security. But I learned and adapted. If for some reason I had to go back to the IT world, I would do the same. I'm still somewhat active in IT forums and even a group that meets once a month, and I've run into plenty of IT people that question if they have chosen the right field.

Where real oppurtunty and payoff come from is innovation and creative thinking. And that's any field. It's not just knowing how screw A fits into hole B. You can do that in any field and it doesn't mean someone knows more than you or you know more than them; you just know something different. You may have to take a step or two back if you have to cross over, but the truth is if you really have capabilities beyond fiting a square peg into the right hole, it won't take you long to get back up to a level where you should be. But truth is most people think they should be at a level higher than what they are willing to work for or have the capacity to do.

So my advice to so called "young people" looking for greener grass- you make and catch your own oppurtunities. No oppurtunity ever "caught" someone. Even lottery winners took an initiative to buy a ticket.

I am 26 years old (wife, baby and hopefully another on the way); my father started our company almost 25 years ago. My life passion has been providing our customers with real security solutions and the best service and support avilable. We mostly sell commercial intrusion and fire, until about a 2 years ago when we started installing more video and access control (my reason for joining this site). I may be young and naïve but I believe that the market will always demand a real security solution installed by professionals who know and understand the business. The more cheap and dirty entertainment companies get into our industry, the more I have the opportunity to prove why we're better than them and can provide their business or home with a real solution to their security concerns. I love what I do, don’t get me wrong, my job is hard, I work 24/7/365, there is no such thing as a vacation. At the end of the day, I can’t leave work at work because the safety and security of my customers depends on my ability to be involved. I get calls at 2AM from LP managers who forgot how to arm their system and it's annoying as hell. But when I hang up the phone and their building is secure or our fire and video system saved a company big $$$ when their building almost burned down. That provides me with a greater satisfaction than any other industry could.

I guess to answer your question, what do I think? I think there is a shortage of multi-talented young people in our industry. Kids who understand how an iPhone works and how it can revolutionize the way we think about security today. No one wants to be a plumber because it isn’t cool, I have a buddy that’s a plumber, he has no college education and he makes a lot more than many of our friends.

Most old school thinkers in this industry don't see the value that the input of the younger professionals have. Many of them dismiss logical ideas of younger people as "they are just inexperienced".

If you are sales side, the costs of the cameras just keeps declining which means what? Sell more cameras to make the same commission? VMS license costs keep coming down due to increased competitive forces. I look at Samsung and see them as having the potential to destroy the sales channel with their aggressive price structure.

My question is: What is the upside to staying in this business right now if you are 25-30 and have a business degree that could allow for switching industries? The integration community is saturated with competition, if you work for an access control manufacturer or camera manufacturer there are tons of alternatives. The business seems to be a red ocean and not a blue one (hopefully someone gets the blue ocean strategy reference). Axis, the number one camera manufacturer on the IP side, is dealing with slumping growth and if you look at the security industry as a whole over the last 10 years the growth is VERY flat. Quite frankly, the major reason I think most young people stay in the industry is because they have 3-5 years experience in the business and they don't want to throw away the experience they have gained and start over in a new field.

Companies like Red Cloud and VideoIQ had some really innovative products in the business and what did they get bought for? 17 and 32 mil respectively? People are building simple apps like snapchat/ingstagram/whatsapp and getting bought for BILLIONS. Wake up and smell the coffee: this industry is not lucrative in the grand scheme of things.

The fact that in many ways the industry is "old-school" and slow to move represents a huge opportunity to innovate and grow. I see a lot of whining and pining in the responses which sounds like individuals simply wishing their job was easier, they were paid more, etc.

Innovation requires an aberration, a breaking of the current model in a way that creates new value. Incrementally increasing the resolution or features of cameras is not innovation. In many cases the most important innovation is of the business model/process not the technology itself.

Take a look at the explosions of Vivint, alarm.com, Convergint, who have all grown to multi billion dollar valuations within the past 10 years or so - all of whom are largely led by young entrepreneurial leaders. Using Convergint as a specific example, you have two industry guys who worked for the likes of Siemens / UTC and saw an opportunity to innovate the business model of the 800 pound gorillas they were working for and did just that very successfully.

I expect this industry to change (adapt, innovate, restructure) in the coming years but not to shrink, which means some individuals will peril and others will prosper.

For all 12 years that I've been in this industry, the technology has lagged behind almost every other industry, sometimes by more than a decade.

True, this industry NEEDS talented young people, and there's a boatload of money to be made and empires to be built by those who are talented, young, ambitious and willing to take risks. But the fact is, most of the manufacturers in this industry, even the ones that have strong tech in other industries, seem wholly unwilling to invest in the the personnel or the R&D such as is done in other industries.

The business reason is fairly clear, the volumes in security pale in comparison to those of CE, IT and Automotive.

But what's also clear is that this industry has never had its Steve Jobs moment. And it needs to. Badly. We can argue that networking and megapixel technologies have evolved this industry, and that would be true, but only insofar as it chased other industries that had already done the same years earlier. What I'm talking about is an individual group of individuals that create something TRANSFORMATIVE for this industry.

This is all waxing philosophic of course, but the truth is, if you want those young, talented people to stay in this industry, you either have to have a strong financial incentive, and/or the industry needs to invest in aggressive bleeding edge tech to keep those young, talented people excited about staying in the industry.

"Nobody gets out of this industry" has been said during more meetings, dinners, and cocktail parties than I could possibly count; and not in a good way. It's been more of an Alcatraz-esque observation each time it has been said. If I were 25, comparing and contrasting tech industries, deciding on a trajectory for my career; this is not the industry I would choose in 2014. Ask yourselves whether or not as a boy your dream was to one day work in the video surveillance business...I'm guessing not. One if the biggest challenges : I believe our industry lacks the compliance and standards that should be in place, given the importance of what we do. Having been intimately exposed to the shortcomings, unkept promises, mission critical failures, and utter disarray that has all too often been described by end users with respect to CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE (and I don't use that term loosely), or even just a 20 camera system at a middle school, frankly, it is sometimes startling.

WOW!!!

"There is too much negativity here!" - Donald Sutherland, in Kelly's Heroes

"Be excellent" - Keanu Reeves, in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

I'm of the opinion that, although it would appear that other fields offer other opportunities, the best in any field can do well. While mediocrity may pay better in other fields, excellence is usually well rewarded in all fields.

Please define rewarding career? What do you really want out of life. For some its the game that matters. The entranural spirit. The desire to win. Money can be made any way. Usually the illegal stuff will pay off sooner and bigger. If money is the answer.

I am 68 Years old and know many sucessful people. Billionairs most of them. They are opertunist. They spring out of bed every day to play the game. They make thier own oppertunity.

Our biggest issue is too easy to get in the business. You dont have to pay a price to be unsucessful. Nothing there for the mediorce. Man, I love the game. I love trying to figure out where the nuggests of gold are. Then finding and exployting them. But I am old school. Most of the people in this industy have too much of the entitlement mentality. Try starting your own businessn with no help and no money. Then when you win you know why thoses old dog like me wont stay dead.

IMHO. John

Looking for the same old opportunities is a path to failure in both our personal life and in business.

Change drives success.

The security industry will be needed and will continue to be so. The way the industry responds to its challenges is the important part. There is plenty of work for any person or group of people who are willing to flex and change with the times.

People will respond to several things, needs and wants. The will shop for what they need and from those choices, buy what they want. 15 years ago, the search term "security" was exclusive to our industry and now using that term, in a job search will get you 75% IT related jobs as your return. It is reality, and the message is...chnage, adapt and overcome.

Our industry is not so different from others that the basic Darwinian principles don't apply. Evolve or die out. It is the nature of things.

If you want to get out of the industry, who cares? Either you arent motivated to make a dent in it or you will leave. Either way leaves my and my group to look better and better to our customers and partners.

Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator. And change has its enemies.

Robert Kennedy

I'd tell you exactly what I'd do- OEM a VMS, and get a really good UX team to overhaul the user interface to the point where it's truly intuitive....

Mazltov! Were you to succeed I would say that you are "possibly the brightest brain in the industry..."

There have been many different obstacles in my life towards advancement, but ultimately the biggest one was always myself.

The closest description I have found that describes the self obstacles I eventually learned to recognize in myself and others I know is the Dunning–Kruger effect.

The industry found me like many people in the industry now. When security started to make the swing to IP, it started to seek out network and IT people. Then it started to seek out Low Voltage Rep Groups to help it sell as many of the traditional security rep groups where having problems talking to IT people (A few traditional security groups still flourished). This chain reaction helped swing Low Voltage contractors (some big electricals) into the security world. Some low voltage contractors failed and some succeeded big. A swing back into semantic talk a little. I have learned that the best recipe for success is to have a balanced team on your side of traditional security (I like to call "old school") and what I call "new school" (low voltage/network) people. That balance works great.

this industry is closed loop., the job oppurunities and pay packages are much better in the IT industry. Growth is restrictive unless the person is able to multitask.

Burglar / Security Alarm System(SAS): ??? not much technology update in this.... DIY.. ?

Early Fire Detection (FAS): Smoke / Ion / Beam... Analog addressable panels... is the Industry in Hibernation... further this job is now part of electrical contracts..

Access Control (ACS): Sensor debates on Biometric is on going.. IRIS etc, not much investments, hence the technology addpotion is low.. btw with NFC on mobile devices.. flash your mobile to gain entry, not sure where ACS is headed.

Surveillance (CCTv): The technological debates is H.264 or Centralised or Megapixel, who cares.. the way the rates are going down, few SI can provide the Value Add's for the value of the contracts.... I advise most of the SI to ask the customer to buy of the eBay and just quote for the Job Work.

Standalone System: Perimeter, Water Leak, etc, Metal Detectors, X-Ray Scanners.. This product supply job's. No Vaule added by the SI..

sure, this is cutting edge technology but Show me the Money.... no large PMC can undertake the contract and make money on the contract. Read the balance sheets.. Security Industries has cycle of 6 years.. 1 Good Year + 3 Average Years + 2 Bad Years. The Account Receivables is Killing...

past 25 year, i have heard the story of fastest growing, industry of the future.. etc..... I am done in next few year, hence I can say no regrets but will i advise young people to join this industry..? for sure "NO" Stay away, get out.

It is too broad of a question to answer.

Tracking Russian submarine activity under the polar icecap vs. installing mass marketed (ADT) cameras.

Wow...read as many of these as I could (about 75% of them), as I'm fascinated by the conversation. I got into this industry as a youngin' and I'm really glad I did. It has provided opportunities to use my natural skill sets and be successful in doing so. I have no issue whatsoever at the concept of being a lifer here. That said....

I don't think it's as simple as good or bad for young people. If they have dreams of making millions billions, then it probably isn't the right spot compared to the tech sector. But the big companies are recruiting right out of college and competition is SO high. If you're a talented programmer, you will no doubt be able to get a job, but whether you are able to put those talents to use in a high level position within the ranks of well known companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, etc. is an entirely different story. Startups are the way to fame here, but even then, your chances are extremely small.

Now let's compare that to the security industry. Everywhere I've seen, there is a true hunger for talent in this industry. I constantly hear about the need for just about every type of position -- sales, technical, support, etc. These jobs may not pay the same out of the gate, but in such a relatively small industry (big market, small industry where you always have a job but you're just between companies), there is always room for the talented to rise in the ranks. But how is this accomplished?

First, I'd recommend to any young person that's new to or considering the industry to take it seriously. A vast skill set is required to really succeed. A common mistake I see is that too many focus just on their role and not on the big picture, but if you want to become invaluable, grow your understanding across all positions. We all see it everyday -- a salesperson who used to be a tech brings a level of understanding that can be extremely valuable. Managers who understand both sales and operations are much more effective. Every role can benefit greatly from becoming highly efficient with regard to network architecture (every layer). Leadership skills in general need to be encouraged and cultivated for everyone. Understanding how to create / follow business plans and determine market strategies is always necessary for growth. I could go on an on, but the key is this -- regardless of where you start or where you are (sales, tech, support, etc.), take the time and put in the effort to learn it all. That's a good start...

As you learn it, practice it. Prove that you can contribute across the board and show that you're a leader (true leadership doesn't require you to have people working for you...it proves that you should). Make an effort to understand the business as a whole -- corporate risk, financial goals, 3, 5, 10 year plans. Learn the job you want before you get there and you'll find opportunity coming to you rather than seeking it out.

I could obviously say a lot more -- it's a great topic -- but all in all, I feel that there is significant opportunity for those with the willingness to learn and invest in themselves. The rewards outside the security industry might be higher, but your chances of succeeding are pretty high IF you're willing to put in the time and work...and it doesn't hurt to have some God-given talent along with it.

And while there are ups and downs, as in any industry, I've found that the need for talent has always existed here. I guess you could say that he security industry is pretty secure, as those ups and downs aren't as dynamic as they are in other industries, like real estate.

Simply said, I love this industry and the opportunity it provides, even for the average folks just starting out. Like anything, though, nothing will just come easily. If you're willing to make the effort, your chances for success are relatively high compared to almost any other market I've seen.