Integrators '20 under 40' 2017—Brian Thomas

Brian J. Thomas, 38

President and CEO, A3 Communications

Irmo, S.C.

Brian Thomas has always been around the security industry, as his father Joe Thomas founded A3 Communications in 1990. “Our company started out as a small IT/networking organization based out of Columbia that served small businesses throughout South Carolina,” he said. “We have always prided ourselves in being flexible and adaptive to our clients' demands as their technology needs evolve. Our clients' demand has consistently driven our service offerings and we have expanded over the years to meet their specific needs.”

When the financial crisis occurred in 2008-2009, Thomas said the company made a strategic shift to focus its offerings more toward stable verticals including state government, education and enterprise commercial.

“During this transition, IP-based security solutions were becoming more viable and it was a natural offering for us to pursue with our deep understanding of the network and how to successfully deploy IP endpoints,” he noted. “Today, we are a regional systems integrator with international reach from our seven office locations throughout the Southeast and our international partner network through Security Net.”

Thomas believes that biometrics and cloud-based solutions are two technologies that “are going to be very disruptive in our industry,” he said. “However, I believe they both bring great opportunities for end-users and integrators if you are properly prepared.”

For ways to attract more young talent, he noted, “Educating them on how the security industry is now the IT industry is key. The days of analog solutions are long past. Clients now demand that their security systems are fully integrated with all of their systems throughout the network. With this sea change comes opportunity. If this is properly conveyed to the younger generation, they will be knocking on your door.”