Managing expectations, compatibility top concerns for physical security integrators

YARMOUTH, Maine — It’s all about letting customers have it their way, while keeping things in scope and budget, according to the most recent SSN News Poll. 

Security Systems News (SSN) asked its readers about the trends and challenges facing the installation of physical access control systems for its clients. According to our results, the most significant challenge faced by integrators was managing client expectations and budgets for 60% of respondents and overcoming challenges integrating those systems with existing infrastructure for 40% of respondents. 

Those responses track with another question asking readers which feature clients preferred the most in their physical access control systems. Fifty percent prioritized compatibility with other security systems like video surveillance and alarms, while only 10% prioritized biometric systems. The remaining 40% were split evenly between remote access monitoring capabilities and scalability for future growth. 

“Most of our clients are looking for a system with scalability and the latest in features,” one reader told SSN. “Guest passes, mobile credentials, the ability to customize reports, multiple access zones and video calling.” 

As for how often those clients are asking to upgrade their existing legacy systems, the responses indicate less frequency than you might expect. Only 30% of say that 25%-75% of their projects request upgrades. Fifty percent say less than one-quarter of their projects have that request, while 20% say it almost never happens. 

The physical access control market is valued at roughly $10 billion and is expected to grow by nearly $1 billion this year.