Reflections on the SSN NextGen panel

The informative marathon that was the opening day of TechSec drew to a close with the inaugural SSN NextGen panel discussion, moderated by yours truly, which showcased the perspectives of four honorees from SSN's latest “20 under 40” class. The discussion revolved around four areas of technology—video verification, cellular networks, mobile apps and interactive services—that the panelists identified as crucial points of focus with respect to the industry's future.

As I mentioned in the introduction, the panel provided a good snapshot of the industry. There were representatives from the systems integration side and the alarm monitoring space, and we also heard from an IT director at a super-regional. Well versed across the spectrum of topics, the speakers were able to weigh in on industry topics that were even a bit outside the scope of their professions.

Joe Parisi, senior account executive at Rapid Response Monitoring, led an in-depth discussion on the value proposition of video verified alarms, and how an awareness of that proposition should guide how a company deploys and sells the offering.

The discussion branched next into the related topics of mobile apps and cellular technology. Johnny Cunningham, IT director at ADS Security, reflected on some of the challenges of the industry's reliance on cellular networks, and Robert Gaulden, VP of sales and marketing at Kratos, discussed the future of NFC technology and clarified some of the demands involved with Kratos' NFC pilot project at Arizona State University.

Jesse Rivest, territory manager at Affiliated Monitoring, spearheaded the portion of the panel devoted to interactive services. He forecast an expanded array of automated functions entering the mainstream, marked by the continued (and unlimited) development of interconnected applications in the home and beyond that have yet to fully crystallize.

After the session, SSN “20 under 40” recipients were honored at the awards ceremony. Below is a list of those honored at TechSec:

-Jesse Rivest, territory manager, Affiliated Monitoring

-Joe Parisi, senior account executive, Rapid Response Monitoring

-Navin Goel, operations manager, Go Safer Security

-Stephanie Wagner, licensing and compliance manager; field operations training and support

-Ronda Meyer, VP/controller, Per Mar Security

-Robert Gaulden, VP of sales and marketing, Kratos

-Johnny Cunningham, IT director, ADS Security

-Michael Campbell, VP of global sales operations, Diebold