Volume 94 | March 14, 2025
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Welcome to Brief 94!
Fresh off PSA TEC in Denver, Colorado, where I had the privilege of interviewing industry leaders including Tom Cook (Hanwha Vision), Daniel Gundlach (Mercury Security), Sanjit Bardhan (HID), and Michael Wong (Genea)—insights and impressions coming soon—I want to share a vision that has resonated powerfully across our industry.
A New Kaleidoscope for the Future
I'm on a mission to help our industry create a shared vision for the next 30 years. It's not an iteration of the past 30 years but an exponential leap forward. This requires a new type of collaboration:
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Competitors working with competitors
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Manufacturers partnering with service providers
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Integrators collaborating with integrators
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Everyone committed to exponential growth and working together - whoever you are.
This doesn't mean abandoning differentiation or competition, nor does it suggest discarding valuable lessons from the past. Rather, we must identify which old truths remain relevant, integrate them with new truths, and view everything through a fresh kaleidoscope.
That kaleidoscope? It's our shared vision for the next 30 years. From there, we can start differentiate and add value - click into place.
More on the need for a new kaleidoscope below in the Brief after some Upcoming Opportunities and Updates.
For Access Control Executive Brief members, we have several activations and opportunities to announce and update you on:
ISC West Activations
We have numerous initiatives for those attending ISC West in Las Vegas. The AI Discovery Zone, in partnership with ISC West, is already in full swing—please stop by to connect in person. Our events are filling quickly, so RSVP if you haven't already:
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The FAST Breakfast Event with Wesco and SwiftConnect: Join us on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, from 8:00 to 9:30 AM PDT at Bouchon in The Venetian. This intimate gathering supports the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST), a 501(c)(3) organization founded by ESA and SIA dedicated to creating career pathways in electronic security and life safety. Enjoy a gourmet breakfast while networking with peers before ISC West activities begin. With over 70 industry professionals already confirmed, secure your place now. RSVP here.
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SIA's Startup in Security Committee: Attend the first gathering on Thursday, April 3, from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM PDT in Veronese 2505 at the Venetian. This initiative under SIA's Member Accelerated Performance (MAP) program connects innovative startups, scaleups, and industry leaders. Learn about the committee's achievements, preview upcoming initiatives, and discover participation opportunities. RSVP here.
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LEAF Networking Event: "Turning Over a New Leaf." Step into the future of secure, interoperable access control with LEAF Community founders - IDEMIA, rf IDEAS and Wavelynx at ISC West in room Bellini 2104 on Thursday, April 3rd, from 9-10 AM. Join us for a gallery-inspired morning featuring partner products, abstract paintings, and immersive experiences, complete with refreshments as you explore how the LEAF Community is uniting technology providers, integrators, and enterprises. Upon arrival, you'll receive a guide detailing our featured partners while experiencing insights on the program shaping the next era of access control, discovering the universal standard transforming the industry, experiencing seamless physical and digital credential integration, and engaging with industry leaders in an interactive setting. Don't miss this one-of-a-kind exhibition morning to Turn Over a New Leaf in access control—RSVP here.
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“From Innovation to Implementation:” Join our exclusive two-hour learning session on Wednesday, April 2, from 1:00-3:00 PM in Casanova 507. Seven industry leaders (Sharry, Safetrust, ProTecht Solutions Partners/MxV Security Solutions/Andrew Campagnola, Proxess, HID, Evolon, and Wavelynx) will share expert perspectives on modernizing access control and security. This ACEB members-only event will be recorded and offers collaboration opportunities, providing attendees with an actionable roadmap for implementing cutting-edge security innovations.
Influencer Program
We're launching the industry's first security influencer program, with Amazon Key as our inaugural partner. Participants will create content and engage in ISC West activities, including breakfast and booth meetings. In return, Amazon Key offers:
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Exclusive "Amazon Key Influencer" designation for your professional brand
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Featured promotion across Amazon Key and personal LinkedIn channels
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Premium gift items shipped post-event
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Complimentary executive breakfast at Bouchon on April 1
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Access to Amazon Key's private meeting space with refreshments and WiFi
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A dedicated follow-up advisory session with Amazon Key's product team
Contact me directly to secure your spot in this limited program. Brands interested in engaging influencers are also encouraged to reach out.
The Security Event XForum and Industry Night
If you are attending The Security Event in Birmingham, UK, this April, join us for the inaugural Access Control Industry Night Happy Hour on Tuesday, April 8, from 5:00-8:30 PM GMT+1 at The Botanist Gas Street Basin. This exclusive networking event celebrates industry innovation and is co-hosted by Access Control Executive Brief, acre security, RightCrowd, SwiftConnect, and Wavelynx. With limited spots available and many professionals already confirmed, RSVP now—limited to the first 100 registrations. RSVP here.
ACS25 in San Sebastian
Hilary recently returned from a meeting with Salto and scouting our reception and full-day event locations. We can assure you—that this will be an unprecedented experience. With 110 participants already registered (including 60 speakers) and a hard cap of 160 attendees, we're working diligently to ensure presentations and panels deliver thought leadership and drive essential global discussions as we celebrate our vibrant industry. Secure your ticket before they're gone.
SIAcademy LIVE! Exclusive for Members
We've partnered with SIA to offer six member companies the opportunity to participate in a 6-part training series: "Access Control Modalities Deep Dive." Sessions will run Tuesdays and Thursdays (June 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, and 19) from 3:00-4:00 PM EST. Topics will include technical tracks and higher-level thought leadership on identity, access control, and video trends. The audience consists of end users, integrators, and specifiers, with recordings hosted on SIA's website and promoted via SIA and ACEB social media. Requirements: Content must be non-commercial, with a $1,000 participation fee that goes entirely to SIA. Only four spots remain, and two companies have already confirmed—first come, first served. If interested, reply here and let me know.
Thank you for all your support, partnership, and friendship.
PS: I am sure some of you may forward this, but please do so sparingly and encourage others to sign up here. Thank you
Turning the Kaleidoscope: Reimagining Physical Security in the Digital Age
A month ago, I attended a real estate mastermind group at a childhood friend's, and an attendee brought up an idea that I believe was relatable to current affairs in the access control and broader physical security industry. Specifically, when asked:
"What's your view on XYZ acquisition or ABC recent event?"
The discussion at the real estate mastermind revolved around a kaleidoscope.
Hear me out.
A kaleidoscope works through a brilliant principle - mirrors and colored objects create complex patterns that shift dramatically with the slightest rotation. What makes it magical isn't just the beauty it creates but how completely the view transforms with minimal movement. The same objects viewed through a different arrangement of mirrors reveal entirely new patterns and possibilities.
This is precisely what's happening in physical security industry today. Our industry viewed challenges through its legacy lens— for three decades, incremental improvements to legacy systems, gradual technology adoption, and risk mitigation focused on physical threats. We rotated the kaleidoscope slowly, seeing variations of familiar patterns. It worked well for us, as our deliverables were well understood—keep bad people out, lock and unlock.
Until it doesn’t.
Digital transformation has handed us a completely new kaleidoscope.
The objects inside are familiar—we still protect assets, people, and information. But the mirrors arranging our view? They're completely different.
Cloud infrastructure, IoT sensors, AI analytics, good User Experience, and cybersecurity concerns create patterns our industry veterans barely recognize or fight to embrace.
Shifting Perspectives in a Rapidly Evolving Landscape
This shift isn't merely technological; it's philosophical. What once was a straightforward discipline has evolved into a multidimensional ecosystem where physical and digital security are tangled into a solid unit of one. The boundaries between cybersecurity and physical security have blurred to the point where separating them no longer makes practical sense. And I haven’t even gotten to what it looks like with enterprise software. Compound that by 100.
This is why when anyone ask:
"What do you think about this [insert]?"
My first response is now:
"What kaleidoscope are you using to view it?"
Are you looking through the traditional scope where physical barriers and human guards remain central? Or have you picked up the new kaleidoscope where digital identity, behavior analytics, and automation systems create entirely different security patterns and value? Have you picked up the new kaleidoscope where access control is a $100B market based on the utility of keeping bad people out, locking and unlocking, plus operational efficiency and revenue generation or the $10B legacy business? I call this new kaleidoscope the new era of electronic access control. It's the era of Utility+.
And it is ours if we want it.
Embracing the New Paradigm
The transformation we're witnessing isn't simply an upgrade to existing systems—it's a fundamental reimagining of what security means in the 21st century. What was once a cost center is rapidly becoming a strategic business enabler. You know this story by now but it begs to he heard again (I will say it till we do it): Access control systems that once simply managed entry and exit now generate valuable data that can optimize space utilization, enhance employee experience, and contribute to sustainability goals. (OK I said it different to mix things up).
The leaders who will thrive aren't those with the most experience in the old patterns but those willing to pick up this new kaleidoscope, give it a good turn, and embrace the unfamiliar yet powerful security architectures it reveals. Then turn it again. And again.
The leaders who do this will also be those who look across the aisle, whether a competitor or not, whether of the same type in the value chain or not, and align on a shared vision. Build a bigger kaleidoscope that you all can look through at the same time. It's paramount that we work together to define this shared vision.
Building a Collaborative Future
This vision requires more than individual companies to pursue proprietary solutions. It demands industry-wide collaboration, some open standards, and a willingness to share knowledge across traditional competitive boundaries - and even more - tell a story together. The challenges of integrating physical and digital security are too complex for any single organization to solve alone. It is also way too big. Everyone will eat.
We must create forums where CISOs, facility managers, IT professionals, and physical security experts can speak a common language and develop integrated approaches. We need manufacturers who design with interoperability in mind or at least deep integration. We need systems integrators and specifiers who understand the physical and digital dimensions of the security challenges they address.
I want to help lead this and will do so online, in person at ISC West, The Security Event, at ACS25, and beyond. All of us have a different role in creating this shared vision. I believe it starts with the terminology, the stories, and the venues to help you all create this story. This is not my story. This is our story. Again, it's going to take many of us to do it.
The Call to Action
As we stand at this inflection point and forge forward, we each face a choice. We can cling to the familiar patterns of the past, or we can embrace the kaleidoscopic possibilities of the future. We can operate in silos, or we can forge alliances that transcend traditional industry boundaries.
The potential reward is enormous—not just a larger market but a more meaningful contribution to the organizations we serve - and higher levels of safety to those we look to protect. When security becomes a business enabler rather than a necessity, everyone wins. When access control systems generate insights that improve operational efficiency, they deliver value far beyond their traditional role.
The kaleidoscope is in our hands. How we choose to turn it will determine not only the future of our industry but also the security posture of organizations, schools, places of worship - everywhere - worldwide for decades to come.
Will you help create it?
