This December marks the end of celebrating SDM’s 50th anniversary year and I want to thank all of our readers for their dedication and loyalty through the years. I have been a part of this industry for over half that time and have many memories of the technologies introduced during that period. I still have a faded mug in my cupboard from a past trade show introducing HID Proximity!

It is fun to see the vast changes that have taken place over time. Lately, it seems to me the speed of progress is increasing exponentially. Cloud, AI, cybersecurity, convergence, managed services, analytics, touchless solutions, and data privacy were some of the top trends identified in last year’s SIA Megatrends report. The new report is due out this month and it will be interesting to see what makes the cut this year.

It is fitting that this year’s SDM Dealer of the Year, Advanced Security Systems, is also celebrating its 50th anniversary.

In the words of Advanced Security President and CEO Chuck Petrusha, “Fifty years is a long time! I remember control panels before they were electronic, where we turned them on and off with key switches instead of keypads and now cell phones. I remember recording on a dialer loop before electronic communicators. I remember when our bookkeeping was done on ledger cards, and I remember reverse polarity direct line monitoring.

“Our industry has gone through so many technological advancements in my career, it’s hard to pick one. I remember in the ’90s when ADA revolutionized the fire alarm industry. I remember the first cellular transmitter. I remember the utter dismay when the first NVR no longer needed a tape to record! I remember the dawning of the computer revolution which digitized alarm monitoring and response. I remember taking the first credit card payment and our first website. I remember begging Dad to buy a fax machine and I remember the day we threw it away. Could the biggest change be the digitization of the alarm contract and sales process? The World Wide Web and search engines? The cloud for services? Social media marketing that freed my Yellow Pages budget? I’ll leave it up to your readers to pick one!”

More than technology, the security industry is also made up of its people. I have made many industry friends over the years and have fond memories of connecting at the many events I have attended. Chuck Petrusha and his company are also extremely dedicated to what he calls “the human side of security.”

Read the article to learn why Advanced Security is the perfect choice to be named Dealer of the Year in this 50th anniversary year. //