With the current state of economic uncertainty, there is a huge opportunity in 2017 for perimeter intrusion detection (PID) manufacturers to reach the commercial market. Petty crime rates, such as theft and vandalism, are on the rise and, as a result, small business owners are looking for new security options to enhance their current camera and alarm systems.
Often thought of as complicated, expensive, and only for high-value applications, PID has a chance to change its perception in the years ahead. The winners in this space will be security companies who can provide simple and reliable products at the right price point.
Impact of 2016 Presidential election
Presidential elections in the United States are of great importance to the security industry, with many companies trying to anticipate early on what the impact will be and to plan accordingly. The 2016 election was particularly interesting because of the extensive security and international trade narratives propagated by Donald Trump. Looking to 2017, with Trump taking office, the industry awaits news about if and when he will implement the measures he spoke about in his campaign.
For Senstar, the aforementioned commercial PIDs opportunities will be a big focus for 2017. As well, we will continue to work to holistically integrate our new video/IVA capabilities with our PID products to offer our customers comprehensive perimeter security solutions.
Convergence and growth in 2016
Our predictions for the year 2016 were fairly accurate as the convergence of physical and cyber security continued and several low-cost radar solutions were developed and launched to address drones.
In terms of the video/IVA market, which we correctly predicted would continue to grow in 2016, Senstar added video capabilities to our portfolio by acquiring Aimetis, a world-class video analytics and management company. Senstar is now poised to offer customers even more options for securing critical assets and infrastructure.
One prediction that failed to materialise was an increased demand for fibre optic-based sensors. Sales in that space remained flat as potential customers for these products looked to more cost-effective copper-based solutions.
See the full coverage of 2016/2017 Review and Forecast articles here