Masto brings 25 years of experience with the United States Secret Service, where he served on both the Presidential Protective Division and the Vice Presidential Protective Division during the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations.

Throughout his career, he “developed and implemented layered security systems for presidential and vice presidential candidates and he led protective details for visiting foreign heads of state,” according to the company announcement.

“As demand for specialized security solutions continues to grow, we’re investing in leaders who bring exceptional expertise and credibility,” says Glen Kucera, president of Allied Universal Enhanced Protection Services, in the company announcement. “Paul’s experience and client-focused approach will help us continue to expand our Enhanced Protection Services business while delivering the customized security strategies our clients expect.”

What Did Masto Do Before Joining Allied Universal?

Masto served as the assistant special agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Las Vegas Field Office, where he oversaw the protective operations and criminal investigations. Under his leadership, the office ranked first among all Secret Service Field Offices in asset forfeitures and seizures.

He also served on the Secret Service’s elite Counter Assault Team and is a graduate of the United States Park Police Horseback Riding Academy.  He worked as the co-site supervisor for the Utah Olympic Park during the 2002 Winter Olympics, overseeing the deployment of approximately 750 federal agents and National Guard Troops.

Throughout his career, he was responsible for hundreds of federal and state arrests while serving in the New York, Washington D.C., Baltimore and Las Vegas field offices.

In addition to his government service, Masto previously founded and led Universal Security Specialists, a global security consulting firm specializing in customized security assessments and enterprise-wide vulnerability evaluations and operational analysis for high-net-worth individuals.

“I’m excited to join Allied Universal and use my training, expertise and worldwide network of colleagues to help grow the Enhanced Protection Services business,” says Masto in the company announcement. “Throughout my career, I’ve built strong relationships and developed a deep understanding of protective intelligence, risk assessment and client-focused security planning.

“I look forward to bringing those experiences to Allied Universal and helping our clients address today’s evolving security challenges,” he says.

Masto earned bachelor’s degrees in English and psychology from Syracuse University.

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As new technologies emerge, organizations often face pressure to modernize. But modernization should not automatically mean replacing what already works.

The more important question is this: How can retailers get more value from the infrastructure they already have while introducing new capabilities that improve efficiency, strengthen decision-making and prepare the business for future needs?

For many organizations, the next era of retail security will not be defined by deploying more technology. It will be defined by how effectively they connect existing systems, reduce operational friction and transform the information they already collect into meaningful business outcomes.

For systems integrators, this shift also creates a significant business opportunity. Modernization is not always tied to a major refresh cycle or a large-scale replacement project. In many cases, the greater value comes from helping customers get more from the technology they already own, solving workflow challenges, connecting previously isolated systems and creating a practical path toward future capabilities.

By helping retailers maximize existing investments while preparing for what’s next, integrators can strengthen their role from technology provider to long-term strategic partner.

The retailers making the greatest progress in security modernization are increasingly guided by five principles.

Principle 1: Unlock more value from the retail security investments already in place

Most retailers are not starting from scratch.

They already operate extensive networks of cameras, recording systems, access control platforms and operational applications. These systems generate enormous amounts of information every day and often represent years of investment.

The challenge is that much of this information remains isolated within individual platforms.

Video exists in one system. Transaction data resides in another. Case-management tools, operational reporting systems and investigative workflows often exist somewhere else. As a result, teams spend valuable time moving between systems, searching for information and manually assembling the context needed to understand an event.

The opportunity for many retailers is not replacing every existing investment. It is enabling those investments to work together more effectively.

When information can be connected and presented within a unified workflow, organizations can improve visibility, accelerate investigations and derive greater value from technology they already own.

Principle 2: Retail security modernization should prioritize flexibility, not replacement

Too often, discussions about modernization focus on cloud versus on-premises infrastructure.

In reality, the most important consideration is not where technology lives. It is whether the environment provides the flexibility, scalability and operational efficiency the business needs.

Many retailers continue to operate reliable on-premises systems that perform their intended function exceptionally well. Others have adopted cloud-based architectures to simplify management, centralize operations and access emerging capabilities. Many organizations operate somewhere in between.

All of these approaches can support modernization when they align with business objectives.

Organizations should not be forced into costly rip-and-replace initiatives simply to access new technologies. A more practical approach is to preserve the value of existing investments wherever possible while creating a clear path toward future capabilities.

The ability to support legacy environments alongside cloud and hybrid architectures gives retailers a lower-cost, less disruptive path to modernization while allowing technology strategies to evolve alongside business requirements.

Principle 3: Turn video into actionable context

Every day, retailers generate enormous volumes of video across stores, distribution centers, parking areas and supply-chain operations.

For many organizations, video represents one of the largest and least structured sources of information in the business.

Historically, video has served primarily as evidence. Teams reviewed footage after an incident occurred, often spending hours searching through recordings to locate relevant information.

Today, advances in artificial intelligence are creating opportunities to use video in a fundamentally different way.

Rather than simply storing footage, organizations can increasingly search, organize and analyze visual information at a scale that was previously impractical. AI-assisted tools can help investigators identify relevant activity, establish timelines, summarize events and connect information across systems.

The greater opportunity is not simply generating more intelligence. It is creating actionable context.

When video can be connected with transaction data, access-control events, operational systems and investigative workflows, organizations gain a clearer understanding of what happened, why it happened and what actions should follow. Teams can find information faster, understand situations more completely and make more informed decisions without manually piecing together data from multiple sources.

The result is not just better visibility. It is a more connected operational picture that helps security, asset protection and business teams respond with greater speed and confidence.

Principle 4: Reduce workflow friction wherever possible

Technology investments should be evaluated not only by the features they provide but also by the amount of work they eliminate.

One of the largest challenges facing security and asset protection teams is workflow friction.

This is also where systems integrators are uniquely positioned to create value. Because they work across security, operations and technology environments, integrators often have a broader view of where systems fail to connect, where information becomes trapped in silos and where employees are compensating with manual processes. Those gaps frequently represent some of the most significant opportunities for operational improvement.

Investigators often spend significant time locating video, gathering transaction data, compiling evidence, creating reports, updating case files and coordinating activity across multiple departments. These tasks are necessary, but they are also time-consuming.

A modern security environment should reduce this burden.

When systems are connected through shared workflows, organizations can streamline investigations, improve collaboration and accelerate response times. Information becomes easier to find. Evidence can be connected more quickly. Manual handoffs are reduced and teams spend less time switching between applications or reconstructing events from disconnected data sources. Employees can focus more of their time on activities that require professional judgment and expertise.

The outcome is not simply a better technology environment. It is a more efficient operating model.

Principle 5: Build a foundation for what comes next

The pace of innovation in security technology continues to accelerate.

Artificial intelligence, cloud services, spatial sensing, digital twins and other emerging technologies all have the potential to create new opportunities for retail organizations. But successful technology strategies are rarely built around chasing the latest trend.

Instead, organizations should focus on building adaptable environments that can incorporate new capabilities as they mature and demonstrate measurable business value.

The goal is not to adopt every new technology. The goal is to create a foundation that makes it easier to evaluate, integrate and benefit from future innovations when they solve a real operational problem.

Retailers that establish flexible architectures today will be better positioned to take advantage of whatever comes next.

Maximize the Retail Security Systems You Already Have

The future of retail security will not be defined by how much technology an organization deploys. Most retailers already possess significant investments in cameras, infrastructure, networks and security systems.

The bigger opportunity is making those investments work harder.

Organizations that can preserve what continues to deliver value, modernize where new capabilities create measurable impact and reduce the friction associated with everyday workflows will generate stronger returns from both their technology and their people.

At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence, cloud services and emerging technologies are creating new ways to unlock intelligence from the information retailers already collect every day.

For integrators, this evolution represents an opportunity to deliver value beyond product deployment. Customers increasingly need guidance on how to connect systems, modernize selectively, improve workflows and unlock greater value from existing investments. The organizations that help solve those challenges will be positioned not simply as installers or vendors, but as trusted advisors supporting long-term business outcomes.

The organizations that succeed will be those that take a practical approach to modernization: preserve what works, improve what doesn’t, reduce unnecessary complexity and build toward the future without discarding the value already in place.

That approach solves more than a technology challenge. It helps retailers create more efficient, more informed and more resilient operations for the years ahead.

Eric Gras is director of retail security, North America, for Octave.

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Security Sales & Integration: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? 

Sam Ward: The best piece of advice I’ve received was to consider that if everything worked smoothly, none of us would be needed. As leaders we need to embrace the friction, the effort and the frustration because that is what progress actually feels like.

If you think about it, what have you ever done in your life that was both easy and genuinely fulfilling? At the end of the day, it is human nature to seek out that hard-won progress.

SSI: What advice would you give to those looking to achieve success in the security industry? 

Ward: Always assume positive intent. Most folks you meet share that same fundamental drive for doing what’s right and getting the best outcomes. If you just start rowing the boat in the right direction together, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve traveled when you look back over your shoulder.

SSI: If you could point to one person in the security industry and tell up-and-comers, “Make sure to listen to what they have to say,” whom would you pick and why? 

Ward: Look outside your own backyard for motivation and growth. You should already know what’s happening inside our industry so step out of your usual circles and tune into other markets and fields. Audiobooks are a fantastic way to do this since we are all extremely busy in today’s world.  

Personally, I look to sports as it can teach you a lot when it comes to resilience and execution. If anyone thinks an athlete ever won a gold medal entirely on their own, dream on! They had a team, a solid plan and they got right back up every time they fell over. That’s an important mindset to bring into your work.

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The acquisition “builds on Pye-Barker’s recent expansion in the region, enhancing its integrated fire protection services,” according to the joint announcement.

Suppression Systems, Inc., established in 1976, has offices in Tacoma, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. Its team distributes, designs, engineers and installs fire alarm, detection and suppression systems for customers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Why Did Pye-Barker Acquire Suppression Systems?

Serving industrial, commercial, marine and high-end residential properties, Suppression Systems, Inc., “has built its reputation on technically demanding projects, such as data centers, power plants and hospitals,” according to the joint announcement.

“There is no better way to build on our 50-year history of protecting people and property than joining Pye-Barker,” says Zachary Tuck, owner of Suppression Systems, in the announcement. “Together, we will continue our legacy as the premier fire suppression partner of mission critical companies.”

“The Suppression Systems team has been a leader in special hazard fire protection systems for five decades,” says Bart Proctor, CEO of Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, in the joint announcement. “Integrating their expertise and service into the Pye-Barker family provides the opportunity to achieve our shared mission of protecting more people throughout the Pacific Northwest.”

Suppression Systems, Inc.’s technicians will continue to serve customers in the Pacific Northwest.

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP represented Pye-Barker.

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The James Rothstein Business Scholarship supports “emerging professionals in the security industry and students entering the industry by providing financial assistance to attend the Securing New Ground (SNG) conference,” according to the association announcement.

This competitive scholarship program—named after Rothstein, president of Sequel LV and a past member of SIA’s board of directors who served as chairman from 2022 to 2024—covers SNG conference passes and travel expenses, enabling recipients to “attend and grow their careers at the security industry’s executive conference,” according to the SIA announcement.

Who Are the 2026 Rothstein Scholarship Recipients?

Fernández Mena is a security pod leader at Johnson Controls, where he leads a team focused on supporting security solutions and operational excellence initiatives. With experience in customer operations, sales support and team leadership. Fernández Mena is “passionate about developing talent, driving continuous improvement and enabling organizations to deliver exceptional customer experiences,” the SIA announcement says.

Based in San José, Costa Rica, he is “committed to advancing his leadership capabilities and contributing to the growth and innovation of the security industry.”

“Receiving the James Rothstein Business Scholarship is both an honor and an exciting opportunity at an important stage in my career,” says Fernández Mena in the SIA announcement. “As I begin my journey as a Security Pod Leader at Johnson Controls, I am eager to learn from industry professionals, connect with peers and gain new perspectives that will help me grow as a leader.

“I look forward to bringing those lessons back to my team and continuing to make a positive impact within our organization and the security industry,” he says.

Rosa, global account manager for Latin America at Convergint, is a global account management and business development professional with experience in the electronic security industry, working with multinational organizations across Brazil and Latin America.

His career “has been built at the intersection of commercial strategy, technology and international business, with a strong focus on developing long-term relationships and navigating complex global environments,” according to the SIA announcement.

Rosa holds an executive MBA from FGV-EAESP and is “passionate about leadership, continuous learning and the evolution of the security industry,” the announcement says. “With an increasingly international focus, he is particularly interested in connecting markets, exchanging perspectives across regions and contributing to the future of the global security community.”

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend SNG in New York,” says Rosa in the announcement. “I see SNG as a unique opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in our industry, exchange perspectives with professionals from around the world and better understand the trends shaping the future of security.

“As someone who aspires to continue growing my career internationally and become more connected with the U.S. security industry, this opportunity is particularly meaningful to me. I’m looking forward to building new relationships, bringing fresh perspectives back to Latin America and making the most of every conversation and learning opportunity throughout the event,” he says.

“I am pleased to congratulate this year’s scholarship winners, Manuel Alejandro Fernández Mena and Jonas Rosa,” says Rothstein in the SIA announcement. “These inspiring young leaders have already had impressive careers across sales, operations, team leadership, business management and more, and at Securing New Ground they will get the unique opportunity to examine industry trends, form meaningful connections and propel their growth and business expertise. We are proud to recognize them and look forward to seeing them at SNG.”

Securing New Ground is the security industry’s executive conference, with the 2026 event scheduled for Oct. 20-21 at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City.

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The annual ASIS Awards of Excellence “honor the important work and accomplishments of ASIS members worldwide, according to the association announcement. Recipients “are honored not just for what they’ve achieved, but for setting global standards for the industry to follow.”

This year’s list represents individuals and chapters from 14 nations.

“The individuals and chapters we’re honoring this year aren’t just being recognized for what they’ve done, they’ve helped shape and transform what our profession becomes next,” says ASIS International president Eddie Sorrells in the association announcement. “Their leadership, resilience and commitment to service set an example for security professionals around the world, and I couldn’t be prouder to celebrate them.”

ASIS International invites GSX 2026 All-Access Pass registrants and other badge holders and guests who purchase tickets to celebrate in-person on Sunday, Sept. 13 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

The Awards of Excellence ceremony will also be available to the public via livestream at that same time and date.

Who Are the 2026 Awards of Excellence Recipients?

Here’s a rundown of the 2026 ASIS Awards of Excellence recipients:

Individual Awards

 President’s Award of Merit
Godfried Hendriks, CPP

Don Walker CSO Center Security Executive Award
Karen Frank, CPP

E.J. Criscuoli, Jr., CPP Volunteer Leadership Award
Kelly Kehoe

NextGen of the Year Award
Chris Chan Zhijian, CPP, PSP

PCB Outstanding Achievement Award
Larry Woods, CPP, PSP

Ralph Day Security Officer Heroism Award
Amanda H. Lucian

Roy N. Bordes, CPP, Community Leadership Award
Matthew Porcelli, CPP

Women in Security Global Community Karen Marquez Honors
Sicily M. Gatiti, MA, CPP, PCI, PSP, CP

Distinguished Service Award
Daniel Codins, CPP, PCI, PSP
Maria Elena Salas, PSP
Ranjiv Abraham, CPP, PCI, PSP, CISM

Organizational Awards

Community of the Year Award
Professional Development Community

I.B. Hale Chapter of the Year Award
Chile
Hungary
Lima, Peru
Mexico City
Nairobi, Kenya
Phoenix

Honorable Mentions:
Jamaica
Spain
United Kingdom

Outstanding New/Revitalized Chapter Award
Dhahran

Honorable Mentions:
Sacramento
Ukraine

PCB Organizational Award of Merit
Hamad Medical Cooperation

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On one hand, it’s important to preserve some of the popular features that annual attendees expect when they come to the event. On the other hand, organizers must make sure they’re keeping up with the times and sprinkling in new features every year.

After more than a decade leading the planning for GSX, Christine Peck, chief global learning officer for ASIS International, seems to have mastered the balancing act once again and she’s excited to find out if GSX 2026 attendees will agree.

“We are thrilled to be back in Atlanta,” she says. “When people go to Atlanta this year, they are going to see a city transformed.” The new-look city includes several new restaurants and hotels, she says.

Peck is particularly excited about the annual ASIS Celebrates event, which will be hosted at the Georgia Aquarium on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.

One word has stood out in the preparation for GSX 2026, which is expected to attracted about 15,000 people to A-Town to learn more about the newest products, solutions and services that will shape the future of the security industry.

“As we look at all the elements of learning and as we get data from our own research and from Freeman Company, it really is about interactive and expansive experiences around learning,” says Peck.

“Each year, we work really hard to ensure that the show floor is a centerpiece of learning,” she says. “We have learning throughout the entire event, starting on that Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 12-13) predating when we open up GSX at large on that Monday morning (Sept. 14).”

Photo courtesy of ASIS International

What to Expect at GSX 2026

GSX 2026 once again features myriad stages with all sorts of educational opportunities for attendees of all types, says Peck, ranging from the threat intelligence zone to the X Stage, featuring what she calls “rapid-fire innovation directly on the floor.”

GSX 2026 will feature more than 500 exhibitors across 155,000 square feet of exhibition space, so attendees are sure to come home with new ideas about how to solve their customers’ latest security issues.

One of the biggest and most highly anticipated additions to the GSX 2026 slate are a trio of interactive workshops, all of which sold out quickly and saw organizers add more seats, says Peck.

“We tweak while we go,” she says, noting that planning for the 2027 show scheduled for Orlando, Fla., is already in progress, even before the ribbon is cut on this year’s event.

“We’ve got a core audience and we’ve got a lot of people who are looking for ‘the GSX I know,’” says Peck. “Every year, we add new elements so that we’re appealing to more and more of our next-gen members who are attending and our core members, who tend to be Gen X and Baby Boomers.

“People are hungering for a little more in-depth conversation and a little more hands-on learning,” she says.

Here’s a rundown of the interactive workshops, one of which Peck will be leading with Alejandro Lieberman of the Wertheim Group:

• Monday: Learning as a Strategic Advantage: Successfully Training Your Organization’s Security Teams and Executives
• Tuesday: Hands-On LLM Security Lab: Building Threat Intelligence and Malware Analysis Workflows
• Tuesday: From Surveys to Strategy: Accelerating Risk and Resilience Through Value Stream Mapping

The GSX 2026 show floor will also feature the School Security Zone, which will be set up like a classroom and feature interactive elements.

The education at the event will also once again be organized around nine tracks, all of which will be part of ASIS’ year-round educational opportunities as part of a coordinated content strategy.

The tracks are: executive protection, governance, information security, intelligence, investigations, organizational resilience, site security, supply chain security and personnel security, which Peck calls “the whole gamut of the security space.”

“Within that, there’s lots of room to move and play,” she says. “We’re really excited about centering that content strategy with GSX. That’s our message as we move forward. It ties into the standards we’re developing or revamping because it’s their time to be updated. It really does put GSX, which is our jewel, in the middle of that.”

Getting Down to Business

GSX 2026 expects to attract more than 100 of the top corporations in the world, says Peck, one of the reasons why organizers enjoy bringing the show to Atlanta regularly.

“People find GSX as a place where they can conduct business,” she says. “They find it a meaningful place to be and they really want to be there, and they look to expand their investment with us. So, they keep growing as we grow. And that to us is the big, exciting feature.

“It’s just nice to see that we have really made this a place for them to feel like, ‘I see the right people at GSX,’ ‘I have the right conversations at GSX,’ ‘I see the people I want to see,’ ‘I really want to talk about strategy,’ ‘I want to talk about leadership at GSX’ and they can do that,” says Peck.

Atlanta is known as Transaction Alley, with about 70 percent of all debit and credit card transactions going through the city.

“This is a city that understands security,” says Andy Cutler, vice president of communications for ASIS International. “This is a city that has hosted the World Cup. This is a city that’s hosted Olympics. It’s hosted Super Bowls. It’s hosted world-class events and they understand security.”

What’s New for GSX 2026

In addition to the interactive workshops and other programming updates and enhancements, GSX 2026 will also feature expanded hours on the show floor, says Peck, based largely on feedback from attendees in previous years.

“People want more time on the show floor,” she says. That added time on the trade show floor means fewer concurrent education sessions, changes that were made in consultation with Freeman Company and marketing outreach company MDG.

“We’re looking at our show and then how it compares to shows of our size around the globe and what people are interested in and what’s attracting next gen and what’s attracting Boomers and Gen. Xers and putting that all together,” says Peck.

“We can’t blow the whole thing up,” she says. “It’s a careful management.”

Among the most popular recent additions are mentorship day, which will have 300 people at this year’s event, and volunteers day, which attracts about the same number of people.

“That is part of the learning,” says Peck. “They come to connect. They don’t need to be in the classroom. They want to be talking about what they’re learning. What we know about people attending shows and about adults in general is that’s how they learn. The entire event is one big learning laboratory.”

GSX 2026 will once again feature sessions dubbed Game Changers, touching on the next generation of leadership and what tomorrow’s security leaders need to know, with information from the annual Clarity Factors chief security officer survey.

“That’s a format that people continue to enjoy,” says Peck.

Peter Diamandis, the founder and executive chairman of XPRIZE Foundation and executive founder and director of Singularity University, will kick off the keynotes on Monday at 8:30 a.m. with “Beyond the Budget Battle: An Abundance Framework for Security Leaders.”

Cassie Kozyrkov, the CEO of Kozyr and former chief decision scientist at Google, delivers the Tuesday keynote, “Upgrading Your Decision-Making with AI and Data,” at 8:30 a.m.

Travis Mills, a retired U.S. Army staff sergeant and quadruple amputee, delivers the Wednesday keynote at for Military and Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, at 11:15 a.m., “Resilience Under Pressure: Life Lessons from the Front Lines.”

“All three of these people could not be more lovely and engaged and excited to be there, so we are really thrilled to have them with us,” says Peck.

Image courtesy of ASIS International

Room for Last-Minute Changes

Although the bulk of the planning for GSX 2026 started more than a year ago, there’s still room for last-minute changes if something in the security industry dictates a late addition to the schedule in some form, says Peck.

“We do have flexibility and there’s so much talent in that event space, so many subject matter experts that if we need to do something that’s additive, we have the right people there in order to do it,” she says.

“It’s comforting to me to know how quickly our team can activate and how much subject matter expertise there is in that place on any given day,” says Peck. “That includes the thought leadership that’s coming from our exhibiting and sponsoring companies. It includes our subject matter expert speakers.

“It includes our board and our global and regional leadership. If there’s an issue that happens, I’ve got people there who can speak to it,” she says.

“It also helps us be agile in the event that we need to address something immediately,” says Peck.

What Makes a Successful Show?

Peck keeps a close eye on the metrics and numbers before, during and after GSX to see what worked and what didn’t, but she also makes sure to walk the show floor often, listening to what people are saying and seeing the quality of conversations.

“I watch the buzz on the floor,” she says. “I watch the feeling. I watch the response. It’s buzz and feeling. It’s also execution.

“We’ll get the numbers later on, but I love like watching people talk and I love, ‘did you hear that?’ ‘Yes, I heard that.’ They don’t know who I am so they don’t know that I’m walking around the show and listening,” says Peck.

For those who aren’t able to be in Atlanta for the in-person GSX experience, they can secure a digital registration and online translation services.

Peck wants GSX 2026 attendees to walk away feeling like they got everything they need “to be the best possible professional to help my teams be the best they can be.

“If we do that, and if people leave with that feeling, then I know we’ve done the job,” she says.

The post GSX 2026 Builds on Previous Successes, Adds New Elements appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

Security Sales & Integration: Nearly every security technology company now claims to use artificial intelligence. What specific operational problem did Protos set out to solve with its new AI-powered operational assistant?

Cameron Tabor: Security teams don’t have a data shortage. They have a time shortage. The information is already in the system: incidents, shift coverage, site history, vendor performance and billing. But it’s spread across so many reports that answering one question can mean opening five of them and reconciling the information by hand.

We set out to remove that friction. The Protos Assistant lets a user ask a straightforward question, such as which locations had the most incidents this month or where fulfillment is trending down and receive a useful answer quickly. The goal wasn’t to add AI for its own sake. It was to shorten the distance between an operational question and an informed decision.

SSI: Security programs generate enormous amounts of information across incidents, shifts, locations, and service providers. How can AI help users find what matters without simply adding another layer of data?

Tabor: AI becomes valuable when it reduces complexity instead of decorating it. A dashboard requires the user to already know which report to open, which filters to apply and what pattern to look for. A conversational assistant starts where the user starts: with the question.

It surfaces the exceptions: the sites with repeat incidents, the shifts that went unfilled and the provider whose performance slipped against the rest of the portfolio. The user still brings the context and judgment. They just don’t have to hunt through every row to get there.

SSI: Protos’ technology serves clients, internal operations teams and service providers. How do the information needs of those groups differ, and how did that influence the platform’s design?

Tabor: Each group looks at the same security program from a different position. Clients want portfolio-level visibility. Are posts being filled? Where are incidents increasing? Which locations or providers need attention? Our operations teams need to identify exceptions early so they can coordinate coverage, investigate issues and keep service moving. Providers need clear, timely details about the work they’re responsible for delivering.

A pre-built report has to guess at all of that in advance. Somebody decides which columns matter and which cut of the data will be useful and every user after that works within somebody else’s guess. An assistant takes its direction from the person asking: the role they hold, the account they’re examining and the question they’ve asked. It then shapes the answer around those needs.

It’s the same information underneath, with the same permissions governing what the user can see. But the view is built for the question in front of them rather than the one we anticipated months ago.

SSI: What safeguards are needed to ensure that AI-generated information is accurate, secure and worthy of customer trust?

Tabor: Trust starts with where the data comes from. The assistant reads the operational record we already maintain: incidents, shifts, post-coverage, provider performance and billing. That record is cultivated, reconciled and checked at intake. It’s the same data our teams and clients already rely on, under the same access controls.

Our approach to trust emphasizes transparency rather than relying solely on restrictive guardrails. We could handcuff the assistant until it answers only a short list of pre-approved questions but it would be safe and close to useless. We’d be back to pre-built reports.

Instead, it shows the basis for its answer: what data it pulled, how it interpreted the question and which records produced the number. The user also has a role in getting useful results. Asking a good operational question means understanding the operation, what’s being measured and over what period.

Transparency makes that possible. If the assistant interprets the question differently than the user intended, the user can see that and ask again.

When a number is going to a client or becoming part of a billing dispute, traditional reporting retains its value. A report is fixed, repeatable and auditable. It’s the layer against which the assistant’s answer can be checked.

SSI: Where should AI support human judgment in physical security and where should people remain firmly in control?

Tabor: AI is well suited to speed, scale and pattern recognition. It can scan large volumes of operational information, highlight anomalies and help people decide where to look first. Across a portfolio of locations, shifts and providers, that’s real work nobody has time to do by hand. The initial scanning doesn’t require human judgment.

Judgment is everything that comes after that. Safety, escalation, deployment, investigation and the interpretation of real-world context stay with people. The assistant can tell you that incident activity changed at a location. An experienced security leader knows the site, the client, the officer, the neighborhood and what changed there last month. That leader determines what drove the change and how to respond.

The consequences are real and physical, and accountability for those decisions belongs to a person. AI shortens the time it takes to see what’s happening. It doesn’t decide what to do about it.

SSI: What measurable results should a customer expect before an AI security tool can be considered operationally valuable?

Tabor: Start with time to insight. How long does it take someone to get from a question to an answer they trust? That’s easy to measure because everybody knows what the old path cost: the reports pulled, the people asked and the days spent waiting.

Then look at what changed operationally. Are service gaps caught earlier? Are exceptions resolved faster? Are recurring issues surfacing that used to stay buried because nobody thought to run that particular report? Those are the numbers that show the tool changed the work, not just the interface.

Then look at adoption and be honest about who’s using it. If the only person who can get value from it is a technical analyst, the accessibility problem hasn’t been solved. It’s been relocated. Usage by operations managers and account managers is the real signal.

SSI: For security leaders attending GSX 2026 who want to move from AI promises to practical results, what can they expect to learn by connecting with you and other Protos executives at booth 2405?

Tabor: They can see the Protos Assistant working inside the Client Portal and experience the difference between searching for data and asking an operational question. We can walk through practical use cases involving incident trends, fulfillment, provider performance, and multi-location oversight.

Just as importantly, our executives can discuss how the technology fits within a fully managed security program spanning guarding, off-duty law enforcement, remote and specialized services. We want visitors to bring us the operational questions they struggle to answer today.

The best AI conversation does not begin with the model. It begins with the decision you need to make.

The post What an AI Operational Assistant Should Do for Security Teams appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

Across North America, property owners, school districts, multifamily operators and commercial real estate managers face a common challenge: how do they modernize aging buildings without undertaking major renovation projects?

Budgets remain under pressure, labor costs continue to rise and many facilities simply cannot afford prolonged operational disruption.

As a result, one of the biggest opportunities in access control is no longer found in new construction. It lies in the millions of doors that already exist.

For security integrators, this shift requires a different way of thinking about modernization. The question is no longer how many new technologies can be layered onto a building. Increasingly, customers are asking a simpler question: how can we improve access management while preserving as much existing infrastructure as possible? That is why retrofitting is becoming one of the most important conversations in the industry.

The Economics of Replacement No Longer Add Up

Many buildings still rely heavily on mechanical keys. In some environments, those systems have performed reliably for decades. But operational requirements have changed.

Property managers now oversee larger portfolios. Schools manage a growing mix of staff, contractors and temporary personnel. Multifamily operators face constant resident turnover. Across all of these environments, the administrative burden of managing physical keys continues to grow.

Historically, digital access upgrades often meant extensive wiring projects, replacing door hardware or coordinating construction work that disrupted tenants and daily operations. For many organizations, the operational costs associated with those upgrades became just as significant as the technology investment itself.

This creates an important opportunity for integrators. Customers are increasingly looking for modernization strategies that minimize structural work, reduce installation complexity, and extend the useful life of existing assets. Rather than replacing functioning doors and hardware, many are seeking solutions that allow them to introduce digital capabilities while working within the realities of occupied buildings.

So, the conversation is shifting from replacement to adaptation.

Retrofit Access Control: A Different Value Proposition

For years, access control discussions centered on features: more integrations, more devices and more system layers. But in retrofit environments, customers often evaluate projects differently. They care about downtime and installation timelines.

They care about how many contractors need access to a site and whether residents can continue using the building during an upgrade. And most importantly, they care about long-term operational costs.

For integrators, this changes the business conversation. Success increasingly depends on demonstrating not only how a system improves security, but how it reduces friction throughout the life of the building. Every truck roll avoided, every battery replacement eliminated and every hour of installation time saved creates measurable value.

The most successful retrofit projects are not necessarily the most technologically complex but ones that remove operational burdens from customers while fitting naturally into existing infrastructure. That shift creates an opportunity for integrators to move beyond product discussions and become long-term advisors on operational efficiency.

Existing Buildings Define the Future of Access Control

The industry’s attention often gravitates toward the next smart building development or the latest connected technology. Yet the largest modernization challenge sits within the schools, apartment communities, commercial properties, and public facilities that already exist.

These buildings were not designed for today’s expectations around flexibility, credential management and operational visibility. Nevertheless, they must continue serving occupants while adapting to changing demands.

For security professionals, retrofitting offers a practical path forward. It enables customers to modernize incrementally, preserve existing investments, and avoid unnecessary disruption.

Just as importantly, it opens new possibilities for integrators themselves. As the market evolves, the companies that create the most value will not necessarily be those adding the greatest complexity. They will be the ones helping customers modernize existing environments in the simplest, most effective way possible.

The next generation of access control will certainly include new construction. But the greatest opportunity may already be hanging on the doors we installed years ago.

Robert Mancuso is chief business officer, North America, at iLOQ.

The post Why Access Modernization Will Happen on Existing Doors appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

Since 2013, DMP Dealer Roundtable “has served DMP dealers with the chance to discuss best practices with other industry professionals across DMP’s extensive dealer base,” according to the company announcement.

At the DMP Dealer Roundtable, management, technicians and sales professionals “engage in tabletop exercises, learn from their peers and have access to the DMP executive management group,” the announcement says.

Guests can expect to hear tips from fellow dealers and DMP leadership, including the latest DMP products and how to implement them, increasing efficiency and sales, company culture and leadership.

Why Should You Attend the Next DMP Dealer Roundtable?

“Dealer Roundtable is unlike any other dealer event,” says Mark Hillenburg, DMP vice president of industry relations, in the company announcement. “Every single person in your company has something to bring to the table. We’ve had dealers learn business-altering strategies they may not have considered otherwise.”

Retired United States Air Force pilot Lt. Col. Jason O. Harris will speak on building a culture of trust as a business nonnegotiable. A nationally acclaimed author and high-energy keynote speaker, Harris’ No Fail Trust is teaching leaders how to create trust between themselves and employees.

His teachings have provided lower turnover, higher performance and greater profitability to some of the country’s most well-known companies.

To tie it all together, attendees can put those lessons into action with a flight simulator experience at Hotel Polaris, challenging teams to communicate, collaborate and trust one another in realistic F-16 and Boeing 737 MAX simulators.

Those planning to attend DMP Dealer Roundtable in Colorado Springs, Colo., must register by Friday, Sept. 18. Hotel Polaris room reservations must be made by Friday, Sept. 4. Meals and the on-site activity are included.

The post DMP To Host Dealer Roundtable in Colorado Springs, Colorado Oct. 5-6 appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

At SNG 2026, the security industry “will gather for top-level information sharing, networking and business analysis,” according to the SIA announcement.

This year’s Securing New Ground conference “will shape industry trends and offer opportunities to engage with the leaders who are driving the future of security,” the announcement says.

The 2026 program “will explore the most current issues,” including:

• The impact of artificial intelligence for systems integration;
• How CSOs can automate corporate security practices;
• What CSOs really want from vendors and integrators; and
• GSOC evolution and hyperscale data center security.

Securing New Ground 2026 will also feature continual themes, including cybersecurity, industry investments, smart buildings and evolving business models.

“The mission of SNG is always to share executive-level insights into the trends, technologies and business strategies transforming the security industry and is typically attended by executive leaders from industry along with top corporate security leaders from enterprise organizations,” the SIA announcement says.

Why Should You Attend Securing New Ground 2026?

“The 2026 SIA Securing New Ground program presents an even stronger strategic event bringing together the executives from each component of the security ecosystem to connect and discuss the marketplace, regulatory and technology factors shaping the industry,” says SIA CEO Don Erickson in the association announcement.

“The conversations that take place at SNG among peers validate or challenge business strategy, challenge conventional thinking and lead to collaborations that strengthen the industry,” he says. “SNG is quickly becoming an event is recognized as ‘the Davos of the global security industry.’”

Highlights of the 2026 Securing New Ground program include:

• A dinner keynote event featuring a conversation with John J. Sullivan, former U.S. ambassador to Russia (2019 to 2022) and author of the memoir Midnight in Moscow, sharing stories and perspectives drawn from his four-decade career spanning five U.S. presidents and senior leadership across multiple federal agencies
• A keynote presentation on economic conditions with U.S. Chamber of Commerce chief economist Curtis Dubay
• An exclusive interview with Justin Anderson, principal of Ares Privacy Equity Group, about private equity strategies related to the security industry
• A session on the customer perspective and what the industry needs to hear featuring Frank Dawson, director of operations—corporate security at Southern Company
• Executive conversations with Sean Kay, senior vice president for sales at Flock Safety; Björn Lidefelt, executive vice president and head of the global technologies business unit at HID; Kumar Sokka, CEO of Acre Security; and Michael Wong, CEO of Gene; and Billal Hammoud of Honeywell Building Automation
• The return of sessions, including the Investment Insights panel that breaks down the numbers behind industry investments, mergers and acquisitions activity, lending and private equity; and SPARCing Real Conversations: Security Practitioners Speak! hosted by SIA’s Security Practitioners Advancing Real Conversations (SPARC) community
• Three sessions diving into key Security Megatrends, one featuring executives each sharing the “one big thing” they’re watching for the future; one on what AI means for the business of integrated systems and how integrators operate; and one on where hardware goes next and hardware’s future for security applications

Executives speaking in the event program represent major industry sectors like corporate security (physical and converged), access control, video surveillance, systems integration, distribution, finance, identity and more.

In advance of Securing New Ground, SIA’s SPARC community will be meeting, and after the conference, SIA’s leadership development program The Table will be convening for its in-person presentations and sessions.

Registration for SIA members starts at $995 (a savings of $1,000 off the regular rate) for those who register by Friday, Aug. 28. Security practitioners (chief security officers, corporate security directors and their immediate teams) are invited to attend for $100. Government security leaders are provided complimentary access.

The post SIA Announces Program for 2026 Securing New Ground Conference appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

The survey found that 58% of U.S. respondents are more comfortable with video surveillance in both public and private spaces than they were five years ago, especially in transit hubs, retail centers and educational campuses.

At the same time, that growing comfort comes with clear expectations for how video surveillance is used. More than half of respondents expressed a desire for greater transparency and stronger data privacy protections, underscoring the need for ethical stewardship of the technology.

“This research shows that while the public is becoming more comfortable with video surveillance, that acceptance cannot be taken for granted,” says Fredrik Nilsson, vice president, Americas, at Axis Communications, in the company announcement.

“The public sees a clear role for video surveillance in creating safer spaces but they also expect organizations to use the technology responsibly,” he says. “That means being transparent about its purpose and putting strong privacy protections and safeguards in place.”

What’s in the Axis 2026 Video Surveillance Survey?

The post Axis Communications: Growing Comfort with Video Surveillance appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

The headline takeaways are straightforward. Two of the integration industry’s most widely used software platforms are joining forces. D-Tools CEO G Paul Hess stays on to lead the combined company; meanwhile, Portal.io founder Kirk Chisholm becomes chief product officer over the full portfolio. None of the companies’ products are being discontinued and no customers will be forced to migrate to a new system.

In a wide-ranging conversation with CI, Hess and Chisholm went well beyond talking points, describing a partnership years in the making, a quiet catalog integration project already underway and how AI may be poised to unlock opportunities for integrators.

D-Tools and Portal.io: A Partnership Years in the Making

D-Tools and Portal.io have been partners for roughly a decade, dating back to when Portal.io’s managed product catalog was first integrated into D-Tools System Integrator. For Hess and Chisholm, though, the history goes back further than that, starting with a customer support ticket.

Chisholm, who was an integrator himself at the time, recalls trying to troubleshoot an HDMI balun that Hess had a hand in building at Snap AV.

“I sent a message and G Paul responds back from support at like 11 at night,” Chisholm recalls. “And I just could not believe this. [I couldn’t believe] that the chief product guy was responding to support questions. And it stuck with me for years.”

It’s a dedication to service, support and excellence that resonated and that underpins the vision that the two companies now share.

“Why have two separate companies serving the industry, working on two different platforms, when we can bring all this integrator expertise and all this industry subject matter expertise together and deliver a compelling product that serves integrators and the industry?” Hess asks rhetorically.

No Predetermined Destination

Both executives were emphatic during their exclusive interview that the combined product roadmap has not been predetermined.

“There is no forced merger or disintegration of product or eliminating a product,” Hess declares. “That’s not planned.”

He underlines that the three-platform lineup of Portal.io, D-Tools Cloud and System Integrator will remain intact to meet dealers’ needs.

Chisholm identifies the greatest current overlap as being between D-Tools Cloud and Portal.io. But rather than dictating a platform that must win out, Chisholm says the combined company will follow customers’ demands.

“The market is going to pull us there,” he says. “The market will be crystal clear on what it wants, and that’s where we’ll go.”

D-Tools and Portal.io: A Catalog Project Already Underway

Chisholm reveals that D-Tools and Portal.io had already been quietly working on merging their product catalogs before the merger was even announced.

“We have two teams that have really figured that out and we’ve actually been secretly working on improving this,” he says, describing work on taxonomy, category structure, deduplication of discontinued items and tighter vendor data integration.

The combined catalog, Hess and Chisholm say, will improve accuracy and specification workflows for all integration industry stakeholders.

An AI Vision Built on Combined Data

Portal.io markets itself as first to market with an AI proposal builder and Chisholm says the team is already working on its next iteration.

“For example, for building proposals, we’re already thinking about how to completely redo our builder,” he says.

Both executives frame all the AI work to come as something very different from chasing after a marketing exercise.

“I am in full agreement about resisting this technology-in-search-of-a-problem temptation,” Chisholm says. He summarizes that mindset as How do I take AI and bolt it onto a feature so that I can market that I’ve got more AI?

According to Chisholm, “We are going to be way more thoughtful than that.”

What excites Chisholm the most is what the combined company’s data can unlock.

“Now, you’ve got two companies that have come together that have a good data set of historical information that’s been aggregated,” he says. “What could that unlock for dealers that Portal couldn’t do on its own and D-Tools couldn’t do on its own?”

The idea, says Chisholm, is to try to leverage AI in a way that almost doesn’t feel like AI is there because it’s working behind the scenes so elegantly.

“Imagine if you could, through our interfaces or in whatever AI interface you’re using now, ask the Portal [and] D-Tools team to build a proposal based on what they know the best practices are, or build drawings, or anything to leverage the data inside those companies,” he says. “Those are the exciting pieces that we’re going to be able to bring to the industry.”

D-Tools and Portal.io Address the Consolidation Question

Hess pushed back on the premise that D-Tools and Portal.io merging could mean reduced competition, fewer independent options or slower feature development for dealers.

“When you look at opportunities to bring companies together, there’s lots of reasons,” Hess explains. “They can be strategic reasons. They could be cost synergies reasons. We’re here for the strategy side of it.”

He continues, “There’s no plan that says that there’s a cost initiative or go-get to reduce the costs of [either of the] two companies,” Hess says. Instead, he argues that D-Tools and Portal.io serve similar but distinct customer bases. Hess and Chisholm believe that, over time, they will be better served together.

D-Tools and Portal.io Look to the Future

Asked to speculate on what the average integrator’s software stack will look like three years out, Chisholm predicts a shift toward what he calls a more “agentic” era of software.

“You’re going to see a world of agents doing more work that are effectively like digital people that dealers can hire to do fractional or maybe full-time workloads inside of their business,” he predicts.

And make no mistake about D-Tools and Portal.io’s ambitions as a combined entity within the integration channel. Both Hess and Chisholm predict the company will be the default software choice for commercial and residential integrators seeking to run their businesses better.

A Leadership Offsite

Perhaps the most candid moment of the interview came when Hess brought up a leadership offsite meeting the two companies held the week before the announcement.

“The camaraderie, the cultural fit [and the] good differences of opinion in areas that will be great debate topics in the future,” he enthuses. “It was incredible, and it was really inspiring to see that.”

“When you make a deal to bring companies together, and then you have an event where you spend four long days together in meeting rooms and breaking bread together and see the teams gel and mesh in that way, it’s truly exciting,” Hess adds. “It doesn’t happen often.”

D-Tools and Portal.io on Building Together

Chisholm describes years of D-Tools and Portal.io being positioned as rivals in the market. It’s a framing, he says, that simply doesn’t hold up anymore.

“The more people I meet at the D-Tools team, we realize we are much more like-minded than we think. We’ve just been insulated,” he says.

That framing carries into the messaging both companies plan to bring to CEDIA Expo in Denver next week. D-Tools and Portal.io will exhibit separately at North America’s premier custom integration show but they’ll introduce a joint leadership team to attendees for the first time.

“You’re going to see the theme at CEDIA Expo,” Chisholm promises. “We say, ‘let’s build together.’”

The post D-Tools-Portal.io Merger: Insights from G Paul Hess and Kirk Chisholm appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

Security Sales & Integration: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Jon Polly: I have two and, if you know me, that should come as no surprise. Something my father has said for many years and it has been something that has worked out well for me: “If a job is worth doing right, it’s worth doing right, once and only once.”

Take the time to do the job right, not just try to get done the quickest. A couple of things come from this. A) You can take pride in your work. B) Your clients will appreciate you more, as a tech, as a salesperson, etc. If you have to return for the same failure, you won’t be happy, they won’t be happy.

The second came from Stewart Witt, a previous boss.  He’s one of those people who could ignite a fire in you, not under you. I was struggling with a bridge that had been torched behind me and felt I needed to fix it.  His words were, “Are you ever going to use that bridge? If not, let it burn.” The wisdom here is to know when to spend effort and when not to. That wisdom has not gone unnoticed.

SSI: What advice would you give to those looking to achieve success in the security industry?

Polly: Do what you really like to do and let others know. I have been in the security industry for 25 years now. I like security tech. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as I was starting my consulting firm, I knew a lot about a lot of things in security, but the thing that I really enjoyed was digging into the technologies, seeing what made it tick.

When I stopped trying to do all things security and chose to do the thing I really enjoyed, which was helping clients roadmap and design security solutions based on their use cases, it just clicked.

The second part of this: build your brand. Even as a regional sales manager, a technician, use the resources you have to build your personal brand. That could be social media outlets, industry associations (SIA, ASIS International, Life Safety Alliance, etc.).

Don’t wait for your company to allow you to be better or what you should want. Go get it.

SSI: If you could point to one person in the security industry and tell up-and-comers, “Make sure to listen to what they have to say,” whom would you pick and why?

Polly: There are so many I could name, many of whom have been named in previous Best Advice columns.  However, the person who has been someone I have listened to, bounced ideas off and is simply genuine is Travis Willis.

Travis has literally grown up in this industry. He has not so quietly been doing things in the background to make this industry better and above all he has been willing to listen.

Click here to check out all entries in SSI’s Best Advice series!

The post Jon Polly, Chief Solutions Officer, ProTecht Solutions: Best Advice appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

Beyond its fire alarm and security offerings, Black provides fire extinguisher inspections and kitchen exhaust hood cleaning, “expanding RapidFire’s capabilities and strengthening its position as a comprehensive life safety partner for commercial customers,” the announcement says.

Since 2020, Black “has built a reputation for delivering personalized service and practical solutions designed to help customers protect their people, property and assets,” according to the joint announcement.

The acquisition “expands RapidFire’s presence in west Texas and enhances its ability to serve customers with a broader range of recurring inspection, compliance and training services.”

Black’s customers “will continue receiving the local support they have come to expect while gaining access to the additional resources and expertise of RapidFire,” the joint announcement says.

Why Did RapidFire Acquire Black Fire & Security?

“We are pleased to welcome Black Fire & Security in El Paso to the RapidFire family,” says Brian Modglin, chief operating officer of RapidFire Safety & Security, in the joint announcement. “This acquisition strengthens our presence in the Southwest and supports our continued growth as a leading provider of fire, life safety, and security solutions.

“We are excited to support their continued success while bringing additional resources and operational strength to customers throughout the Southwest,” he says.

“When RapidFire approached us about joining their organization, we saw an opportunity that aligned with our long-term vision while creating greater opportunities for our employees and customers,” says Rick Black, owner of Black Fire and Security, in the joint announcement.

“Throughout this process, we were impressed by RapidFire’s commitment to its people, service excellence and customer relationships,” he says. “Daniela and I are confident this partnership will provide our customers with enhanced resources and support while maintaining the trusted service they’ve come to expect.”

Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney served as legal counsel for the transaction.

The post RapidFire Safety & Security Acquires Black Fire & Security Services appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

The Silverstrand Technologies acquisition “strengthens Security 101’s presence in the San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles and Riverside markets and brings a respected regional team with broad technical range into the company’s west region,” according to the joint announcement.

“Southern California is one of the most active commercial security markets in the country, with demand spanning enterprise, government, hospitality, aviation and entertainment environments,” the announcement says.

“Over nearly two decades, Silverstrand built a reputation for technical depth and responsive service, delivering video surveillance, access control, structured cabling, wireless, sound masking and life safety solutions across the region and on projects nationwide,” according to the joint announcement.

Why Did Security 101 Acquire Silverstrand Technologies?

“Silverstrand is one of southern California’s most respected technology integrators, with a culture centered on taking care of both employees and customers,” says Greg Daly, CEO of Security 101, in the joint announcement. “That focus mirrors our own. Bringing this team into the Security 101 organization strengthens our west region and gives customers access to national resources delivered by the same local team they already trust.”

Jeremy Johnson founded Silverstrand and grew it over 19 years into a full-service integrator serving “some of the region’s most demanding environments,” including large-scale commercial, hospitality, aviation and government projects, the announcement says. He will continue to lead the local operation as general manager, “preserving the team, relationships, and service standards the company is known for.”

“My job has always been to take care of my employees so they can take care of our customers,” says Johnson in the joint announcement. “I recently recognized that continuing to grow and take on larger projects would require a partner with the resources to back that work. I found that partner in Security 101.

“My team trusts me to make good decisions on their behalf and I have complete confidence they will be in great hands as we move forward together,” the announcement says.

The acquisition “pairs Silverstrand’s local expertise with Security 101’s national scale, managed services, and lifecycle support,” according to the joint announcement.

“Customers keep the local team and relationships they rely on while gaining access to a broader portfolio and deeper resources,” the announcement says.

Silverstrand’s range across security, communications and life safety “complements Security 101’s integrated solutions model and supports continued growth across southern California,” according to the joint announcement.

The post Security 101 Acquires San Diego Integrator Silverstrand Technologies appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

Resideo shareholders received one share of ADI common stock for every two shares of Resideo stock they held as of the July 20, 2026, record date. Meanwhile, Resideo continues trading separately on the NYSE under the ticker REZI.

ADI is Now a Pure-Play Global Specialty Distributor

ADI now functions as a pure-play global specialty distributor of professionally installed low-voltage products serving residential and commercial markets, with $4.8 billion in 2025 revenue, about 4,100 employees and nearly 200 store locations worldwide.

But for the integrator community, that headline news is really just the beginning of the story.

What does ADI’s new status as a pure-play company actually change? What are the implications for security, residential AV, fire/life safety, datacomm and pro AV customers who rely on ADI every day? To find out, Commercial Integrator sat down with Aarnes for an in-depth conversation.

Exclusive Interview with Rob Aarnes on ADI Spinoff

In this exclusive Q&A, Aarnes discusses what the bell-ringing moment meant to him and ADI’s more than 4,000 team members, how corporate independence will sharpen the company’s focus and investment decisions, and why he’s telling customers it’s “business as usual” when it comes to pricing, inventory and their local store relationships.

Aarnes also digs into where ADI sees the strongest growth ahead — from its core categories to emerging demand in datacomm and pro AV — and how the company plans to help integrators navigate the growing convergence of security, AV, networking and communications.

Security Sales & Integration: On Aug. 4, 2026, you rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange as ADI began trading under the ticker symbol ADIG. What was going through your mind in that moment, and what did it mean for you and the team to mark the completion of the spinoff in that way?

Rob Aarnes: Ringing the opening bell was an incredible moment, but what stood out most to me was what it represented. Becoming an independent public company is the result of years of hard work across our organization and the dedication of more than 4,000 team members around the world.

It’s a milestone that has been a long time in the making. As I stood on that podium, I couldn’t help but think about the many people across ADI who helped us get there and the work that went into preparing the business for this next chapter. I felt an enormous sense of pride and gratitude.

While the bell-ringing happened in New York, it really belonged to every ADI team member who helped us reach this milestone and every customer and supplier who has been part of our journey.

The listing was an important milestone, but it’s not the destination. It’s the beginning of a new chapter for ADI, one where we’re fully focused on building on our leadership position and creating even more value for our customers, suppliers and shareholders.

SSI: Now that the ADI spinoff as a standalone public company is complete, how do you expect that independence to change the way you make decisions and invest, and what should integrators expect to feel in their day-to-day dealings with ADI?

Aarnes: The biggest advantage of independence is focus. Every decision we make is now centered on ADI, our customers, our suppliers and the markets we serve.

For integrators, the most important thing is that the relationship they have with ADI today doesn’t change. They will continue working with the same teams, accessing the same products and receiving the same support they rely on.

What they should see over time is an acceleration of our ability to invest in areas that matter most to them, including digital capabilities, inventory, portfolio of distributed and exclusive brands, value-added services, and technical expertise. Independence gives us greater agility to respond to customer needs and pursue opportunities that help our customers grow their businesses.

SSI: As an independent company, how does ADI plan to protect and deepen inventory across core categories like security, residential AV and fire/life safety?

Aarnes: Our core categories remain the foundation of ADI’s business and a key part of our growth strategy.

We have long-standing relationships with leading suppliers, a broad product portfolio and a global distribution network that gives us strong access to inventory across the categories our customers depend on most. As an independent company, we’re committed to continuing to invest in those relationships and ensuring we maintain the product availability and category expertise customers expect from ADI.

At the same time, we’ll continue expanding our assortment, growing our exclusive brands portfolio and leveraging data and operational capabilities to better anticipate customer demand and position inventory where it’s needed most.

SSI: Data communications and pro AV are growing positions for ADI. Where do you see the strongest demand from integrators in those categories, and how are you building out product availability to meet it?

Aarnes: Data communications and pro AV represent growth opportunities for ADI and our customers, and we’ve made targeted investments to strengthen our capabilities, expand our product offering and support customers as these markets continue to evolve.

In datacomm, we’re seeing continued demand for network infrastructure and connectivity solutions across commercial and residential environments. We’re also seeing growth driven by investments in data centers and the increasing need for the networks that support connected devices, cloud applications and emerging technologies.

In pro AV, we’re seeing strong momentum around collaboration spaces, digital signage and integrated commercial AV solutions. Customers are increasingly looking for partners that can provide both a broad product portfolio and the technical expertise to support more sophisticated projects.

To support growth in both categories, we’re continuing to expand our supplier partnerships, product assortment, inventory position and technical resources. As customer needs evolve, we’re also broadening the services and support we provide, from design and programming assistance to in-field technical support. Our goal is to give customers access to the products, expertise and support they need through one trusted partner.

SSI: Support and service are a big part of why integrators choose you. What stays the same for ADI customers through the spinoff transition, and where do you see room to raise the bar?

Aarnes: What stays the same is the foundation of ADI: our people, our customer relationships, our local presence, our product expertise and our commitment to service.

Customers should continue to expect the same trusted support, the same local teams, and the same dedication to helping them succeed. That has not changed.

Where we see opportunity is continuing to enhance the overall customer experience. That includes investing in digital tools, training, technical support, value-added services and making it even easier for customers to do business with us across all channels. We never view service as something that’s finished. It’s an area where we’re always looking to improve.

SSI: Integrators are increasingly working across security, AV, networking and communications on a single job. How does ADI plan to help them navigate that convergence, from product selection to technical support?

Aarnes: Convergence is one of the biggest trends shaping our industry today, and it’s creating new opportunities for integrators to expand their capabilities and grow their businesses.

ADI is uniquely positioned because of the breadth of our portfolio across security, fire/life safety, residential and commercial AV, networking and communications, and more. Our role is to help customers bring those technologies together successfully.

That means providing access to the right products, knowledgeable sales support, training programs, technical expertise and supplier relationships that help customers design and deploy complete solutions. We want to be more than a distributor. We want to be a trusted business partner that helps customers win.

SSI: If an integrator is wondering whether this spinoff affects pricing, availability or the relationship they’ve built with their local ADI store location, what would you tell them?

Aarnes: I’d tell them that it’s business as usual.

The same teams are serving customers. The same local stores are supporting them. And the same products, services and supplier relationships remain in place.

Our focus throughout this transition has been ensuring continuity for customers, and that’s exactly what they should expect. If anything, becoming an independent company strengthens our ability to focus on serving integrators and investing in areas that support their long-term success

SSI: Looking ahead from the spinoff this month, what are you most excited to build for the integration community as an independent ADI?

Aarnes: What excites me most is the opportunity to invest in the future alongside our customers.

ADI already has a strong foundation, including leading positions in our core markets, deep supplier relationships, a global footprint and an industry-leading omnichannel platform. As an independent company, we can build on those strengths with even greater focus.

We’re investing in digital capabilities, category expansion, exclusive brands, value-added services and operational excellence to help customers grow faster and operate more efficiently.

Ultimately, our goal is simple: to be the indispensable partner of choice for integrators and to help them succeed in a rapidly changing market.

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Together, the companies will give integrators a portfolio of purpose-built products that scale with their business, from their first proposal through enterprise deployment.

According to the statement, they come together with a single purpose: to build the next generation of software integrators use to run their businesses.

What Will the Combined D-Tools and Portal.io Company Look Like?

According to the combined company, G Paul Hess continues as CEO. Meanwhile, Kirk Chisholm, founder and CEO of Portal.io, joins as chief product officer, with responsibility for product vision and strategy across the portfolio.

Josh Willits, Portal.io’s chief operating officer, will also serve as head of Portal.io, continuing to lead the Portal business unit.

D-Tools and Portal.io Merger to Bring Together Integrator Network

The merger brings together the largest network of integrators in the industry, running from single-operator shops to enterprise teams with hundreds of users.

This scale gives the combined company a broader and more representative view of how integrators work, where they struggle and what they need from software, creating a stronger foundation for what it builds next.

For nearly three decades, D-Tools notes it has been an anchor platform for the integration industry. It earned its position by building the breadth and scale integration businesses need to bring structure, accuracy and control to their operations, across sales, system design, engineering, project management and procurement.

That capability, along with the trust that the company has built across the industry, will be the foundation of the new combined organization.

Portal.io has spent 15 years understanding how dealers sell and turning that insight into software they love to use. That focus has produced an intuitive proposal and catalog experience, robust customer support and a loyal customer base for the company.

What’s more, the two companies have been partners for more than a decade, since Portal.io’s managed product catalog was first integrated into D-Tools SI.

In a market this focused, they have long stood as two prominent companies without building their businesses at each other’s expense; neither has grown by targeting the other’s customers.

As a result, bringing the organizations together reflects a recognition that integrators are better served by one team investing in the tools they depend on every day than by two teams solving the same problems twice.

A Portfolio for Integrators at Every Stage

The combined company will bring together three purpose-built products, each designed around different ways integrators run their businesses.

• Portal.io: speed, simplicity and a client-facing proposal experience that wins the job. It continues as Portal.io, developed and supported by the team that built it.
• D-Tools Cloud: depth across the whole operation, including sales, system design, proposals, project management, scheduling, service and integration with the other tools integrators use every day.
• D-Tools System Integrator (SI): the enterprise-grade deployment for the industry’s largest and most complex operations, with nearly three decades of proven performance.

Rather than pushing every customer into a single system, D-Tools and Portal.io will continue to support each platform while working with integrators to match the right software to their needs.

“There is no forced merger or disintegration of product or eliminating a product,” Hess tells SSI sister publication Commercial Integrator exclusively. “That’s not planned.”

Chisholm agrees, telling CI exclusively, “The market will be crystal clear on what it wants, and that’s where we’ll go.” He adds, “If it ends up being a single software, then great. But what I firmly believe in is not to go after a single software for its sake.”

Indeed, for customers of every platform, nothing will change overnight. Every customer continues on their current product, at their current terms, with the same support team they know. All subscriptions will continue on current terms.

What Will the New Product Catalog Look Like?

D-Tools operates a comprehensive product data catalog, with complete specifications and pricing from thousands of manufacturer and distributor suppliers. Meanwhile, Portal.io brings its own extensive managed catalog and established relationships with industry manufacturers.

Together, the combined company aims to improve accuracy, deliver more up-to-date product and pricing information, and strengthen specification workflows across the combined portfolio.

Building for an AI-Native Industry

The combined organization announced that it will be product-led and integrator-first, earning every dealer’s business through the quality of the experience — not the length of a feature list.

Both companies also share a conviction that AI will reshape how integrators sell, design, manage and execute their work. “It’s not just AI for the sake of AI,” Hess declares.

The united team intends to apply AI throughout the integrator workflow as a foundation for making complex business processes faster, easier and more intelligent, while using AI internally to build and ship for customers at a pace that neither company could have reached alone.

D-Tools and Portal.io Leadership Speak on Merger

According to Hess, “Bringing D-Tools and Portal.io together gives our industry something it has never had before: the most established platforms in custom integration, the integrator communities that have grown up around them and the most complete product data, now backed by one team. I came up in this industry as an integrator, and I have spent most of my career in product. And for me, this is a return to a product-led organization.”

He continues, “Kirk has spent more than a decade obsessing over what integrators need from software, and Portal.io reflects that in every detail. His product leadership complements the deep experience this D-Tools team has built over decades, and together we get to build the next chapter for this industry as one team.”

Chisholm remarks, “Portal.io was built on one idea: understand dealers better than anyone and build software they love to use. D-Tools has built the most capable platform in this industry and earned a place in more integration businesses than anyone. We have known and worked with D-Tools for more than a decade, and what has always been clear is how aligned we are on what integrators actually need.”

He adds, “Putting our two teams together is a real chance to shape where this industry goes and to build what dealers have always wanted. In a world of AI, an integrator should be able to run their entire business on software that is powerful, beautiful and intuitive all at once. If you had to hand-pick two companies to deliver on that, it would be D-Tools and Portal.io. That is the company I want to build, and it is why I am excited to take on product for the combined organization.”

D-Tools and Portal.io Strengthen Commitment to Integrator Channel

The combined company will continue to serve the CEDIA channel, residential and light commercial custom integrators, while continuing to expand into commercial, pro AV, security and international integrator communities where both see growing demand.

Existing relationships with distributors, buying groups and industry associations will also continue. Indeed, Hess and Chisholm say they will be strengthened under the combined company.

D-Tools and Portal.io will both exhibit at CEDIA Expo in Denver (booth #3273) next week. There, attendees can see live product demonstrations and meet the joint leadership team.

Learn more about the combined company at D-Tools.com/together.

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