Yesterday I attended the Commercial Integrator Expo education session, “How to Add Security Integration Into Your AV Business.”

Dan Ferrisi moderated the session and was joined by Josh Cummings, executive vice president of technology at Paladin Technologies, and Lionel Felix, founder and chief revenue officer at CI’s 2023 Integrator of the Year, Felix Media Solutions.

After attending the session, I left with three main takeaways.

Expanding beyond your core competencies can create risk for your business

“I would say the risk inherently is you don’t want to screw up your current business. Whether you’re in security or AV, the last thing you want to do it go mess up this great relationship you have with the customer and by not performing well on something that you’re exploring.” said Cummings.

Focus on a Niche in the Security Market to Succeed. Collaborating with Competitors Can Help Grow Your Business

“What I did is turn competitors into collaborators that now send us business. We made it clear we’re like the little fish on the side of the shark — helping, not hurting. We have a symbiotic relationship,” said Felix.

AV Professionals Entering the Security Field Face a Steep Learning Curve With Codes, Permits, Licensing Etc

“The worst thing you could do is take on a project, go try to install it, be on a construction site, and then the fire inspector comes out and shuts you down or shuts the entire construction project down because you didn’t know that you needed a permit to do work in that space. So, do your homework, do the research,” said Cummings.

In conclusion, the session provided valuable insights for AV professionals looking to expand into the security market. While the opportunities are significant, it’s clear that entering this space requires careful planning.