Industry Focus

Our Round of Convergence

• By Ralph C. Jensen
• Dec 01, 2016

There are myriad clichés that describe change. However, the one that seems to suit Security Products magazine best is: Success is often brought about by change. George Bernard Shaw said, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

Mr. Shaw and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to change. At Security Products magazine, we have enjoyed our share of successes over the past 20 years. We have altered several things along the way, most notably our size. During our first few years the dimensions of the magazine were that of a full-size tabloid. Looking back now, that thing was huge. Moving away the large format, we scaled down to what you probably know us best at: the European tabloid, a little smaller and more compact.

During the past four years, our editorial content has changed as well, due to the Internet and the instant availability of news. When we now receive a press release noting a new hire or promotion, it goes straight to our website. It becomes news now, rather than published in the magazine as news two months later. Also, as services and solutions become more common, we increased coverage of those in the magazine.

Now, the final piece of our change in the puzzle.

Let’s call it convergence.

Security Products will officially become Security Today beginning with our February issue. And, if that change is not enough, we will be doing away with the tabloid format and the traditional front page with a host of products. Security Today will become a standard size magazine with a cover photo from the month’s featured article.

Why change? Several years ago I felt the need to build a portfolio for the next decade. The team discussed it, and we all agreed that we needed to move beyond a product focus to one of solutions, technology, education and information. So, we developed www.securitytoday.com as the start of this portfolio and then integrated this new idea into our e-newsletters and other parts of the digital portfolio.

“Change brings opportunity,” Nido Qubein.

We chose to showcase the changes in February because we wanted to have a little cushion during the holidays. Honestly, the feedback from readers and advertisers alike has been positive and exciting. The focus and content will continue to change as we expect to reflect a broader and more comprehensive view of the security market. For the past two decades we have largely been known as a product tabloid, so having a New Products section will not change at all. It will be robust, timely and well positioned.

We are adding circulation to increase our reach into the monitoring vertical. We applaud these people in the security industry for their dedication to keeping home and property, save and secure.

Some things will remain the same, such as our Campus Security & Life Safety specialty publication. Look for more exciting news for this magazine in 2017. Our Networking Security and GovSec will also remain the same, and the Dealer Strategies publication will continue on course seven times a year. For the most part, people do not like modifications to things that have been a constant in their lives. Progress, however, means the inevitable culmination of change. What I like most about the changes we are making is our goal to stay true to our roots, and to our readers. The burden of proof is on my staff and I to bring important editorial contributions that will teach, train and educate, and offer the latest in technology. We will continue to use our website for breaking news and other timely information as the staff works the website all day to ensure readers have a place to find breaking news. The publication will carry the best solutions and technology-based information, for our readers.

We’ve been working on this change for at least a couple of years now and needless to say we are pretty excited about the outcome. Like a puzzle, we are placing in the last, giant piece to see the completion of that diagram.

The time is right to announce Security Today. Today’s security market has seen numerous changes over the past decade. We are pleased to have been a small part of that evolution, and now we announce our biggest change as we integrate Today well into the future.

This article originally appeared in the December 2016 issue of Security Today.