INDUSTRY FOCUS
Surviving the COVID Crisis
- By Ralph C. Jensen
- Jun 18, 2020
COVID-19. Where to begin?
This pandemic appears
to be nowhere near
controlled or over, and it
certainly has taken its toll
worldwide and on all Americans. It has
affected the security industry as well. As
the industry as a whole has taken it on the
chin, it seems integrators and staff were
disrupted the most.
Coronavirus impacts are not hitting
manufacturers as badly as they feared. The
situation is modestly improving for many.
Early on, the situation was bad everywhere,
and in the beginning, integrators
outside the United States claimed to be
disrupted. From a recent IPVM survey, as
many as 50 percent of foreign integrators
were in trouble. At the same time, and just
as the virus was ramping up here, 31 percent
of U.S. integrators were struggling.
In the U.S., there seemed to be a slowdown
in the number of service calls coming
in, and new projects and ongoing projects
were put on hold. Government sites,
consisting of federal and local governments,
limited access to work sites.
One of the most defeating actions in
the early stages of pandemic was the shuttering
of gaming sites and casinos. Security
integrators play a huge role in keeping
these sites open and secure on a daily basis.
The impact of COVID-19 continues,
but as the country begins to open up for
business again, security integrators will
likely be going back to work.
As a bad situation began to darken,
integrators were making comments, such
as the work environment growing steadily
worse week by week. Some companies
have laid off staff, upwards of 35 percent
of their workforce.
Some customers have canceled or delayed
proposed projects, and others customers
asking for delayed payment for
work completed by as much as six months.
Installation staff have also voiced their
concerns about going to certain projects
for an install, unless it required emergency
service.
There are reasons for optimism. Despite
new project work in slow-down
mode, or even non-existent, some integrators
are able to get back to work on
existing projects that were hard hit, and
stopped by the virus.
Recovery is coming, though tenuous.
It appears the situation has bottomed out
for integrators, and hopefully this points
to a rebound. The situation will improve,
though quick recovery is not likely. Hopefully,
we see gradual and strong recovery
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2020 issue of Security Today.
About the Author
Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.