What’s in a name? Sometimes everything.
As we celebrated our 40th year as a publication in 2018, it seemed like the perfect time to take a good look in the mirror.
Since I took the helm as Editor-in-Chief five short years ago, I have gradually shifted the editorial focus of this magazine so that the vast majority of articles and analyses answered the same question: How do we help the business owners and managers who read this publication make more money? It was this laser focus that led to the creation of our tagline: “The Path to Greater Profits.”
Five years in, did our magazine’s title really reflect its content, as well as the current business climate in the security industry? There was only one way to find out – to ask.
One of the first and most important things we learned when talking to security business owners and managers was that the term “security dealer” has become dated in our industry. Sure, there are still plenty of manufacturers/vendors who call their integrator partners “dealers” – however, it was just about impossible to find someone who self-identified as a “security dealer.”
Second (and thankfully) we learned that the editorial decision to gradually move away from technology-focused case studies and analysis to focus more on the big picture – the business issues and technology trends that actually impact a security business every day – was well-received. In fact, we learned that running a successful security business is fraught with challenges and obstacles that go far beyond technology choices. Cloud-based services, taxes, tariffs, cybersecurity, cannabis, 5G, and the entrance of huge, powerful players into our market are just a handful of the topics that have been featured on the covers of this magazine in recent months. We learned that these types of issues are the ones that are the proverbial “keep me up at night” issues for the security integrator.
The third important thing we learned when talking to many in the industry was that there is still a bit of confusion regarding its trade publications. Let’s face it, there are quite a few acronyms out there and not everyone is always sure which one is which.
Over the past five years, SD&I evolved and changed editorially and visually to become the go-to business magazine for security business owners, managers and executives who are powering this industry. In 2019, the magazine will take the next logical step in that progression. It was with all this in mind that we decided to take the bold step of changing our name – something that happened only once before in our 40-year history – in 2008 when we added “& Integrator” to our title.
Today, we are Security Business – the magazine you have come to know over the years but with a great and much more relevant name.
Expect everything you have come to expect from this magazine – news coverage, business climate analysis, technology trends, emerging and established verticals, sales and marketing expertise, the Fast50. Expect even more as we continue to change with the evolving trends, technologies and markets in our industry...all with a name that means so much more than simply identifying the people who read it.
To read our full press release on the name change, click here.
- Paul Rothman, Editor-in-Chief
Feel free to email me your comments or questions at [email protected].
