By: Anita Brunet, Wesco
I’ve worked in this industry long enough to see all kinds of customers. The early adopters who practically jump out of their chairs when they hear “AI,” and the ones who’d rather hug their DVR than hand anything over to the cloud.
And truthfully, I love them both.
Because somewhere between the excitement of the first group and the caution of the second lies the heart of where our industry really is right now — in transition.
Every few years, something big comes along that shakes up the industry, IP video, mobile credentials, analytics, cloud, now AI. With each leap forward, there’s that same split reaction: some people run toward it like a kid in a candy store, while others slowly back away, saying, “Let’s just see how this plays out.”
I’ve had meetings with integrators who are so far ahead of the curve that they’re practically designing the curve. They’re excited about automation, connected platforms, and leveraging data in ways that save real time and money.
Then I’ll get on a call later that same day with someone who still thinks “the cloud” is just marketing for putting your data on someone else’s computer (and to be fair — they’re not entirely wrong).
Let’s start with the early adopters.
They see technology as opportunity. For them, moving to cloud isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a strategy. It means less hardware maintenance, fewer site visits, more remote management, and more uptime.
They ask great questions, they pilot new ideas, and they’re not afraid to learn alongside us. They’ve figured out that “futureproofing” is how you make sure your business doesn’t get left behind. These are the integrators who send me emails like,
“We just added video analytics across all sites, and our maintenance tickets dropped by 30%.” They’re culture-savvy. They’re creating workplaces where innovation isn’t scary; it’s expected.
Then there are the customers who, let’s say, are less enthusiastic.
They’ve been doing things the same way for 20 years, and it’s worked just fine. They have equipment they can see, touch and control. Servers in the back room. Systems they can reboot with a good solid “turn it off and back on again.”
They’ve weathered trends before and survived them all. So, when I start talking about remote management, APIs or predictive analytics, I can see skepticism forming mid-sentence.
They’re not wrong to be cautious. The last few years have been full of hype and sometimes half-baked “solutions” that didn’t always deliver. Change fatigue is real.
Underneath the hesitation, however, is something else…pride. Pride in what they’ve built, in systems that have worked reliably for decades. They’re not anti-innovation, they’re protective. They want proof that this new world is worth the risk.
I once had a customer say, “if I can’t unplug it, I don’t trust it.” Fair enough, but the irony is that the very things people fear (data loss, downtime, lack of control) are often the exact things cloud, and AI are solving for. Still, when you’ve built a career on fixing things with a wrench or a reboot, “let the algorithm handle it” feels like heresy.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
both types of integrators are valuable, and both need us to meet them where they are.
The early adopters need ongoing partnership. They move fast, and they expect their suppliers to move with them. They want transparency, collaboration, and people who can keep up with their pace. If we don’t match their momentum, they’ll find someone who will.
The more cautious ones need patience and proof. They want to see real examples, not marketing slides. They want to know someone just like them tried it, and it worked. When they finally make the leap, they become some of the most loyal customers you’ll ever have, because you earned their trust.
What connects both groups is the same thing that’s always mattered in this business: relationships. Whether it’s explaining AI or Cloud in plain English or celebrating the first successful migration to the cloud, the key is helping people feel supported, not sold to.
Of course, the world won’t slow down for anyone. The pace of innovation is only accelerating and the companies that resist it completely risk more than just inefficiency. The market is shifting toward connected ecosystems, subscription models and data-driven insights. Manual reporting disconnected systems and reactive service calls all consume time and money. While that’s happening, competitors who embraced technology are now offering smarter, faster, cheaper solutions.
So when customers say, “We’ll wait until it’s more proven,” I gently remind them that by the time something feels safe, it’s already standard. Behind every upgrade, every new system, there’s someone learning something new. Someone rethinking a process they’ve done for 15 years. Someone stepping out of their comfort zone.
I’ve seen integrators and their customers, who swore they’d never move to cloud-based access control, now bragging about how they can unlock doors from their phone. I’ve watched technicians who used to print reports now pulling dashboards on tablets and saying, “Why didn’t we do this sooner?”
Those moments, that click between fear and understanding, are what make all the effort worthwhile.
Technology will keep changing. Faster than any of us can predict. Some will jump right in. Others will hang back, arms crossed, watching closely.
And honestly? That’s okay. Progress doesn’t need everyone to move at once; it just needs enough people willing to take the first few steps.
The rest will follow, maybe reluctantly, maybe late, but they’ll come around. They always do.
Anita Brunet is the Vice President of Sales, Security Solutions for Wesco. She is a past president of CANASA (Canadian Security Association) where she still serves on their board of directors. In 2024, Anita was named to SIA’s Women in Security Forum’s Power 100 in recognition of her leadership and impact in the global security industry.
https://www.securityworldmarket.com/security-integrators
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why are security integrators hesitant to adopt cloud and AI technologies?
Many integrators are cautious due to concerns about control, reliability, data security, and past experiences with overhyped or underperforming solutions.
2. How do early adopter integrators benefit from emerging security technologies?
Early adopters gain operational efficiency, reduced maintenance costs, improved uptime, and new revenue opportunities through automation, analytics, and remote management.
3. Is cloud technology actually more secure for physical security systems?
When properly designed, cloud and hybrid systems can improve resilience, reduce downtime, and enhance visibility compared to isolated, on-prem systems.
4. How can suppliers support integrators at different stages of technology adoption?
Suppliers must offer partnership and speed for early adopters, while providing patience, real-world proof, and education for more cautious integrators.
5. What happens if integrators delay adopting new technologies too long?
Delaying adoption can lead to lost competitiveness, higher operational costs, and missed opportunities as the market shifts toward connected, data-driven security ecosystems.