News Source For The Physical Security Industry

It all began for me in the security industry in 1982: I was a college student who also worked the graveyard shift at a local Sonitrol central station, grinding for my living expenses like most college students do. At the time, I believed there was a means to an end with that as I had aspirations of becoming a police officer. After hitting my two-year mark with Sonitrol and just as I was completing my program in school, the Branch Manager of the central station approached me to offer a position in sales.

The IRS loosely defines fair market value as the price at which a business would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller when the former is not under any compulsion to buy and the latter is not under any compulsion to sell; both parties having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts.

For its employees, clients, and guests, physical security has always been a top concern for businesses of any size. Specifically, access control systems are essential to protecting these individuals and their belongings. In its original form, access control was authorized using physical keys or keycards. But with the proliferation of smartphones and their connection with safe digital technologies like Google Wallet and Apple Wallet, things continue to shift very quickly.

Early in my career in the electronic security industry, I remember someone telling me that you are either born into this industry or you fall into it. My experience was the latter. Almost twenty years ago it began with an opening for an inside salesperson at Honeywell Security in Louisville, KY. Since then, I’ve enjoyed working for small dealers, large integrators, and other manufacturers. I’ve been in vaults with $40 million in cash, secured critical infrastructure, and helped men wearing earbuds and sunglasses protect our country. It’s been an amazing experience and I’m proud to have helped hundreds of clients along the way.

My phone is always by my side. How about you? We’re in the security industry, after all, and being on call 24/7/365 can be part of our job description. I spent years as the first person called when a subscriber needed help. Twenty years later I still check to be sure my phone is next to me before going to sleep.

By: Josh Ring, President, El Dorado Insurance Services When you say “insurance” in front of alarm company owners, it generally conjures up feelings of a very large expense for something that is not typically used or understood.  For most security alarm firms, insurance is their second-largest expense (behind payroll) and anything that can be done to […]