Security System Services

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in the security systems services industry sell, install, and monitor commercial and residential electronic security alarm systems. Major companies include US-based ADT and Johnson Controls, along with G4S (UK), Secom (Japan), and Securitas (Sweden).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven partly by home sales, new home construction, and new commercial and office construction. The profitability of monitoring companies depends on the volume of customers, as most costs are fixed. Large companies have advantages of scale in operating monitoring centers and in national advertising and brand recognition. Small companies often compete by selling customer contracts to the large monitoring companies, or reselling the monitoring companies' services, which they buy wholesale. The US industry is concentrated: the 50 largest companies generate about 60% of industry revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major services of security system service companies include the sales, installation, and monitoring of electronic security systems. The industry consists of commercial and residential segments, each of which uses different types of equipment and monitoring. Most companies operate in only one segment. Building security system and lock installation services for nonresidential and residential account for about 50% of the industry revenue. Monitored building security services for nonresidential and residential also account for about 50% of industry revenue. Other services include security guard and patrol services as well as security consulting services. The main components of a security system are door, window and motion sensors, control keypads, alarms, and communications modules.