We proudly present the winners for 2013 Security 50, who stayed focused and agile to weather the uncertain economy and harsh market competition. Lingering uncertainty in global economy has hindered the progress of many industries since the recession in 2008. Compared to consumer electronics, the security industry still grows steadily.
We proudly present the winners for 2013 Security 50, who stayed focused and agile to weather the uncertain economy and harsh market competition. Lingering uncertainty in global economy has hindered the progress of many industries since the recession in 2008. Compared to consumer electronics, the security industry still grows steadily. The fragmented market nature and disparate security demands in different industries and geographic regions, on the other hand, provide a parachute to the security market, preventing itself from being severely influenced by the mega trends. However, we noticed that government budget constraint in many countries and the gloomy European economy have caused some related industries or companies to experience downturn.
The Security 50 seeks different strategies to meet the challenges in the market. Some strengthened their territories in the non-government sectors. Those who used to target high-end markets have shifted to the small- to middle-end markets for increased market awareness. Some focused on their penetration in certain vertical markets to stay competitive. Although IP-based video surveillance remains strong, the companies face fierce competition over the price and challenges of differentiating products and services.
The rise of Chinese enterprises has become much more obvious, also shown in the 2013 security 50 ranking. It is hard to overlook the improvement of Chinese products and enterprises during these years. Following the steps of Lenovo and Alibaba, more and more Chinese companies have emerged in the global markets.
Finally, although we observed fewer mergers and acquisition from last year and early this year, quite interestingly, the investments from venture capitals take up major parts. This fully demonstrates the overall confidence toward physical security from global investors. Looking toward 2014, besides video surveillance, the access control and alarm industry will also start to escalate their growth drive. A promising future can be expected.
a&s sister publication asmag.com is unveiling the complete 2013 ranking and coverage in next week, on a dedicated microsite. Be sure to check out this year's solution providers and their viewpoints!
