Commercial Integrator + Security Sales Sept/Oct 2023 - 128

BETWEEN US PROS
Closing the Book on 25 Years
IT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING and traumatic
year of my life. It was 1998 and I had led
a pretty charmed life until then. That changed
drastically as I was hurled into a cyclone of
gut-wrenching upheaval. I suffered the loss
of both grandparents, who I had grown up
extremely close to, and I was confronted with
the untimely deaths of a favorite uncle and my
cat, who had been my little buddy throughout
bachelorhood. On top of that, I showed up one
day at the media company where I had worked
for 11 years and the doors were chained shut!
The owners had filed bankruptcy and walked
away from the business ― leaving me chasing
and never recovering several weeks of pay.
I was at a crossroads. Doing my best to push
forward, a friend and former co-worker alerted
me to an opening at the business-to-business
publishing company he had joined a couple
years prior. While he worked on a magazine for
the school bus industry, the opportunity before
me was with a publication dedicated to the
electronic security industry. I had never been
involved with B2B media and was especially
unfamiliar with the security world.
Having never lived in a home with an alarm
support of their suppliers as advertisers.
As that unfolded, I came to understand how
fascinating and multifaceted security was, its
incredibly important societal role, and the terrific
people and colorful characters of which it
is comprised. Early on, I made my mark with indepth
articles that began longtime friendships
with industry leaders. My dedication and results
paid off as I rapidly ascended to become the
chief editor and eventual associate publisher.
Highlights during my 25 SSI years include
1999
I am so
thankful to
everyone who
worked with
and helped
me become
the longesttenured
system,
my best points of reference were a few
systems I had encountered in employer sites,
my constantly falsely triggered car alarms, and
The Club steering wheel-clutch/brake pedal vehicle
lock. Despite my naiveté, I was offered and
accepted a senior editor position with Security Sales (Integration
was added to the title in 2001). I would have never guessed that
decision would prove to be the turning point of my professional
career. Personally, over those ensuing decades, I got married,
bought my first house, fathered a son, buried both parents and
moved from the west to east coast of the U.S. From that perspective,
I grew up in the security industry.
Digging in with the belief that ability, hard work and attitude
get you ahead, I was all-in from the jump. It helped that I was
into audio equipment, electronics, computers and technology,
but there was still a fairly steep learning curve. It was not just
about the products and systems, but especially becoming familiarized
with key players and fully grasping how the channel
functioned along with its many nuances. Then there was also
the mission to provide the highest value content and information
to dealer and integrator readers, and to engender the
person in SSI's
45-year
history.
launching the industry's first email newsletter;
groundbreaking research and industry exclusives;
sensibly advocating new technologies (e.g.
IP video, biometrics, video analytics, Big Data,
Cloud, security as a service, video verification,
cybersecurity); partnering and participating in
several trade associations; extensive travel and
reporting; and developing programs including
the SSI Industry Hall of Fame, Police Dispatch
Quality (PDQ), Monitoring Technology Marvel,
Most Valuable Products (MVPs), Top 30 Technology
Innovations, and SSI Installer and Integrated
Installation of the Year.
This quarter-century celebration of my
service to SSI is bittersweet, however. That's because,
due to an amazing opportunity, this is my
final issue. By the time you read this, I will have
begun the next chapter in my career as marketing
director for Elite Interactive Solutions. That's
right: I am further entrenching myself within
the security industry by joining a company on the leading edge
of remote guarding, intelligent monitoring and incident intervention.
I aim to put into practice the fantastic insights I have
learned from SSI's wonderful audience these many years!
I am so thankful to everyone who worked with and helped me
become the longest-tenured person in SSI's 45-year history. I am
beyond proud of what has been accomplished during my time
and want to express the utmost gratitude to the dozens of tremendous
team members and outside contributors who helped myself
and the publication shine.
SSI remains in capable hands with a bright future. Now, as a
reader myself, I look forward to seeing where fresh leadership
takes it. SSI
Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher SCOTT GOLDFINE,
an Industry Hall of Famer, has spent 25 years with SSI.
Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration, (USPS 005-160) (ISSN 2165-9850), Vol. 13 No. 9, is published monthly and bi-monthly in Sept/Oct and Nov/Dec by Emerald X, LLC., 100
Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, New York 10005, 800-440-2139. Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is a registered trademark of Emerald X, LLC. All reproduction, including
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128 Commercial Integrator+Security Sales & Integration | Sept/Oct 2023

Commercial Integrator + Security Sales Sept/Oct 2023

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