Why the ESA Industry Research Center Starts with Listening

Why the ESA Industry Research Center Starts with Listening

BY Scott R. Elkins, Executive Chairman, Zeus Fire and Security, ESA Board of Directors and ESA Industry Research Center Advisory Council Good research begins with good questions. For the electronic security industry, those questions can't be developed in a boardroom...
Michael Barnes on the Power of Showing Up: Why Industry Involvement Matters

Michael Barnes on the Power of Showing Up: Why Industry Involvement Matters

Each year, the Sara E. Jackson Award recognizes an ESA volunteer who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication, and service to the electronic security and life safety industry. At ESX 2026, Michael Barnes was honored with ESA’s Sara E. Jackson Award,...
George De Marco Accepts ESA’s Morris F. Weinstock Award: A Reflection on Leadership, Relationships, and Giving Back

George De Marco Accepts ESA’s Morris F. Weinstock Award: A Reflection on Leadership, Relationships, and Giving Back

Each year, the Morris F. Weinstock Person of the Year Award recognizes individuals whose leadership, service, and dedication have made a lasting impact on the electronic security and life safety industry. At ESX 2026, George De Marco was honored as...
2026 ESA Youth Scholarship Winner Cardin Ia Shares Powerful Message on Service and Community

2026 ESA Youth Scholarship Winner Cardin Ia Shares Powerful Message on Service and Community

Each year, the ESA Youth Scholarship Program recognizes the children of first responders who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership, and a commitment to serving their communities. At ESX 2026, Cardin Ia was named ESA’s first-place national finalist and awarded a $30,000...
ESA Announces Research Center Advisory Council to Help Shape the Future of Security Industry Intelligence

ESA Announces Research Center Advisory Council to Help Shape the Future of Security Industry Intelligence

The Electronic Security Association (ESA), the nation's largest trade organization representing the electronic life safety and security industry, today announced the formation of the ESA Industry Research Center Advisory Council, a distinguished group of industry leaders who will help guide...
The Power of Knowing: Why the Security Industry Needs Its Own Economic Intelligence

The Power of Knowing: Why the Security Industry Needs Its Own Economic Intelligence

BY:  Michael Barnes, founding partner of Barnes Associates & ESA Treasurer The electronic security and life safety industry has never been more important, or more difficult to predict. Across the industry, integrators, monitoring providers, manufacturers, and service organizations are navigating...
Raising the Industry’s AI IQ: What Integrators Need to Know Now 

Raising the Industry’s AI IQ: What Integrators Need to Know Now 

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept for the electronic security and life safety industry. It is already reshaping how companies operate, compete, and grow. The challenge is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to apply it...
Access Control Is Moving Beyond the Door 

Access Control Is Moving Beyond the Door 

Why identity, software, and operational intelligence are redefining the opportunity.  By Jake Voll, Associate Director of ESA and CEO of SS&Si  For years, access control has been viewed through a familiar lens: keep the wrong people out, let the right people in,...
Guardrails for Growth: Why Integrators Need Systems That Protect Them from Themselves

Guardrails for Growth: Why Integrators Need Systems That Protect Them from Themselves

By Tracy Larson, President & Managing Director of WeSuite  In our industry, growth is a great problem to have. But as any security integrator knows, growth also brings new challenges, more opportunities, more complex projects, and more moving parts. With those...
Why Alarm Contractors Need Both Professional & General Liability

Why Alarm Contractors Need Both Professional & General Liability

By Crystal Jacobs, Program Lead at Security America  In the electronic security and life safety industry, risk does not fall neatly into a single category. Alarm contractors operate in a space where physical work and professional judgment are intertwined, making it essential to carry...