ESA Names Industry Research Center Advisory Council Members

IRVING, Texas — The Electronic Security Association (ESA) today announces the formation of the ESA Industry Research Center Advisory Council, a group of industry leaders “who will help guide the strategic direction of the association’s research initiatives and ensure they address the issues most important to electronic security and life safety professionals.” The Advisory Council “brings together respected executives from across the security integration ecosystem to provide industry expertise, identify emerging trends and help shape future research priorities for the ESA Industry Research Center, including the ESA Industry Performance Index (IPI),” according to the ESA announcement. The inaugural members of the ESA Industry Research Center Advisory Council are: Michael Barnes, founder, Barnes & Associates Kirk MacDowell, president, MacGuard Security Advisors Scott R. Elkins, executive chairman, Zeus Fire and Security Ken Francis, executive vice president, Digital Monitoring Products (DMP) Additional Advisory Council members will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the ESA announcement. What Will the ESA Industry Research Advisory Council Do? “The ESA Industry Research Center was created to provide independent, data-driven intelligence that helps security professionals make better business decisions,” says Merlin Guilbeau, CEO of ESA, in the association announcement. “Our Advisory Council ensures that our research remains grounded in the real-world challenges and opportunities facing integrators, dealers, manufacturers and the broader security community,” he says. “Their collective experience will help keep our research relevant, practical, and focused on the issues that matter most.” Serving in an advisory capacity, council members will work alongside ESA leadership and Beacon Economics, the association’s independent research partner, to “provide guidance on research priorities, emerging industry trends and topics that can deliver the greatest value to ESA members and the industry at large.” The council will also “provide ongoing feedback as the ESA Industry Research Center expands its portfolio of research, benchmarking tools, economic analysis and educational resources,” according to the association announcement. “One of the greatest strengths of the Industry Research Center is that it is being built with input from the industry,” says Elkins in the ESA announcement. “This council represents leaders with diverse experiences across the security market and together we have an opportunity to help ensure the research reflects the realities businesses face every day.” The ESA Industry Research Center was “established to provide objective economic intelligence and market insights that help security companies better understand industry trends, benchmark performance and make informed strategic decisions,” according to the association announcement. A cornerstone of the initiative is the ESA Industry Performance Index (IPI), developed in partnership with Beacon Economics. Scheduled to launch later this summer, the IPI “will measure the health of the electronic security industry across four key dimensions: business activity and market growth, workforce capacity, revenue and business model health and technology and AI adoption,” according to the ESA announcement. The post ESA Names Industry Research Center Advisory Council Members appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.