THE ROAD AHEAD
Dec 1, 1999 12:00 PM,
Jared Blankenship
In modern systems contracting, it is rather unusual to find a contractorwho participates in only one, narrow segment of that industry. In fact, itis down right rare. It is far more likely that you will find a systemsintegration company, large or small, capable of offering services in arange of areas within a broader segment, such as residential installation.Further, there is no indication that this movement away fromhyper-specialization will weaken any time in the near future, and accordingto our research, you, our readers, believe the same thing.
This trend makes a good amount of sense for both the contractor and hiscustomers. Technology is now available to suit a wide variety of clientneeds, yet certain rules governing the installation of this technology,varied as it may be, remain constant. With perhaps only a bit ofsupplemental training, a contractor who had once specialized exclusively inhome theater design and installation would now be able to satisfy acustomer with additional needs in low-voltage lighting, residentialautomation and security systems. The customer now has the benefit ofone-stop shopping, and the contractor not only increases his business, butalso circumvents the hassles inherent in working with other installationcompanies to get the job done.
Some of the crossover opportunities available, as in the aforementionedexample, are rather obvious, but others are not. In this month, S&VC willshow you some of the new technologies and the avenues for businessexpansion that they afford. Whether low-voltage lighting, MP3 audio or 3-Dimaging, acquainting yourself with a new technology cannot help but opennew doors. The future is what you make of it. Let S&VC help you make it aprosperous one.
