The State of Security Guard Industry Competition 2023

In 2023, things will be interesting for a lot of security companies. Security guards are still in high demand in many fields, but it can be hard to find and hire new ones. This has also caused another problem in some places: customers are starting to look for other options.

It’s always a good idea for a security company to keep an eye on the competition. This is especially true if clients might be tempted to look elsewhere for security solutions.

So, let’s take a moment to look at the top competitors security guard companies face, how these industries are doing, and what security guard companies might want to do in response.

Security systems that are bigger and have more alerts

When clients look at high-tech security systems, they may wonder if they can get rid of security guards and just use technology instead. Motion detectors, security cameras in the right places, and alerts sent to phones or emails can work together to make a powerful security tool.

Also, many security systems have monitoring options so that the person who owns the system or the system itself can get in touch with professionals and set up help.

How could a company that hires security guards respond to these high-tech security systems? Two things are very important. First, even the smartest security systems are bad at dealing with people. Any business that needs to talk to employees or customers in person will benefit from having a guard there.

Second, guards can react right away to things like a break-in, a fight, or a fire. Even the fastest monitoring companies usually need a few minutes to call the police or fire department, and it can take even longer for them to get to a property. The best way for security systems to work is with a guard who knows how to use them.

Outside Fences

Companies that want to protect warehouses, similar buildings, or any kind of off-site property can use perimeter fencing instead. Some businesses might be tempted to do this because fencing can stop problems like trespassing and burglaries and is cheap compared to other options.

For more advanced solutions, you can also buy electric fencing or fencing that is run by a machine. And companies that make security fences are trying to take advantage of this.

That’s good news for the fencing business, but it doesn’t have many uses in general. In the retail business, at apartments, and in many other places, fencing can’t take the place of guards. But this could be competition in more industrial fields, so it’s important to point out that your guards can keep an eye out for problems and look into them, while fencing can’t see or hear anything.

Checkpoints for Remote Access

Access checkpoints are a common place for security guards to work during their shifts, and many companies have gotten contracts like this for years. Some owners are now interested in high-tech solutions instead.

This includes self-service kiosks, card readers, and cameras at access points to control who gets in and out. In this case, users show their IDs and often talk to a remote center through a camera and screen to prove they are who they say they are. Then, the access point opens by itself.

Even though this may be a good option for some clients, there are some big problems with it. The biggest problem is that they’re still using a security guard, but it’s not a professional from a security firm. Also, these off-site guards can’t really solve problems or answer questions, so they aren’t good for lobbies or any kind of customer service.

Robots and UAVs

Some tech companies are even making deals with cities and businesses to give them robots or drones that can scan an area, find movement, film intruders, and do other things. Imagine them as mobile security systems with alerts, facial recognition, and two-way microphones for talking.

That sounds cool, and it’s always fun to talk about new technology, but this option won’t be much of a threat to guards in 2023, or maybe ever. Robots and drones are expensive, easy to break, not always reliable, and really need operators who have been trained in how to use them. Even though there are many things that can be done by machines, security jobs are not one of them.

Security at Home

Some clients are also thinking about bringing their security in-house, which means they would hire and manage their own security team instead of working with a company from the outside. This is an interesting way to compete because it takes a customer out of the market completely.

But only big companies can afford to do this, and it’s usually a lot of work. Guards still need to be hired, trained, and scheduled, and security firms are usually much better at doing these things than a company that’s just getting into the security business.

In the security guard business, there is competition

In 2023, there are a lot of alternatives to the security guard business. This includes keeping an eye on properties through remote access, high-tech security systems, and even robots and drones. But these still have a lot of problems when compared to a professionally trained security guard who is on-site.