System Surveyor - Experts & Thought Leaders

System Surveyor, the pioneer site survey and system design platform for security integrators and technology managers, today announced the full agenda for their inaugural conference, System Surveyor THRIVE 2026, taking place September 28–30 in Austin, Texas. System Surveyor THRIVE 2026 will bring together security integrators, end users, and technology partners for two days of education, community networking, and interactive sessions focused on improving operational efficiency throughout the physical security project lifecycle. Improving operational efficiency “THRIVE was created to give our growing community and industry an opportunity to explore emerging technologies and have meaningful conversations about where our industry is headed,” said Chris Hugman, co-founder and CEO of System Surveyor. “These peer-led sessions set the tone for the conference by combining strategic industry insights with practical takeaways attendees can immediately apply within their organisations.” Throughout THRIVE 2026, System Surveyor’s product team will announce exciting new offerings and discuss product roadmap and workflow integration opportunities. System Surveyor customers, including Aaron Simpson of Stone Security and Christian Skuce of ASAP Security, will reflect on their experience deploying System Surveyor over the years, spurring discussion on the opportunities and challenges in the field. Stronger business outcomes Agenda Highlights: Together to Thrive (9/29 at 9:15 AM) – To kick off THRIVE 2026, SIA CEO Don Erickson, M.C. Dean, Inc., Sr. Vice President and SIA Board Member Julaine Simmons and System Surveyor CEO Chris Hugman will draw on key findings from the SIA 2026 Security Megatrends Report to examine three of the industry’s most significant trends and their implications for manufacturers, systems integrators, and end users. Customer Firesite Chat w/ Aaron Simpson, Stone Security (9/29 at 10:45 AM) – A highly anticipated discussion between Chris Hugman and Stone Security Co-Founder and President, Aaron Simpson, will unpack the ways that the Stone team has streamlined and simplified their site surveys, proposal creation workflows, post-sales delivery, and ultimately long-term customer engagement to scale the business efficiently and effectively. Problem-solving approach Stop Selling. Start Solving: 3 Practical Ways to Set Yourself Apart (9/29 at 1:45 PM) – After an interactive demo with System Surveyor’s new “AI Notetaker,” presenters Ken Kocher (Executive Director of Government Solutions, DMP) and Tradd Kendrick (Business Development Manager, System Surveyor) will challenge attendees to rethink how they engage customers and stakeholders, demonstrating how a consultative, problem-solving approach and use of technology tools helps build trust, uncover customer needs and deliver stronger business outcomes. Explore System Surveyor THRIVE 2026’s full agenda here. If users haven’t registered yet, the standard registration window (June 13–August 31) closes in two weeks. Registration includes conference sessions, networking events, and meals throughout the event.

System Surveyor, the pioneer site survey and system design platform for security integrators and technology managers, announces a public Beta for System Surveyor AI Notetaker. The new AI-powered feature captures site-walk discussions, observations, requirements and design notes during collaborative planning sessions, enabling users to convert customer conversations into an intelligent statement of work draft or summary of notes to be combined with a design and proposal. As part of the broader System Surveyor platform, AI Notetaker is designed to complement the company’s digital site survey and collaborative design environment, where integrators can import floor plans, place devices, make technology decisions, capture photos and produce professional system documentation in one shared workspace. Collaborative design environment “Site surveys are the critical first step to a successful project. Capturing accurate notes, site photos and device locations while talking with a customer can be very challenging,” said Chris Hugman, Co-founder and CEO of System Surveyor. “With our new AI Notetaker feature in Beta, we’re making it easier for integrators to capture and fully document real-time conversations, while our team gathers inputs from our user community to refine it over the next couple of months.” Customers on qualifying subscription plans will have immediate access to System Surveyor AI Notetaker, embedding AI directly into the site survey and system design process. By reducing manual documentation and capturing critical project context earlier, AI Notetaker helps teams maintain a clear system of record, as projects move from sales through installation and lifecycle management. While the feature is in a Beta phase, System Surveyor will continue to enhance transcription accuracy, workflow integration and AI-generated project summaries. System Surveyor AI Notetaker is available now to System Surveyor users on System Surveyor's Scale, Corporate, Campus, and Enterprise subscription plans.

System Surveyor, the pioneer site survey and system design platform for security integrators and technology managers, officially opened registration for System Surveyor THRIVE 2026, the company’s inaugural in-person user conference taking place September 28-30, 2026, in Austin, Texas. Designed for System Surveyor users, partners consultants and physical security professionals, System Surveyor THRIVE will bring together industry leaders and customers for two days of collaboration, innovation, networking and hands-on learning, focused on improving operational efficiency and maximising the value of the System Surveyor platform across the full project lifecycle. Physical security professionals “System Surveyor THRIVE is more than a user conference — it’s an opportunity for our community to connect, share ideas and help shape the future of System Surveyor,” said Maureen Carlson, President & Co-Founder at System Surveyor. “We consistently hear from customers that they feel they’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible with the platform. System Surveyor THRIVE is designed to help them unlock new ways to improve sales, customer engagement, operational consistency and business processes, while learning directly from peers who are driving measurable impact in their field.” Product roadmap discussions The event agenda will feature product roadmap discussions, interactive workshops and networking opportunities, designed to help attendees streamline collaboration between sales, project management, installation and lifecycle management. Sessions will explore emerging trends shaping the physical security industry, including AI-driven workflows and the growing role of integrated software ecosystems in modern security operations. Attendees can expect: Strategies to improve sales and customer engagement Real-world customer case studies and peer-led best practices Interactive discussions around AI advancements and the future of the platform Networking opportunities with industry peers, consultants, integrators and partners Social events including a welcome reception and evening networking activities in Austin Conference education sessions The event will take place in downtown Austin at the newly renovated Hyatt Regency Austin, offering attendees convenient access to local entertainment, dining, and waterfront views of the city. Early-bird registration is now available for $595 for a limited time. Registration includes access to conference education sessions, networking events, and meals during the event. For more information, visit System Surveyor THRIVE event page and register today.

If AI is the dominant buzzword in the physical security industry, it is the second letter (I for intelligence) that is having the biggest impact. Simply put, intelligence transforms computer systems, including those used for physical security, from rigid, rule-following calculators into adaptable, problem-solving partners to human operators. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the changing role of intelligence in physical security?

In the simplest terms, technology modernisation accelerates when older systems become too expensive to maintain or fail to support modern standards. Market competition pushes businesses to update their technologies to meet rising customer demands. Additionally, the rapid shift toward cloud-based infrastructures and artificial intelligence creates a fear of missing out, forcing companies to adapt or risk irrelevance. Focusing on the physical security market, we asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: What factors are accelerating technology modernisation in security?

Modernising a legacy physical security system requires a transition from isolated, hardware-dependent silos to an integrated, data-driven ecosystem. This transition involves shifting toward open architecture and encrypted communication to ensure long-term scalability and resilience. Other elements to facilitate upgrading a legacy system include leveraging cloud and hybrid topologies and ultimately moving toward more predictive analytics. Our Expert Panelists offer plenty of ideas for making the transition. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: What are today's best practices to transform and modernise legacy systems?