With the development of System Surveyor, Chris Hugman helped the physical security industry embrace technology in a new way.
Chris Hugman, CEO and Co-Founder of System Surveyor, was awarded the 2024 Security Innovator Award by Security Business magazine, SecurityInfoWatch.com, and Security Technology Executive magazine.
The Security Innovator Awards is the industry’s only 100% peer-nominated program to recognize the innovative contributions made by individuals in the security industry – from integrators to consultants, to practitioners, to manufacturers and service providers.
Nominations were asked to focus on a key aspect of the nominee’s innovation – someone who, for example:
- Devised a new or innovative way to deploy a technology solution;
- Stepped up during a crisis or other emergency;
- Went above and beyond to have a positive impact in the community or for our industry;
- Developed a new, game-changing technology, feature, or standard;
- Demonstrated a long career of innovation;
- And more – as long as it was industry-related and innovative, it was considered.
Read this excerpt from Chris’ nomination to see how he meets many of the aspects listed above:
Throughout his years as a system integrator, Chris Hugman had realized that the security industry was using outdated methods to manage the complexities of designing, implementing and servicing electronic security systems. Even though other industries had long ago embraced mobile apps, web platforms and other software solutions to simplify their internal processes, the physical security industry was lagging. While some integrators had begun to use their mobile devices to take pictures during site walks, many still relied on physical blueprints and excel spreadsheets to design and manage security systems. Not to mention, processes varied from one integration company to the next—sometimes even within the same company.
From Hugman’s point of view, these shortcomings represented a major hinderance to scaling an integration business and to building sustainable and reliable security systems. It was clear that the industry needed a simpler, more efficient process and a digital transformation.
To address this problem, in September of 2015, Hugman launched System Surveyor, the security industry’s first digital site survey and system design platform. As a cloud-based Software-as-a-Solution (SaaS) platform with an easy to use companion mobile tablet app, System Surveyor enables security stakeholders to design, install, maintain and collaborate on an unprecedented scale. Working together in one digital system of record, security professionals can better plan and manage the security systems that businesses, schools, healthcare facilities and government buildings rely on every day, such as video surveillance, CCTV, access control, fire alarm, IT, AV and building automation.
Within the first year of System Surveyor’s initial launch, the cloud-based system design software had already begun to make waves in the industry.
Nearly a decade later, system integrators, end users, technology providers and subcontractors across the country and globe have standardized on System Surveyor to gather, manage and share device-level security equipment information quickly and securely. By enabling integrators to visually collaborate with customers in the physical security system design process, dragging and dropping devices on a digital floor plan and delivering a digital as-built design, System Surveyor delivers better system designs, faster project completions, higher customer satisfaction and loyalty and increased sales.
Read more about the 2024 Security Innovators and download a copy of the issue from SecurityInfoWatch.com.
