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From the editor's desk: The new old normal

Andrew Seldon, Editor

After two years, the industry is eventually able to get back to a form of normality and Africa’s biggest security show is back. Understandably, some people are still nervous about meeting in person and going to exhibitions with hundreds of other people, but the overwhelming feeling among people I have spoken to is that it will be great to be able to get out there and meet people face to face again.

This issue will be on the show at the Hi-Tech Security Solutions’ stand and we hope to meet as many people as possible during the event. An interesting turn of events, and I believe a positive one, is that Firexpo will be joining Securex as an event focused on the fire safety market. Personally, I think it’s about time the fire safety market got its own show and I hope it will be well supported as this is a critical aspect of the security industry as a whole.

Of course, security is critical, especially in our part of the world, so it will be good to see what has changed and who is with which companies after such a lengthy period of Zooming and isolation in various forms. From what I can see, there will be a few new companies exhibiting as well as some old faces reappearing, so it is a case of something old and something new.

Of course, the Facilities Management Expo and A-OSH will be under the same roof. While these markets are not precisely aligned to the traditional security market, all four events fall under the umbrella of risk management and we are seeing more companies changing their structures to combine and streamline these areas of risk – none of which they can afford to ignore.

It’s unfortunate that we are not also seeing a cybersecurity event. I guess the infotech crowd doesn’t want to associate with us plebs, but while information security is critical in its own right and gets all the attention, it is just as critical in conjunction with other areas or risk management. (There are some infotech companies at the show, but far less than there should be.)

The fact is that an effective risk strategy for any organisation will include all the above disciplines, and while the skills in each may be specific, a converged approach is the only way to manage and mitigate risk effectively without leaving gaps for those with nefarious intent. Perhaps now is the time to resurrect that infamous word convergence.

Be sure to stop by the Hi-Tech Security Solutions’ stand – Hall 2, B11.

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